Curated OER
Making Sense of Unusual Findings
Students work on the development of observation skills and seeing how they can be used in different contexts. The lesson is good for helping the beginner and novice, along with encouraging and reminding the expert observer of right...
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Lightning Safety
Students investigate how lightning is produced and ways they can keep themselves safe during a lightning storm. After a lecture/demo, students use a worksheet imbedded in this plan to reinforce the concepts taught.
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Space Facts
Students read space facts and click on the links to research more about space objects. In this space lesson plan, students read about comets, planets, the moon, and more.
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Where's the Beach?
Young scholars use beach profile data to analyze how erosion and sediment transport changed seashore slopes. In this geology lesson, students plot the data provided and analyze erosion patterns. They also assess coastal erosion...
NOAA
Currents
Learn how ocean currents are vital to humans and marine life. The eighth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program, focuses on ocean currents and how they affect global climate. The...
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Heat Absorption and Radiation
Students experiment with the concepts of absorption and reflection of radiant energy.
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Making Hail
Fourth graders investigate the different types of precipitation and conduct a hail experiment. They identify the types of precipitation during a slideshow, and define key vocabulary terms. Next, in small groups they follow the...
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Air Masses
Middle schoolers examine the physical characteristics of several types of air masses to discover how air masses can be identified and defined by their temperature and moisture content.
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How Mountains Shape Climate
Students use raw data to make a climatograph; they explain the process of orographic precipitation and the concept of a rain shadow.
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Hunt For Supertwister
Students identify the best time of year and place to position spotters for possible tornado outbreaks. They research tornado formations, spotting, and safety. Students present their information using a poster, a mock-up of a newspaper,...
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Teaching about Rain Storms, Land Use, and Lake Turbidity
Students investigate the impacts of major rainfall and subsequent runoff on turbidity in lakes. They, in groups, develop a presentation of their research and/or write a paper summarizing their investigation.
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Heating the Earth
Students explore how the angle of sunlight affects the Earth's temperature and seasons and then apply this understanding to their local situation.
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What is Drought?
Students explore and conduct an experiment on the effects of drought on the environment. They define what drought is and the impact that a shortage of rainfall can have on agriculture, municipal water supplies, tourism, recreation, etc.
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Ecosystems Connect
Students investigate ecosystems near their school and across the world. They examine both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) elements of each. They recognize ecosystems from various continents around the globe. The use of computers...
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El Nino
Middle schoolers recognize that El Nino is caused by changes in the atmospheric and ocean content. They conduct a simple experiment, visit websites and create a class poster using individual storyboards.
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Oklahoma Grown: Discovering Oklahoma's Agriculture
Fourth graders investigate where Oklahoma's variety of crops are harvested, and grown their own plants. A printable map and crop information guide are provided.
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Microclimates of Our School
Students read the story "Weslandia" by Paul Fleischman, define the term microclimate, gather and record data in various places on school grounds to establish the presence of difference microclimates, analyze and compare microclimates,...
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Celsius Tells Temperature, Too
Second graders become aware that thermometer liquids expand or contract as temperature affects them.
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Air Masses & Fronts
Students identify two distinct air masses and the frontal boundary and determine whether the front is moving in time and in what direction the front is moving.
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Using Standard Deviation, part 2
High schoolers explain and learn the practical application of standard deviation. They compare cities in the U.S. and discover whether cities closer to the ocean have more consistent temperatures. Useful resources are given.
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Barnyard Bingo
Students explore farm animal sounds. They sing a song that introduces them to the sounds of farm animals. Students create animal bingo cards to help them recognize the correct sounds for each of the farm animals. They discuss the types...
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At Home On The Range
Students explore the history and domestication of the Bovidae family and their importance to our prairie ecosystem. Using a map of the United States, students located the American Great Plains. They complete worksheets and discuss...
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Arctic Microclimates
Students identify, measure, and average micro-climatic temperatures in a particular region. They draw a small-scale map of an area to be sampled (classroom, playground, park, backyard) and identify potential locations for...
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Wheat: From Field to Oven
How does wheat go from the seed to the table? While focusing on main ideas and supporting statements, class members read an excerpt about wheat production and complete a worksheet. The end goal is a display that shows the different...