Lesson Plan
Center Science Education

Looking Into Surface Albedo

For Teachers 5th - 10th
How does the color of a surface affect the heating of the earth? Middle school science classes experiment with color and surface albedo to determine the relationship. The website has tabs for an overview, teacher's instructions,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Body Series - Cardiovascular System

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Pump up your class while studying the cardiovascular system with this pair of activities. In one, learners record heart rates during different actions. In the second, they read kid-friendly heart health articles online and then write a...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Earth's Global Energy Budget

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Introduce your earth science enthusiasts to the earth's energy budget. Teach them using an informative set of slides that include illuminating lecturer's notes, relevant vocabulary, embedded animations, colorful satellite maps, and a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

once and future MOON

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Beyond the phases of the moon, this comprehensive lesson plan covers geologic history and geology. Amateur astronauts examine photos of the lunar landscape, experiment with the creation of craters, and delve into information about the...
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Staying Warm in Antarctica!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Has your class ever wondered how animals and scientists stay warm in the Polar Regions? Kids will investigate to understand the three types of heat transfer and how heat transfer affects those trying to stay toasty in sub-zero...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

The Big Meltdown

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Explore the world (our world) of melting ice caps. Why are these caps melting? What is the effect of melting ice caps? Dive into the ever-present issue of global warming with a resource that has learners looking at data and participating...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Meet Our Home: Earth

For Students 1st - 6th
Earth is a complex structure. Learners explore their home, the earth, using a fun hands-on activity. They create tactile models of the earth using ordinary household materials that represent some common features: land, polar caps,...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Meet Our Neighbors: Moon

For Students 1st - 6th
Since a field trip to the moon isn't possible, bring the moon to young astronomers! Participants use everyday materials to create models of the moon and represent the features on its surface. The materials serve as a tactile as well as a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cup Capacity Tool: Measuring Cup

For Teachers K
Students examine containers and their capacity. They fill a one-cup measuring cup with water and pour cups of water into other containers. Through observation, students discover how many cups make a pint, and how many teaspoons make a...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Permeability and Porosity

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Covering both permeability and porosity, scholars perform a hands-on experiment testing various soil types. The material includes a pre-lesson worksheet to help focus pupils on the task at hand. 
Activity
National Christmas Tree Association

Merry Christmas, Geraldine

For Teachers K - 6th
If you're reading the story "Merry Christmas, Geraldine" by Holly Keller, this is a fantastic cross-curricular resource to use. Complete with activities for language arts, science, social studies, art, and math, you'll get the most out...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Isotopes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Lead your class through the amazing world of isotopes as they investigate the various properties they contain and further understand their respective location on the periodic table. They explore half-lives and radioactivity as each...
Activity
Colorado State University

What Causes Pressure?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Are you feeling the pressure? Let loose a little with a kinesthetic activity that models molecular motion in a closed space! The activity varies conditions such as volume and temperature and examines the effects on molecules.
Activity
NASA

Explore Mars With Scratch

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Learn what it takes to explore Mars in the comfort of a classroom. Individuals experiment with computer programming using a free online resource while learning about the factors affecting Mars Rover explorations. They create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life In Space: The International Space Station

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars learn about the International Space Station. In this space instructional activity, students learn about the structure, operations, and experiments that go on in the International Space Station.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Planets in Our Solar System

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students gain knowledge about earth and space science by studying the nine planets in the solar system as well as their key characteristics. In this solar system lesson, students identify the nine planets. Students work in groups to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make a Sundial

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore space science by conducting a sun experiment in class. In this time telling lesson, students discuss how the sun sits in our sky at exact times each day and how astronomy is based on our perspective of the solar system....
Lesson Plan
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

Nuclear Popcorn

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Make your instructional activity on radioactive decay pop with this lab exercise. Using popcorn kernels spread over a tabletop, participants pick up all of those that point toward the back of the room, that is, those that represent...
Worksheet
K5 Learning

What Is A Spacewalk?

For Students 4th Standards
Read about all the jobs astronauts do and all the responsibilities they have while on a spacewalk. After reading the what, the why, and the how about spacewalks, readers respond to six comprehension questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Voyage: A Journey Through Our Solar System

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Thoroughly written, this plan walks you through every detail of having your high school astronomers design scale models of the solar system. Complete instructions on building to scale, lesson procedures, and associated worksheets are all...
Activity
Teach Engineering

Glowing Flowers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
What a bright idea! Young scientists conduct an experiment on flowers to finish the last of a six-lesson unit on Cells. Putting the stems into dye-injected water and leaving it overnight results in flowers that glow. This is to simulate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Lumbriculus variegatus

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners conduct two set experiments on Lumbriculus worms and create a third experiment of their own. The first of the two set experiments allows students to observe regeneration of the worms while the second allows learners to test the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Baking Ice Cream

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners discover the concept of an insulator. In this science experiment lesson, students follow the directions for baking ice cream. When baking is completed, learners observe the results and answer questions on the provided worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science-Unit on Matter-Gases

For Teachers 1st
First graders understand that gases take up space even though you can't see or smell it. This is done through many experiments like trapping air in different sized bags, using balloons and plastic bottles, and blowing bubbles. They...