Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Digging the Earth's Crust

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students investigate the Earth's crust. In this geology lesson, students identify the materials made up of the Earth's crust and investigate the different kinds of soil.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stellar Evolution and the Fate of Earth

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders identify the different stages in the life cycle of a star. In this astronomy instructional activity, 8th graders read H-R diagrams and analyze data. The describe how the Sun's evolution will affect Earth in the future.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Models of the Earth and Moon

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore the earth's rotation and phases of the moon. In this planets lesson plan, students rotate and revolve around a light representing the sun. Students use movement and props to simulate what causes the phases of the moon as...
Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

Voyage of Discovery

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Did you know that Pluto is smaller than the United States of America? It is difficult to conceptualize the size of planets and the distance between them, and the lesson plan addresses those exact issues. After a discussion, pupils create...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Black Carbon - a Dusty Situation

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Introduce your young meteorologists to black carbon produced by the burning of fossil fuels by showing the video, "Changing Planet: Black Carbon." Viewers discover that deposition of this carbon on polar ice impacts the absorption of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Rising Ocean Temperatures - Rising Sea Levels

For Teachers 5th - 9th
As an anticipatory set, young environmental technicians watch a video about how ocean temperatures seem to be changing along with the global climate. They perform a laboratory demonstration with the purpose of observing what happens to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taking the Measure of the Universe

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Four fabulous activities immerse amateur astronomers into measuring objects that we cannot handle. The experiences are applied to NASA's Space Interferometry Mission, which will take measurements of planets around stars other than our...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sampling the Ocean Floor

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students sample goodies from an unseen ocean floor and try to accurately describe their composition. This simulation helps students explain the limitations of sampling and the problem of obtaining representative samples of sea floor...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Fuels (Part II), The Geology of Oil

For Teachers 8th - 12th
More of a mini-unit than a lesson, these activities lead inquisitors through a survey of oil deposits. In the first part, they read about and view diagrams of sedimentary rock layers that trap oil. Next, they test porosity and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Jacket: Journal Templates Teacher's Guide

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Explore this story involving prejudice and racism to enhance learners' comprehension skills. The story The Jacket by Andrew Clements involves an African American boy who is falsely accused of stealing someone's jacket. This teacher's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's "In" There: A Study of the Inner Planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars

For Teachers 1st
First graders identify and explore the four inner planets. In this planet science lesson, 1st graders watch a PowerPoint about the planets. Students read the book Our Solar System and discuss the inner planets. Students create a book...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Charting The Planets

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students conduct different activities in order to unlock the secrets of the universe. They answer different questions that are written to assess knowledge of the planets. Information can be found on the internet to help.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planets Online

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students use bookmarked Internet web sites about Space to gather information and use desktop publishing software to write assignments. They participate in various web assignments on provided links to study the planets and the solar system.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Please Ex-Planet!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
What is most useful about this lesson plan is the "Student Explanet Worksheet," a set of instructions for collaborative groups to use to collect information about an assigned planet. After students have researched and organized their...
Lesson Plan
Pacific Science Center

Worlds in Comparison

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Young astronomers follow a step-by-step procedure for dividing a lump of dough into parts, resulting in a scaled volume set of puny planets. Along with the printable directions is a template chart of planet names on which learners can...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Crashed on the Moon

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students compare and contrast the environments of the moon and the earth. They discover how the differences might change one's daily activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why Is It Hotter At the Equator?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the different heating effects of sunlight. They conduct an experiment that demonstrates the way sunlight strikes the equator, the poles and other parts of the globe.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The ABCs of Conservation

For Teachers K
Students explore the components of convservation, letters, and the sounds of the alphabet. The letters of the alphabet and the corresponding sounds and words that begin with that letter are identified as ways of protecting the Earth are...
Lesson Plan
NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach

Earth, Sun and You

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers model Earth's revolution round the sun by walking a mini-globe around a lamp. You will assess whether or not they tilt and rotate the planet properly and that the revolution is counterclockwise. Discussion beforehand...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discover the Planets

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders research the planets. For this science lesson, 3rd graders create PowerPoint presentations over a planet. Students present their findings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

WebQuest Solar System Colonization Project 2000

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders investigate the livability of different planets in the universe by researching and organizing information from a number of sources in this unit project. They decide on a location for a space station which they support in an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spaceship Earth

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students develop an understanding of our planet as a system by designing a very-long-duration space mission in which the life-support system is patterned after that of earth.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth: Our Big Blue Marble

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students investigate Earth and its resources. In this Earth, space, and nature lesson plan, students collaborate to design presentations on the Earth, its cycles, and how humans have impacted the planet. Images, diagrams, and background...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pocket Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Motivate your class with this lesson plan. Learners explore the solar system and practice working with fractions using this resource. They construct scale models of our solar system, and use fractions to correctly configure the solar...

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