Curated OER
Glaciers and Ice Wedging
Fourth graders observe and identify a variety of weathering and geological activities in the area in which they live. This focuses primarily on what happened during the Ice Age, and how, even today, glaciers are shaping and re-shaping...
Curated OER
Does cloud type affect rainfall?
Student use MY NASA DATA to obtain precipitation and cloud type data. They create graphs of data within MY NASA DATA. Young scholars compare different cloud types, compare precipitation, and cloud type data They qualitatively describe...
Polar Trec
Can Carbon Dioxide Act Like a Greenhouse Gas?
Ninety-seven percent of scientists who study climate agree that human activity is warming the planet. Learners explore carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, a gas causing this warming, through a hands-on experiment. Once complete, they...
Curated OER
Weather Instruments
Third graders practice making predictions about weather from conditions they observe on weather instruments and weather reports. Learners are introduced to the most basic weather reporting instruments: the thermometer, the wind vane, the...
Polar Trec
Mini-Ocean Bathymetric Mapping Research Cruise
Middle or high schoolers transform into oceanographers in a week-long simulation. To begin, each group follows directions to create a model of the ocean floor with specified features. Next, the groups prepare to set sail on a research...
Curated OER
Coal Derivatives by Destructive Distillation
Chemists use the destructive distillation technique to produce three derivatives from a sample of bituminous coal. You will find background information, a materials list, procedures, and sample follow-up questions that you can use in...
Curated OER
Changing Ways
Third graders examine hard boiled eggs as possible models for the earth's layers.
Curated OER
How Far Away is SOHO?
Students create a scale model of the Earth and the sun that demonstrates where the SOHO satellite is in relation to the Earth.
Curated OER
How Can a Spacecraft Always Face the Sun?
Students determine the correct orbital path for a satellite that collects data about the sun so that its view of the sun never be obstructed by the Earth.
Curated OER
Paper Plate Sunflowers
A great way to recall the parts of a flower is to make one. Little learners create sunflowers out of paint and paper plates. They also discuss and label the various parts of their flowers.
Curated OER
Watercolor Rainbows
Who doesn't love a rainbow? Little ones adore them, so why not make rainbows the subject of your next art project. Your class can use watercolor to paint rainbows. As they do, have them identify the colors in the rainbow, talk about how...
Curated OER
Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
Students become familiar with coal as an energy source and how it is mined. In this coal lesson, students research the effects of coal mining on the environment. Students discuss the various problems associated with coal mining....
Curated OER
Continents and Oceans on the Move
Students create an awareness of the vast percentage of water covering the earth. They relate similarities/differences between topographical maps and other maps of various time periods. Students examine how to use a topographical map.
Curated OER
Renewable Energy
Students examine the United States' current and future energy needs. They describe different forms of renewable energy sources and compare the impacts of renewable and non-renewable energy sources on the earth and society.
Curated OER
Recycling and Waste Reduction
Students investigate recycling and waste reduction and its positive impact on the environment. In this environmental science lesson, students determine how and why materials are recycled. They apply their knowledge by making...
Curated OER
The Phases of the Moon
Students sketch the different phases of the moon after exploring them on an internet program. In this moon phases lesson plan, students discuss how the Sun, Earth, and Moon are related.
Curated OER
Understanding the Indoor Environment: Word Walls
Young scholars study vocabulary words about indoor air quality. For this indoor environment lesson, students create a word wall with vocabulary words about indoor air quality and pollutants.
Curated OER
What is Climate?
Students explore the differences between climate and weather. In this introductory instructional activity of a climate unit, students discuss the vocabulary and concepts associated with weather and climate. They build their information...
Curated OER
Pollution Unit Plan
Sixth graders examine what pollution is and the ways in which it effects the environment. They investigate ways to reduce it effects in this unit of lessons.
Curated OER
Energy Is Everywhere
Students determine the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources and identify the different forms of energy. They discuss life without energy and where energy comes from before reading an article about the different...
Curated OER
Endangered Species
Fourth graders investigate endangered species to discover reasons for the extinction. Resources are examined to determine preventive measures for the endangerment. The unit contains four lessons.
Curated OER
What Is Natural?
Your junior highers will learn about which objects are natural and classify objects as abiotic or biotic. Your class will trace human products to their natural resources using matter cycles and then create their own definition of nature.
Earth Day Network
Forms of Energy
Give me a home where electric buffalo roam and I'll show you an ohm on the range. Introduction your classes to potential and kinetic energy, electricity, and renewable resources with a resource that combines observation, direct...