It's About Time
The Nitrogen and Phosphorous Cycles
How do we affect the ecosystem, and what can we do to preserve it? Pupils explore chemicals that promote and inhibit plant growth, then discuss the importance of nitrogen and phosphorus to the survival of organisms and describe how...
It's About Time
The Water Cycle
Explore the water cycle with a hands-on earth science activity that prompts pupils to measure the amount of water normally transpired by plants. After they describe the flow of the water cycle and provide examples of how human activities...
NOAA
The Cycle of Water
Young water cycle enthusiasts discover the water they have been using has been cycling around the earth for billions of years. Through presentations, learners will understand that water has three states and how these forms fit into the...
NASA
The Case of the Wacky Water Cycle
Join the tree house detectives in learning about the processes of the water cycle, water conservation, water treatment, and water as a limited resource.
Curated OER
Clouds and What They Mean
An excellent resource on cloud types and descriptions could be a valuable addition to your science lesson. After kids learn the correct vocabulary to describe clouds, they complete several worksheets and thermometer activities before...
Association of American Geographers
Project GeoSTART
Investigate the fascinating, yet terrifying phenomenon of hurricanes from the safety of your classroom using this earth science unit. Focusing on developing young scientists' spacial thinking skills, these lessons engage learners in...
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Weather Watch Activity Guide: Groundhog Day
Exactly what do groundhogs know about weather? Not as much as your science students will after completing these lessons and activities that cover everything from the earth's rotation and the creation of shadows, to cloud...
Discover Earth
Weather Stations
Transform your classroom into a fully functioning weather station with this series of hands-on investigations. Covering the topics of temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and cloud formation, these activities engage young...
National Wildlife Federation
The Water Cycle
Observe the water cycle from the comfort of your classroom with this excellent earth science experiment. Working collaboratively, young scientists first create terrariums complete with hills, plants, lakes, and an atmosphere,...
NOAA
The Cycle of Water
Help young scientists get to the bottom of the water cycle with this comprehensive earth science lesson. After first viewing and discussing presentations about the states of water and the water cycle, the class performs a series of...
National Park Service
The Water Cycle Game
Take young scientists on a trip through the water cycle with this interactive science activity. After setting up a series of ten stations representing the different places water can be found, children use the included printable dice to...
Signing Time Foundation
What is the Water Cycle?
Dive into an exploration of the water cycle cycle with this simple earth science lesson. After first discussing where rain comes from, young scientists define the terms condensation, evaporation, transpiration, and precipitation as a...
UNESCO
The Water Cycle
Young scientists get their feet wet as they learn about the water cycle in this series of activities. Whether they are observing how evaporation causes puddles to dry up, or how plants put water into the atmosphere through transpiration,...
Smarter Balanced
Effects of Water
To prepare for a performance task assessment, class members review the stages of the water cycle and then individuals assume the roles of drops of water for a Reader's Theater exercise. The script, a graphic depicting the water cycle,...
NASA
Geographical Influences
"If global warming is real, why is it so cold?" Distinguishing the difference between weather and climate is important when it comes to understanding our planet. In these activities, young scientists look at the climate patterns in a...
Scholastic
Study Jams! The Water Cycle
Will tomorrow's soccer game be rained out? That depends on the water cycle. An animated feature explains precipitation, evaporation, transpiration, and condensation with diagrams and dialogue between Sam and RJ as they huddle under a...
Curated OER
Weather instruments
Students explore weather instruments. For this weather lesson, students make rain gauges, anemometers, and barometers following the instructions given in the lesson. Students set up a weather station using their instruments and record...
Curated OER
The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change
Students analyze the impact of climate variability and change utilizing a broad span of topics over a wide range of grade levels. This three lesson unit is easily adapted for the various instructional levels listed.
Curated OER
Does cloud type affect rainfall?
Student use MY NASA DATA to obtain precipitation and cloud type data. They create graphs of data within MY NASA DATA. Students compare different cloud types, compare precipitation, and cloud type data They qualitatively describe graphs...
Curated OER
The Fabled Maine Winter
Students graph and analyze scientific data. In this research instructional activity students use the Internet to obtain data then draw conclusions about what they found.
Curated OER
Dry Season and 'Green' Season in Costa Rica
Students explore the seasonal changes in Costa Rica. In this dry season lesson students use the Internet to locate science data then generate data for precipitation.
Curated OER
Analyzing Tree Rings to Determine Climate Change
Students examine how to locate and access data sets. In this climate change instructional activity students import data into Excel and graph it.
Curated OER
Cold, Clouds, and Snowflakes
Students explore satellite data and graphing. In this weather data analysis math and science lesson, students analyze NASA satellite data to draw conclusions about geographical areas where precipitation might have happened. Students...
Curated OER
Water Cycle Worksheets
A website links you to several water cycle worksheets geared toward an upper elementary or middle school level. Diagrams, word search, crossword, and fill-in-the-blank worksheets are available. As an added bonus, there are links to...