Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Look At Those Leaves!

For Teachers K - 1st
Students observe, measure and sort leaves.  In this leaf lesson students divide into groups and observe the different kinds of leaves. 
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy

For Teachers 3rd
Students complete a unit of lessons on our solar system, its stars, and astronomers. They record information in a space journal, design constellations, define key vocabulary, observe the phases of the moon, and create a group planet...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather "Why"

For Teachers K
Students research weather and explore how to use their research information. In this weather information lesson, students visit a given website for weather forecasts. Students graph the weather, sing weather songs and select a class...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Seeing Solar Processes

For Students 7th - 12th
In this seasons worksheet, students compare 24 hour filmstrips for a single day in Canada, the U.S.A., and the Arctic Circle to determine the different seasons. This worksheet has 12 fill in the blank.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Charting Weather: Melbourne

For Students 6th - 8th
In this earth science worksheet, students check the accuracy of the weather forecasts in their area for a week. Then they complete the chart by recording the forecast for the week's weather and then recording the actual weather for that...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Climatic Changes

For Students 9th - 12th
In this climate changes worksheet, high schoolers review the different events such as volcanic eruptions and El Nino that change the climate. This worksheet has 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Watershed Management

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers investigate the concept of a watershed. They conduct research into the concept using a variety of resources. Students take a field trip to a local watershed to make observations. The outcome is a report concerning the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Today's Weather on Mars

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars investigate the temperature and wind data locally, nationally, and internationally and compare these conditions to those on Mars. Conclusions are drawn about the differences of these conditions and the causes for the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mars Calendar Project

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars design a calendar that displays time on Mars. They explore the differences between time on Earth and time on Mars while making the calendar.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Warm is the Water?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research how surface sea temperature changes throughout the year. They draw a time series of sea surface temperatures for each month of the year and a depth profile for a summer and winter month using an OceanExplorer Profiler...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Our Universe: Always Moving, Always Changing

For Teachers 3rd
Students explore the main concepts of astronomy through the eleven lessons of this unit. The past, present, and future methods of studying the science are examined in this unit.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Temperature Comparisons

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students practice plotting temperature data points on a line graph in groups and examine the temperature differences at the same time of year. They graph the temperatures in Lannon, WI, and Mitchell's Plain, SA. After the data has been...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: A Matter of Degrees: Tilt of Earth's Axis Affects the Seasons

For Students 3rd - 8th
In this science fair project, use a globe and a heat lamp to investigate how the angle of the Sun affects global warming. This project includes the objective, background questions, a list of all the materials you'll need, and the...
Lesson Plan
Illustrative Mathematics

Illustrative Mathematics: G Mg Tilt of Earth's Axis and the Four Seasons

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This task gives students a chance to explore the effects of the Earth's tilt and rotation using a simple geometric model of Earth-Sun interaction that shows why the seasons occur. Aligns with G-MG.A.1.
Graphic
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Cosmology and Astronomy: Season Simulator

For Students 9th - 10th
This season simulator takes Earth through an entire year cycle allowing the viewer to observe the tilt of the Earth and the intensity of the sunlight.
eBook
Other

Earth Science: Earth's Surface and Heat [Pdf]

For Students 6th - 8th
This textbook chapter looks at the role of temperature in sustaining life on Earth and on weather and climate. It discusses the Earth's movements and the seasons, the circulation of the oceans, wind and weather, and the water cycle....
Unit Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Weather & Climate: Seasons

For Students 3rd - 5th
A slideshow and a short multiple-choice quiz on the topic of seasons and how they are caused by the Earth's rotation and orbit.
PPT
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Seasons on Earth and Mars

For Students 6th - 8th
Compare the seasons on Earth and Mars with NASA imagery. Use this resource to visualize how the axial tilt of a planet influences its seasons and to compare data about seasonal changes on Earth and Mars. Support materials include:...
Handout
Curated OER

Weather Dude: The Seasons

For Students 3rd - 8th
Especially for kids, the Weather Dude provides a simple explanation of the seasons. Includes a music clip titled "Circle of Our Four Seasons," and suggested lesson plans and school assignments.
Lesson Plan
BioEd Online

Bio Ed Online: Reason for the Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this set of activities, the path the Sun takes in relation to the Earth is tracked by students on two days, with three months in between them. They will develop an understanding of what causes the seasons as they examine the effects...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Reasons for the Seasons

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Why do some regions experience full-time heat while others are reckoning with frigid temperatures and snow? And why are the seasons reversed in the two hemispheres? Rebecca Kaplan explains how the shape of the Earth's orbit around the...
Website
NASA

Nasa Star Child: A Song for All Seasons

For Students 9th - 10th
After listening to excerpts from four of the violin concertos from "The Four Seasons" by Italian composer and violinist, Antonio Vivaldi, decide which excerpt was meant to go with which season, and also decide where the earth would be in...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Modeling Earth's Seasons by Rotation and Revolution

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this lesson plan, students will discuss, define, and demonstrate the Earth's rotation and revolution around the sun in a counterclockwise position. They will be able to predict seasons based on the amount of light that hits the Earth.
Activity
Harvard University

Eyes on the Sky, Feet on the Ground: The Earth's Orbit

For Students 3rd - 8th
Students perform many inquiry activities related to Earth's orbit. Included are recording daily temperatures, observing the sun's path over several weeks, tracking sunrise and sunset times, and angle of sunlight. Diagrams make lessons...