Curated OER
Traveling Nitrogen
Students act out the cycling of nitrogen through the environment. For this nutrient cycle lesson, students role play as nitrogen atoms traveling through the nitrogen cycle. They travel to stations and roll dice to determine the...
Curated OER
Gettysburg Rocks Recycle to Win
Eighth graders use a geologic cross section to study the rock cycle of the Gettysburg battlefield. In this rock cycle instructional activity, 8th graders connect the rock cycle and continental rifting.
Curated OER
A Peek into the Lives of Stars!
Students create a model of the birth of a star and demonstrate the stages of the star's lifecycle. In this star lifecycle lesson, students mix flour and water in a jar to model the birth of a star, then role-play the entire...
Curated OER
Models of the Water Cycle
Students describe and review the stages in the water cycle. In groups, they build their own models of the water cycle and demonstrate where the water goes in a closed system. They answer discussion questions after the experiment to end...
Curated OER
Earth's Hydrologic Cycle
Young scholars examine the water cycle. In this hydrologic cycle lesson plan, students follow the provided procedures to demonstrate the how water moves around the planet through the dynamics of the water cycle.
Curated OER
Water in the Biosphere
Environmental explorers examine the campus and take note of living organisms. Introduce them to the biosphere and the questions of the day: How much water can be found in the biosphere? A slide show helps you along, and even contains a...
Curated OER
Water in Earth's Hydrosphere
Environmentalists test stream water for temperature, pH, and turbidity. Each group shares their information and then the class makes an overall evaluation of the water quality. A slide show sets the backdrop for the teaching portion and...
Curated OER
Dissolved Oxygen and Respiration
Young scholars are presented with the question, "Do plants that grow underwater use oxygen?" They create an experiment to test the presence of dissolved oxygen in the water using provided materials. Student experiments include a control...
Science Matters
Energy Flow
Budding scientists work collaboratively to reenact energy flow in a food chain. Scholars take on roles such as producer and consumer and perform tasks that symbolize energy flow in order to provide evidence of how much energy passes...
Cornell University
Atomic Bonding
Explore the connection of surface area to bonding within atoms. Learners complete lab investigations to model changing surface area with different sizes and concentrations of atoms. A flour fireball demonstration follows the labs to...
Curated OER
THE WONDERFUL WATER CYCLE
Students are introduced to the processes of evaporation and condensation as they observe physical changes in water. They observe how matter changes from a solid to a liquid state. Students are explained that steam is water in its gaseous...
Curated OER
Industrialization of the American Landscape
Students explore the Chernobyl incident and the resulting environmental health impacts. They explore three different isotopes that were released into the atmosphere. Through inquiry, students determine the difference between types of...
Curated OER
Food Chains, Food Webs, Biomass Pyramids and Cycle
In this food chains worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle by placing 16 terms into the puzzle that match the clues given. Students review food webs, biomass pyramids, and the water cycle.
Curated OER
Water Cycle: Weather Lesson 1
First graders go on a water walk, collect weather data, and measure rainfall for a month. They examine the water cycle in this series of lessons.
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Permafrost Gas Leak
Pair earth scientists up to use an amazing online arctic portal mapping tool and Google Earth to analyze permafrost changes. They compare changes to data on atmospheric concentrations of methane to see if there is a correlation. Then...
Curated OER
Teaching about the Effect of Photosynthesis and
Students demonstrate the effects of photosynthesis and respiration. They decide which variables to analyze in a microcosm study. They produce a written paper, oral presentation, poster, or multi-media presentation
Curated OER
Wonderful World of Bats
Students create a book about bats. They write a letter to a scientist containing questions about bats. They compare the socialization of bats to humans; compare the needs of bats to humans and other animals.
Curated OER
Around and Around (The Water Cycle)
Students view a video of the water cycle, and make a water cycle baggie. In this water cycle lesson plan, students watch a video, discuss vocabulary, and make a water cycle baggie out of water, salt, ice, and a hot plate.
Curated OER
The Water Cycle and Clementine
Third graders sing a piggyback song to explore the parts of the water cycle and then illustrate and label the water cycle in their science journals.
Curated OER
Water Cycle
Students investigate, develop inferences, and differentiate between different elements of the water cycle. They investigate the observable characteristics of evaporation and condensation over specific time periods
Curated OER
The Water Cycle
Students develop a better understanding of the need to conserve our renewable resources. In this water cycle lesson students take notes, complete a guide sheet and illustrate the water cycle.
Curated OER
What is the Rock Cycle?
Students investigate the rock cycle. In this geology lesson, students read about the rock cycle on a website and discuss the steps of the rock cycle. Students visit a rock cycle website to complete a quiz. This is the first introductory...
Curated OER
Phases of the Moon: Cooperative Learning
Third graders examine the phases of the moon. In this moon phase instructional activity, 3rd graders listen to a read aloud of The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn M. Branley and discuss the phases of the moon. They complete a moon phase...
Curated OER
Water 1: Water and Ice
Students discover the forms water can take. In this hands-on science lesson, students examine how water can change from a solid to a liquid and then back again.