Curated OER
Lesson: Living With the Farm Next Door
Discuss with learners why farms are growing in size and why there is sometimes conflict between farmers and their non-farming neighbors. Read the article, "Living With the Farm Next Door," and then craft letters to the editor from the...
Curated OER
Caterpillars To Butterflies
Students gain an appreciation of nature by teaching them about the life cycle of the butterfly. They set up a terrarium so they can observe the changes a caterpillar goes through.
Curated OER
Where's King Solomon when we need him?: Good decisions on resources
Students use geographic information to suggest how to manage natural resources through a simulation. They engage in a simulation, and decide how to protect, allocate, and exploit the resources of a hypothetical location.
Curated OER
Fossils
Young scholars discuss the work of a paleontologist and examine several fossils and books on paleontology. They use clay and Plaster of Paris to create a cast of an object and compare this activity to the formation of fossils in nature.
Curated OER
The Uses of Radiation
No visual aids, no activities, and no demonstrations accompany this plan. What you will find, is background information for a short lecture on the use of isoptopic radiation in the medical field and in our everyday lives. Should you...
Curated OER
Using Comics to teach Habitat and the Balance of Nature
Students visit a specific online comics website to view a comic. They discuss the elements of the food chain that were seen in the story. They choose an inhabitant of the pond habitat that they have been reading about and do a research...
Curated OER
Medieval Natural Resources
Students discuss and view examples of the illuminated manuscripts that were created during medieval times and into the Renaissance. In small groups, they research the resources that were used to create the manuscripts and classify them...
Curated OER
Trees In Nature And Art
Students study the use of trees in art. In this investigative lesson students create art using leaf rubbings and develop a classification method for trees.
Curated OER
Natural Gardening
Students study the effect of pesticides on plants and insects. In this gardening lesson, students discuss the importance of insects. They define pesticides, evaluate their effectiveness and the problems they might cause. Students...
Curated OER
Science Talk about Mammals and Reptiles/Amphibians
Third graders use the internet to research mammals, reptiles and amphibians. They list important items about their chosen animal. Students identify characteristics of an animal and where they live. They classify animals as a mammal,...
Curated OER
DRASING NATURE
Students take samples of local trees and identify the tree using a field guide. They keep data for the tree on the Tree ID sheet. They create leaf, seed, bark, and flower prints and paint them.
Curated OER
Using Cause and Effect to Write in Science
Fifth graders brainstorm processes or forces that cause Earth's surface to be changed.
Curated OER
Science: Conditions for Slime Mold Survival
Students perform experiments to determine the nutritional needs and physical space requirements for slime mold to survive. After formulating hypotheses, they seal the petri dishes and set up the experiment along with two controls. ...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle: A Repeating Pattern in Nature
Students are introduced to the terms related to the water cycle in their native language. In groups, they describe the steps of the cycle using different materials found in their art classroom. They describe how energy helps water...
Curated OER
A Natural Connection to the Azores
Students use primary sources to examine whaling voyages, biology, and geography. In this geography lesson plan, students analyze ship logs and plot locations of animals and determine routes using latitude and longitude.
Curated OER
Teaching the Bell Tetrahedral Kite
Learners complete readings on kite making and kite flying. They analyze how the parts of a system interconnect and influence each other. Students identifies and uses color and form in a 3D artwork.
Science Matters
Island Fox Outreach
Off the coast of California lives a wild animal called the Island Fox. Experts discuss the importance of the Island Fox to the Channel Islands and the balance the fox creates within its ecosystem. The lesson concludes with a reading of...
Learning for Life
Lesson 7: Stimulants
Make sure your class is aware and informed of the various types of stimulant drugs that exist. Here, they can learn their alternate names and some of their harmful effects. While this is a very basic direct-instructional instructional...
Curated OER
Agriculutre and Natural Resources Trends
Pupils write the letters of the alphabet down the side of a piece of paper. They brainstorm words relating to agriculture that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Students discuss the slides from the PowerPoint presentation.
NASA
Stellar Fingerprints and Doppler Red Shifts
Young scientists observe the spectra of elements and compare that to the Doppler effect. Hook scholars from the beginning all the way to the extension activities in this 5E-format instructional activity.
Centers for Ocean Sciences
Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy: Principle 1
Is your current lesson plan for salt and freshwater literacy leaving you high and dry? If so, dive into part one of a seven-part series that explores the physical features of Earth's salt and freshwater sources. Junior hydrologists...
Curated OER
The Class Trip
Mrs. Moore's class is trying to earn money for a trip to the science museum, but how much more do they need? Solve this problem with your own class as they develop their ability to model real-life situations algebraically. As an added...
Curated OER
How to Teach Students about Acid and Acid Rain
How acidic is your rainwater? Use these lesson plans to get students thinking about how acids affect the environment in which we live.
PHET
Planet Designer: Retro Planet Red
What does the atmosphere on Mars look like? This fourth instructional activity in the series of five is designed for high schoolers. Scholars apply previous knowledge to add atmosphere to Mars in an online simulation. This comprehensive...