Berkshire Museum
Where’s the Water?: Acting Out Science Cycles
Young scientists transform themselves into rivers, oceans, clouds, and drops of water in order to explore the water cycle. After assigning and explaining to students their different roles in the activity, the teacher reads aloud a...
University of Wisconsin
Measuring Slope for Rain Gardens
The slope of the land is an important feature when considering the erosion that will occur. In this resource, which is part of a rain garden unit, learners calculate the slope of the proposed garden site. Even if you are not planning a...
Curated OER
My Weather Station
A printable weather station that will blow you away, this includes tools that little meteorologists can use to display their observations of daily weather conditions. There is a gauge where they can slide a pointer to show the...
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The Case of the Mysterious Renters
Upper-elementary kids examine the water usage in their own home, then use that data to solve a case in which a landlady is trying to determine how many people are living in an apartment being rented. Combine math, scientific method, and...
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
Global Warming in a Jar
This well-organized lab activity introduces earth science pupils to the greenhouse effect. They will set up two experiments to monitor temperatures in an open jar, a closed jar, and a closed jar containing water. Ideally, you would have...
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Conservation: Water
Here is a fantastic experiment-based lesson on water conservation, waste, and filtration. The lesson plan is well-developed and provides background information, discussion leads, and six scripted lab activities anyone can do. The class...
NASA
Rain Gauge Activity
Complete teacher narrative and presentation slides for teaching about Earth's water make up the bulk of this lesson. Embedded within the slide show, you will find videos about the water cycle, keeping track of the limited supply of fresh...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Weather Instruments
Concise, yet complete, this set of seven slides describes with photos and text the different basic instruments for measuring weather factors. After viewing, young meteorologists will be able to talk about how to measure humidity, wind...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Clouds & Precipitation
Pretty pictures of water droplets, clouds, and snow-covered mountains are the backdrop for information about clouds and precipitation. With 10 slides in all, viewers see how and where clouds form as well as what forms of water can fall...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Weather & Climate
Introducing your class to weather concepts is a breeze with this fresh film! It differentiates between weather and climate, describes the factors that affect weather (temperature, air pressure and humidity), and displays Earth's climate...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Severe Storms
Tornadoes and hurricanes and blizzards, oh my! Severe storms are always occurring somewhere on the planet. By reading through these slides, learners discover the characteristics of each type. Have them do this as homework and then take...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Volcanoes
You will lava this little clip about volcanoes! It explains what a volcano is and describes the four different types. It also addresses how magma flows through a conduit, passes through a vent, and becomes lava. All of this takes place...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Landforms
First-class photographs dazzle your class as they are acquainted with Earth's various landforms. To reinforce learning, they can take a multiple-choice quiz, sing along to a karaoke song, or review key vocabulary terms, all on this...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Filtration Investigation
Scholars build a simple filtration system to remove impurities from muddy water and rate the filtered water to a grade of clarity scale. The focus is on teamwork and problem solving. This instructional activity would be effective in your...
Baylor College
What Is the Water Cycle?
Small groups place sand and ice in a covered box, place the box in the sunlight, then observe as evaporation, condensation, and precipitation occur. These models serve as miniature water cycles and demonstrations of the three phases of...
Baylor College
Using Heat from the Sun
Let's heat things up! This simple experiment demonstrates for students the important role the sun plays in providing the earth with energy. Place one cup of water in direct sunlight and one in shade, then take measurements in order to...
Baylor College
Fossil Fuels and the Carbon Cycle
Humans are quickly depleting Earth's fossil fuels and locating them is becoming increasingly difficult! Layered muffins are used for models as young geologists take core samples in order to determine the presence of oil. Consider first...
Baylor College
Modeling Earth's Atmosphere
Life on Earth is made possible by the unique composition of its atmosphere. Working collaboratively, a scale model is created as young scientists learn about the different layers of gas that surround the planet. Cards are included that...
Baylor College
Measuring and Protecting Skin
Several subjects are addressed within the context of a science lesson about the sun's ultraviolet rays. Elementary earth scientists consider protection of the skin with sunscreens (health), estimating and measuring surface area or an...
Baylor College
Greenhouse S'Mores
Your class will agree that this is the best way to demonstrate the greenhouse effect: making solar s'mores! Using a clear plastic cups as mini atmospheres, lab groups compare how adding different materials affects the melting rate of...
Baylor College
People and Climate
Model how the sun's energy strikes the planet and help your class relate it to a climate map. Assign small groups an individual climate zone to discuss. They reflect on and research how humans survive in the assigned climate and write a...
Baylor College
Finding the Carbon in Sugar
In session one, demonstrate for your class how a flame eventually goes out when enclosed in a jar in order to teach that oxygen is required for combustion. In session two, class members then burn sugar in a spoon to observe how it...
Baylor College
Fuel for Living Things
During a three-part lesson, learners make a cabbage juice pH indicator and use it to analyze the waste products of yeast after feeding them with sugar. The intent is to demonstrate how living organisms produce carbon dioxide, which is...
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Mars Opposition Dance
Your class will watch as one child orbits the sun as Earth, while another orbits as Mars. If the timing is right, they will see the repetitive dance between the two planets and discover how often they are opposite from each other. For...