Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imagers: The Adventure of Echo the Bat Number to Pictures: How Satellite Images are Created

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the three primary colors of light and design a numerical code to represent those colors. They tell how satellites use numbers to create satellite images after completing a number of experimental activities.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Flip Books!

For Students 3rd - 6th
These aren't exactly worksheets, but rather a selection of pdf files of different atmospheric or solar events. Print your chosen pdf file for each aspiring astronomer in your class, have them cut out the individual mini pages, arrange...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Delicate Balance

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students complete an activity to help them understand the Earth's delicate balance. In this Earth lesson plan, students will draw and discuss the ways the Earth's atmosphere can be harmed. Students will then participate in a relay race...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Big Are Earth, Sun, and Moon?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders draw what they believe is in space on a dry erase board. In groups, they are given a beaker half filled with water and they add a teaspoon of oil, observing the different layers that form. To end the lesson, they identify...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Starry Night Time and Day Time

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. They complete various art projects inspired by Van Gogh's 'Starry Night,' create a moon phases book, create a moon phase wind chime, develop a timeline of space exploration,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DAY AND NIGHT

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students use a lamp as the sun and his/her body as the earth. They rotate in different directions to explain how the earth moves around the sun. Using specific questions in their discussion, students discover the reasons for day and night.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling Day and Night

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students complete a science experiment to study the role of night and day on sleep patterns. In this sleep patterns activity, students brainstorm about night and day and the causes for the rotations on Earth. Students work in groups to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Day and Night

For Teachers K - Higher Ed
Students discuss why day and night occur after visualizing a teacher-led demonstration.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding the Layers of the Earth

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the three layers of the Earth describing the composition, thickness, and temperature of each layer. Layers are compared and contrasted and data unearthed placed into graphic organizers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth and Seasons

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders comprehend that the path Earth takes as it revolves around the sun is called its orbit. They also comprehend that the axis is an imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and its North and South Poles. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Day 4: Plate Tectonics II

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students explore the theory of plate tectonics. In this geology lesson, students conduct a simulation of the crust of the Earth floating on the mantle. Students research plate tectonics and share their findings with the class. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sun too close? We'll just change Earth's orbit

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study an article and discuss what would happen if the Earth's orbit changed.  In this Earth's orbit instructional activity students answer a list of questions and complete an activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Day and Night

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students using experiments try to demonstrate how observations can be affected by the cycles of night and day.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Journey Around the Sun

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders examine how the angle of the sun's rays is a factor in determining the seasons. They watch a teacher demonstration of the concepts and write a paragraph demonstrating their understanding.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Day In My Life

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students brainstorm how they can conserve energy in their daily lives. In this energy lesson plan, students discuss how they use energy and ways to conserve it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnetic Field Activities

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore the idea of magnetic field through investigations of magnetic fields as produced by various common magnetic materials and direct currents. They study the vector nature of fields, the ubiquity of field sources in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measuring the Earth (Eratoshenes' method)

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders engage in problem solving, communicating, reasoning, and connecting to represent and solve problems, using geometric models.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cloudy Days are for Reading and Writing

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research weather proverbs and determine the scientific validity of 3 weather proverbs. They write an essay presenting their reasoning. They interview elderly people to graph the most frequently heard proverbs and theorize...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth: Land Use Picture Project

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore how changes in human land use are impacting local environments. They also explore some of the social impacts of various land uses in their area. They identify and discuss some social impacts of the different land uses.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

28 Days - The Lunar Cycle time line

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders create a labeled lunar diagram time line illustrating the lunar cycle using Internet resources. An assigned date/month is given to each student, and an online Moon Phase calculator assists them with their drawings.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Integrating Environmental Science-Ozone Depletion

For Students 7th - 10th
In this ozone instructional activity, students read about the ozone layer, its make-up and its depletion. They answer three critical thinking questions about ozone and the ozone layer.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Science

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze the mechanisms for generating ocean currents, temperature, and deep ocean circulation. They are able to assess the formation and breaking of waves and their effect on shorelines, particularly the North Carolina coast. ...
Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

Experiencing Eclipses

For Students 7th Standards
Don't be caught in the dark! Young scientists investigate the causes of both solar and lunar eclipses using an interactive to help them understand the development of an eclipse over time. They then research facts and characteristics...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Students analyze the impact of climate variability and change utilizing a broad span of topics over a wide range of grade levels. This three instructional activity unit is easily adapted for the various instructional levels listed.