Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Polar Energy

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students define and read an article on polar energy.  In this polar energy lesson, students answer questions about the article.  Students participate in activities related to isotopes, half-life and radiocarbon.  Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planting Seeds Around the World

For Teachers 1st
First graders discuss the book The Lorax and research what living things need. In this environmental lesson, 1st graders investigate how humans affect the growth of plants. Students conduct an experiment with sunflowers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Microbes Help Ecosystems

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders observe different microorganisms under the microscope. In this biology activity, 6th graders draw and describe the samples they see. They study the root nodules of plants and explain how the plants benefit from those bacteria.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Destructive Impact of Environment on Artifacts

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners recognize that artifacts are destroyed over time.  In this environmental factors on artifacts lesson, students experiment and observe through the microscope to find the environmental impact on artifacts.  Learners make...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hazardous Waste Events Chain

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students identify sources of hazardous wastes and their effects on the ecosystem. In this hazardous waste lesson plan, students are given a hazardous waste card and walk around to locate other links in their hazardous waste events chain....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth History Part II

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders hypothesize what caused the break up of continents. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders study about the events that took place during Mesozoic and Cenozoic Era. They reconstruct a supercontinent and report their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Daily Weather Calendar

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders use the internet to record the daily weather conditions. Using symbols, they take the information they gathered and create an easy to read chart. They share their charts with the class to end the instructional activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environment: John Muir Day

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Young scholars observe John Muir Day by visiting Websites containing fact sheets, excepted writings, as well as songs, pictures, and educational sources. They use April 21 as a day to reflect on Muir's accomplishment and environmental...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life Cycle of the Plant - The Pumpkin

For Teachers 1st
First graders access prior knowledge about pumpkins and read the story Pumpkin, Pumpkin. They will sequence the life cycle of the pumpkin through the use of picture cards and then sing a song about the life cycle of the pumpkin and plant...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Water Cycle Stories

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young scholars explore the water cycle and associated phase changes. They predict what happens to the mass of an ice cube in a Ziploc bag, discuss and act out phase changes and diagram the water cycle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning from Light: The Big Bang

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore what astronomers are able to examine our galaxy and universe by examining light. They explore in this sub-unit the formation of the universe, commonly called "The Big Bang," and it follows studying from the Light: The...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Timing the Tides

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students collect data and describe how and why the high and low tides change from day to day.  In exploring tides lesson students study tides by taking notes, recording data and analyzing their findings. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's a bright and beautiful day...Protect Yourself!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars investigate the cause and effect of skin cancer. They complete worksheets, view presentations and discuss the various types of ultraviolet rays and their impact on human health.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Adding the Moon: Using a Playground Model to Explore the Movement of the Sun, Earth, and Moon

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students experience the rotation of the Earth and the Moon, and the revolution of the Moon around the Earth using a playground model.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orientation of the Earth in Space

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students hypothesize the location of the sun in the sky at diferent times of day and at different latitudes. They perform several experiments to provide evidence for their hypothesis. Experiments including observing the sun's position at...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Largest Volcano on Earth

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create time-lines of tow major eruptions and use this information to determine what happens during an eruption.  In this volcano lesson students read information about previous eruptions and create a time line. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning Lesson: The Shadow Knows II

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students discover and practice how to calculate the circumference of the Earth. They measure the length of their shadows and use the distance they are away from the equator to complete the calculations. They discuss winter or summer...
Lesson Plan
Florida International University

Design Your Own

For Students 9th - 12th
Apply scientific principles to designing an experiment to study organisms living on the coral reef in our oceans. Through reading, individuals learn about the coral reef ecosystem and important factors that affect its function....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Three Clouds Activity

For Teachers K - 4th
Students understand how clouds are formed. In this cloud lesson, students participate in three experiments to make clouds. Students complete activity sheets for each experiment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Solar System: Go Green with the Sun!

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders learn how to use solar power.  In this sun, technology and energy lesson, 3rd graders learn how the solar power from the sun can give off energy, learn about solar panels, discuss their uses and benefits, and design a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seasonal cycles

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Learners understand that the rotation of the Earth is responsible for the seasons. In this seasonal cycles lesson, students learn how the rotation of the Earth affects the seasons. Learners answer questions about the rotation, the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Phase to Phase with the Moon

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the Moon phases. The lesson includes hands-on activities as well as web-based activities. They use models of the Moon and a lamp to study each of the phases of the Moon, and test their knowlege of the Moon on a web...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classroom Meteorologists: An Experiential Approach to Learning about Seasons and Weather

For Teachers K
Students examine several concepts about weather in the seven lessons of this unit. This year long activity helps students to gather data seasonally about wind, clouds, precipitation, and temperature. Earth's three climate zones are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sun Does What?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine why the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. In this sun lesson, students explore the sunset and shadows. Students prove that the sun's position changes during the day. Students investigate what causes a shadow....