Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fostering Geospatial Thinking: Space to Earth: Earth to Space (SEES)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students locate and access data to help them with their science inquiry.  In this geographical positioning lesson students evaluate and compare data sets. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's Clean, Fresh and only Three Billion Years Old - Water!

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students engage in a lesson which explores the wate cycle. They get to see some very entertaining video, do fun hands-on activities and gain a better understanding of evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water and Ice

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students examine how water changes state, from a liquid to a solid.  In this water lesson students study the water cycle and how temperature and pressure effect it. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling Martian Motion

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Pupils explore the difference between stars and planets and take on the role of these objects to simulate the relative motions of Mars and the Earth around the Sun.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Concept Application: One to One Correspondence of Objects

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Young scholars consider the comparative sizes of the planets in the solar system. In this scale lesson plan, students select balls of different sizes to represent the planets in the solar system.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fractions, Decimals, and Gravity

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discuss how weight is directly related to gravitational force on a planet. Students then choose Space Traveler as companion and compute how much their guide weighs on various planets, based on each planet's relative surface...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Unit 2 Sun & Stars

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students describe stellar objects using terms such as stars, planets, satellites, orbits and light. In this sun and stars unit, students research stellar objects through seven individual lessons discovering star characteristics, how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Star Wars Activity

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate radiant energy by completing discrepant events and identify various temperature changes through absorption and how radiant energy can be used for solar panels. They experiment with different color fabrics in order...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Up?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students compare and contrast the various heavenly bodies found in the sky at night. They identify the moon and stars in the sky as well as how the stars form pictures called constellations. Students also experiment with reflection and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kepler's 3rd Law

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students derive the velocity in a circular orbit of any radius. They derive the Earth escape velocity and prove Kepler's 3rd law for circular orbits # A simple formula for the orbital period in a circular Earth orbit of given radius.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

SALLY RIDE

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students express what it would be like to launch off into outer space in a space shuttle. They include what it might feel like, look like, sound like, and any thoughts that go through their mind as they dart away from the Earth's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geometry of Exploration: Eyes Over Mars

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students research how engineers and scientists generate linear and angular measurements with geometry to survey the Earth and Mars. They assess how geometric shapes affect navigation. A surveyor comes to the classroom and explains how he...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recycling Activities

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explain the importance of recycling. In this environmental science lesson plan, students classify materials as recyclable or not. They make posters that promote the benefits of recycling.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Melts in Your Bag, Not in Your Hands

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners study how the sun transfers heat to the earth through radiation. They examine how animals absorb energy from the sun to warm their bodies by experiment with chocolate melting. They examine sun safety.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Solar System

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students analyze the theories of the formation of the universe and solar system. Students analyze planetary motion and the physical laws that explain that motion: Rotation, Revolution, Apparent diurnal motions of the stars, sun, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Waste Management

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the impact on waste on the environment, and the impact of the 3R's (reduce, reuse and recycle) as a means of diminishing the waste created by humans.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ptolemy vs. Copernicus

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students list differences in the diagrams of a geocentric universe and a heliocentric universe. They students describe the religious impact of this change on man's conception of the universe and man's place within it. Students describe...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Graphs of Temperature and Radiation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study plots and use a Live Access Server to generate plots.  In this temperature lesson students examine the process of incoming and outgoing radiation. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Contains Carbon?

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore elements by analyzing everyday objects and materials in class. In this carbon lesson, students define several vocabulary terms such as carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon, and carbonate. Students view a group of items,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

SIZING UP SOL

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders produce a projected, pinhole image of the sun and from measurement of the image and projection distance, calculate the actual size of the sun. They estimate the sun's apparent brightness from different planet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Impacts of an El Nino Event

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study sea surface height and temperature and other characteristics of an El Nino.  In this ocean impacts lesson students examine the factors that influence an El Nino or La Nina. 
Lesson Plan
Green Learning

Build Your Own Solar Oven

For Teachers 6th - 12th
This is not exactly a lesson plan, but rather a six-page document detailing how to build a solar oven. A bit of background information, materials list, diagrams and photos, and clearly-written procedures are all included. There are no...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Climate Change Impacts

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Getting kids thinking about climate change now, will hopefully push them into action when they become adults. Young environmentalists discuss the evidence and causes of climate change seen in the state of California. They brainstorm ways...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Climate Change with GIS

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate climatological changes that are occurring to the Earth. In this climate change lesson, students access an assigned web site to view maps and lessons that show how climate change makes a difference to life on Earth.