Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Volcanoes

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students develop a basic understanding of volcanoes. They watch a PowerPoint Presentation which introduces three types of volcanoes: shield volcanoes, cinder cones, and composite volcanoes.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Ocean: A Watery World

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Pupils discuss the proper clothing for the season. They make wind chimes to use as an indicator of movement of the air and observe and identify the various cloud formations. They determine the basic rules of storm safety and discuss...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Power of Atmospheric Pressure Process

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are introduced to the basic principles of atmospheric pressure. After watching demonstrations, they discover the capability of air pressure and how it affects weather. In groups, they use an inquiry template to solve different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Layering the Soil

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students study and classify soil. In this soil science lesson, students classify soil by texture and size and study soil horizons. Students label the soil types with their specific soil horizon and learn about permafrost. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students complete a series of activities to better understand space studies. In this space science lesson, the teacher is provided with a number of activities for students to complete such as finding words that begin with the prefix...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recycling and Waste Reduction

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate recycling and waste reduction and its positive impact on the environment. In this environmental science lesson, students determine how and why materials are recycled. They apply their knowledge by making...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Microscope Investigation

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore physical science by participating in a science examination. In this microscope tutorial lesson plan, students read the book The Naked Eye and discuss the purpose for using a microscope in the field of science. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plan a Mission to Recently Discovered Planet

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Pupils plan a mission to a recently discovered planet. In this science lesson, students research spacecraft design, distances in space, long-term missions in space, and life-sustaining planets. Pupils work in groups to research an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Cycle

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students list the nine places on earth where water is found. They define the terms cycle and water cycle. Students explain how energy from the sun powers the movement of water molecules through the water cycle. They name and describe...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the USA and the World with Cartograms

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate cartograms in order to explore the different countries on Earth. In this world geography lesson, students use the Internet to analyze data on different cartograms. Students compare data, such as population density,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Habitat Mural

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars build a collage of an ecosystem. The goal is for them to understand interactions in a community, plant and animal adaptations, and how all life depends on plants. This activity is based on Wump World and students describe...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Circuits

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students observe an on-line activity to review the basics of electrical circuitry, then research answers to related questions on-line.In this lesson on changing components in a series circuit, students discover how different components...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Challenger's Lost Lessons - The Lost Simple Machines Lesson

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students investigate the characteristics of simple machines. In this simple machine instructional activity, students investigate work as a product of applying constant force. They answer questions about what happens on Earth and what may...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Greenhouse Effect: A Computer Simulation

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students complete an online simulation of the greenhouse effect. In this lesson on the greenhouse effect, students use a website, similar to a webquest, to simulate and answer questions on how the greenhouse effect works. This lesson is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

pH and Red Cabbage Juice

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students review properties of materials and define what pH tells them about matter.  In this pH levels lesson, students determine whether materials are acids or bases using indicator substances.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mission Planning: Earth/Mars Comparisons

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students compare and contrast conditions on Mars to those on our own planet, specifically, their local or regional environments. The physical characteristics, the atmosphere, and other astronomical data is considered.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What are Rocks and Minerals? How can they help us?

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders investigate the difference between rocks and minerals. They name the three kinds of rocks (sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic) and know the differences between them.
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

The Science Behind Tsunamis

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Natural disasters can be teachable moments that create more scientifically literate citizens.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introducing Biodiversity

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars investigate biodiversity by creating reports with their classmates.  In this ecosystem lesson, students utilize the Internet to research the different types of life in our environment and different locations around...
Unit Plan
2
2
NASA

Space-Based Astronomy on the Internet

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Young scientists compile everything they have learned into a report in the fifth and final lesson in a unit on the visible light spectrum. Access to photos from observatories, telescopes, and satellites allows learners to compare...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

The Big Meltdown

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Explore the world (our world) of melting ice caps. Why are these caps melting? What is the effect of melting ice caps? Dive into the ever-present issue of global warming with a resource that has learners looking at data and participating...
Lesson Plan
1
1
University of Colorado

Can Photosynthesis Occur at Saturn?

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
In the 19th activity of 22, learners determine if distance from a light source affects photosynthesis. Participants capture oxygen in straws and find that the amount of water the gas displaces is proportional to the rate of photosynthesis.
Lesson Plan
PHET

Where to See an Aurora

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Where can you see an aurora in North America? After completing an astronomy activity, scholars can locate the exact coordinates. Pupils plot points of the inner and outer ring of the auroral oval and answer questions based on...
Lesson Plan
PHET

Features of the Sun

For Teachers 6th - 8th
There are so many things to discover about the sun! Pupils discuss their knowledge of the sun, explore its features, apply their knowledge by labeling photographs, and then reflect on their learning by working in groups to draw and label...