Teach Engineering
Earthquakes Living Lab: The Theory of Plate Tectonics
Find out if your class agrees with Ice Age: Continental Drift ... or if it's just a fun family movie! Class members research the theory of continental drift, examine evidence of plate tectonics, connect...
Curated OER
The Puzzle of the Ice Age Americans
Students describe alternative theories for how the first humans came to the Americas, and explain evidence that supports or contradicts these theories. They examine the role of skepticism in scientific inquiries.
Curated OER
Walking on Thin Ice
Students examine scientific evidence of changes in the Arctic ice cover. They participate in a simulation of an international conference and debate the relationship between global warming and changes in the arctic ice cover.
Curated OER
The Puzzle of the Ice Age Americans
Students describe alternative theories for how the first humans cane to America. In this human origin instructional activity students study the origins of the first Americans.
Curated OER
Glacial Striation Investigation
Students operate a GPS unit to investigate the direction of glacier movement. They describe the motion of glacier movement by interpreting a graph. Students explain how scientists use glacier striations to determine glacier movement.
Curated OER
Why Do Ice Cubes Melt?
First graders investigate water properties by participating in a hands on experiment. In this ice formation lesson plan, 1st graders examine real ice cubes in a bowl and identify the reasons why certain cubes melt faster than others....
Curated OER
Culture Clash: New World Meets Old
Sixth graders explore the history of Christopher Columbus. In this World History lesson, 6th graders research facts about Christopher Columbus. Students write their own opinion about Columbus's background focusing on three...
American Museum of Natural History
What Do You Know About Astronomy
Develop an understanding of the universe. Learners answer 10 multiple choice questions about several topics in astronomy. Questions contain information about the age of the universe, gravitational attraction, galaxies, planets and comets...
Curated OER
America's Stone Age Explorers
Students watch a Nova program examining the earliest in habitants of the Americas. In groups. they take notes on various topics covered in the program. Among the topics covered are: the Clovis people, Solutrean culture, migration...
Virginia Middle School Engineering Education Initiative
Save the Penguins: An Introduction to Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer
Heat things up in your physical science class with this interactive lesson series on thermodynamics. Through a series of class demonstrations and experiments, young scientists learn how heat is transferred through conduction,...
Curated OER
Animals: Mammoths
Students examine websites about mammoths that lived until the end of the Ice Age. They explore the woolly, Columbian, and the Jefferson's mammoth. There are printable sheets, illustrations, maps, and an animated movie showing mammoths...
Curated OER
Neanderthals
Middle schoolers study Neanderthals. For this Prehistoric life lesson, students investigate two main theories regarding the relationship between Neanderthals and modern man. Middle schoolers will conduct research through several provided...
Curated OER
Ancient Hunters of the Great Lakes
Students describe theories on how the first humans came to America and show the evidence that supports it. In this investigative lesson students study given material and prepare written or oral reports in their groups.
Curated OER
Human Evolution
Students recognize that achievements of human beings throughout human history can be considered part of the ongoing story of human evolution. They research settings such as the biosphere and Mars and write imaginative short stories using...
Curated OER
Mystery Box
Fourth graders engage in a icebreaker activity that is meant to introduce curriculum areas at the beginning of the school year. The teacher prepares several different boxes filled with items that are to be studied during the year. Then...
Curated OER
Pleistocene Mammals
Young scholars research the causes of the extinction of Pleistocene mammals. In this Pleistocene mammals lesson, students read essays to understand the Pleistocene epoch. Young scholars write an essay about the personal impact of...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics
Learners watch a video about plate tectonics. in this Earth Science lesson, students watch a video clip from Bill Nye about Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics. They make a slight crack in a hard boiled egg and manipulate the egg to...
Curated OER
Make a Comet Model and Eat It!
Students construct a comet model based on procedure provided. In this space science lesson plan, students compare the physical properties of comets to the models they made. They record their observations and share them with the class.
Curated OER
Precession
Learners explain how Hipparchus, around 130 BC, used a shift in the predicted location of a lunar eclipse to detect a slight shift in the path of the Sun around the sky. They examine the elliptical orbit in which the Earth travels around...
Curated OER
Introductory Activity for Color Unit: Edible Color Wheel
Students use food coloring and frosting to make an edible color wheel. They identify the primary colors and experiment with mixing colored frosting to produce the secondary colors. Students then eat their color wheel.
![Story Behind the Science: Ice Ages, an Alien Idea [Pdf] Article](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "Story Behind the Science: Ice Ages, an Alien Idea [Pdf] Article")
Story Behind the Science
Story Behind the Science: Ice Ages, an Alien Idea [Pdf]
Article describing the scientific evolution of theories about the ice ages and glaciation. The international efforts of scientists are noted, as well as the influence of societal mores on how long it would generally take for new ideas to...
Encyclopedia of Earth
Encyclopedia of Earth: Evolutionary Biology: Agassiz, Louis
Biography of Louis Agassiz, a natural historian and a contemporary of Charles Darwin. He was most famous for developing his theory of an Ice Age. Agassiz argued vehemently against the theory of evolution, based on his interpretations of...
Other
Geo Times: Quest for the Lost Land
A discussion of a migration theory of Paleoindians that went down the west coast of North America. Read about food sources, the geology, and the research behind the theory.
University of California
Beringia Chronology: Prehistoric Beringia
The last ice age exposed the ocean floor between Asia and North America for thousands of years. During this time, Nomadic tribes from Asia used the "land bridge" to migrate into North America.