Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animals of the Lost City

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Begin with a demonstration of exothermic reactions and discussion of chemosynthesis. Your aspiring oceanographers research vent communities and then craft a mural of a vent community. This is a terrific method of introducing learners to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Life

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Mini-marine biologists use Scholastic Explorers website to learn about declining numbers of leatherback sea turtles and dusky dolphins. They fill out a K-W-L chart and observation journal worksheet, which are both provided in the lesson...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Observing the Pumpkin Cycle

For Teachers K
Students observe and listen to nonfiction books about the life cycle of pumpkins. They practice early reading skills in a shared reading related to pumpkins. They observe the life cycle of a pumpkin including growth and decay.
Lesson Plan
Science 4 Inquiry

The Ins and Outs of Photosynthesis

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The most important chemical process on Earth is photosynthesis. Scholars explore the changes in the gases in our atmosphere as life on Earth developed. They create a model of photosynthesis and consider simple questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sustainable Marine Fisheries

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Through a fishing simulation, environmentalists discover consequences of over fishing. Afterward, they discuss how the activity relates to the impact of real-life commercial fishing. They also consider sustainability in the fishing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Marvels of Mud

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Young scientists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this three-day earth science investigation. Following the scientific method, children monitor the growth of algae in pond water samples in order to determine...
Lesson Plan
University of Minnesota

Manduca sexta: Caterpillar Dissection

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Caterpillars have an amazing, yet tough job to perform in their short lives — eat much, avoid predators, and try not to let all those comments about being the unattractive stage of the life cycle get to them. How do they handle it all?...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

The Big Bang Theory: An Evidence-Based Argument

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
What evidence supports the big bang theory? Individuals analyze scholarly resources about the the theory and develop arguments backed by evidence. They brainstorm, share ideas, watch a video, and read articles to complete a graphic...
Lesson Plan
University of Minnesota

What's the Deal? Addiction Card Game

For Students 9th - 12th
Addiction is a big deal! Playing a game of cards helps learners understand the concept of addiction. Through their analysis, they examine the potential for addiction and how it varies for each individual.
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – The Importance of Water

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Water is essential for life—and understanding the importance of clean drinking water is essential in understanding sustainability! Show your environmental science class the basics of water testing and treatment through a week-long...
Lesson Plan
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Rainforest Alliance

Protecting the Critical Habitat of the Manatee and Loggerhead Turtle

For Teachers 1st Standards
Explore ocean habitats with a lesson plan that showcases the home of manatees and loggerhead turtles in Belize. Here, pupils compare and contrast the homes of ocean animals to those of humans, listen to an original short story...
Lesson Plan
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Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Looking to the Future

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
New Horizons set forth on a mission to Pluto in 2006. Ten years later, the spacecraft is still on its way. Here, enthusiastic scholars predict what they will be like—likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc.—when New Horizons arrives at its...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Biological Oceanographic Investigations – Signals from the Deep

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill directly impacted an area of the Gulf of Mexico the size of Oklahoma. A marine biology lesson looks at the impact of an oil spill on the deeper parts of the ocean. Scholars download actual data collected...
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Personal Choices and the Planet

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
How big is your footprint? Activity three culminates the series by having groups complete carbon footprint audits with people in their schools and/or around the districts. Groups then gather their data, create a presentation including...
Lesson Plan
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Water from the Well

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
How much water does it take to brush your teeth? How about to wash your clothes? Perform an experiment that measures water usage in everyday tasks and compares them to the days before indoor plumbing, specifically the California...
Lesson Plan
Rainforest Alliance

The Carbon Cycle

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Scholars learn about the carbon cycle, play a carbon cycle game, and then write a story based on their role as a carbon atom during the game. After the writings, pupils analyze the carbon cycle by leading a class discussion on the material.
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

The Amazing Adventures of Carbon: How Carbon Cycles through the Earth

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
Here's a stat for your pupils: 18 percent of the human body is carbon! Part 10 in the series of 12 takes pairs on an adventure through the carbon cycle. After a class reading about carbon, pairs read and choose their own adventure...
Lesson Plan
Science 4 Inquiry

The Ups and Downs of Populations

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Life has its ups and downs ... especially if you're an animal! Biology scholars engage in a population study through an inquiry-based lesson. Pupils work together to explore the factors that affect deer populations, then examine the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Summer Science Recipes: Experiments on the Grill and in the Kitchen

For Teachers Higher Ed
Generate ideas about the most scientifically sound ways to prepare foods safely and efficiently during the summer season. Learners will use the GED Connection Science Workbook, so they can practice the skills needed to prepare for the...
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Ghost Town

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Around 93 percent of the reefs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef have been bleached, and almost one quarter of them are now dead. Scholars research the sea temperatures, especially around the areas with coral reefs, to make connections...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life in a Hurricane Zone

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars research the effects of living in a hurricane zone. In this hurricane zone lesson, students research the impact of natural disasters on humans and the environment, and write a press release describing the devastation of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Along the Birdhouse Trail

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students set up and maintain birdhouses on the school grounds in an effort to witness and capture (through video and photos) the major stages in the life cycle of cavity-nesting birds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

West Nile Virus-What is the Risk?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Begin with an online pre-quiz about West Nile Virus. Using a fictional scenario, young epidemiologists read how it is transmitted and examine the stages of the life cycle of a mosquito. They imagine that they are members of the Centers...
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

The Value of Ancient Traditions

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Imagine having to give up cell phones, computers, and TV? What would be lost? What gained? An examination of the Drokpa, a nomadic people who live in the grasslands of Tibet, provides class members an opportunity to consider how access...