Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tornadoes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the characteristics of a tornado. They practice using new vocabulary and participate in a question and answer session. They use the internet to gather more specific information.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paper Rockets

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Students design, construct, and fly paper rockets that travel the greatest distance possible across a floor model of the solar system. They construct small flying rockets out of paper and propel them by blowing air through a straw.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Voyage to Kure Viewing Guide

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students complete a worksheet while viewing a video about the oceans. They locate the oceans on a map and identify positive and negative ways in which humans have impacted them. They discuss any questions at the end of the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students begin their examination of the climate zones found around the world. Using a software program, they identify the relationship between the vegetation, climate and temperatures of the different zones. They also plot coordinates...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Photovoltaics and Solar Energy

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students experiment with photovoltaic cells and determine the energy use of their appliances. In this renewable energy lesson, students calculate the energy emitted by a photovoltaic cell through an inquiry-based lab. They keep track of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Fact of Global Warming

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students investigate the harmful impact of global warming by reading news articles.  In this environmental care lesson, students analyze an article about the Kyoto Protocol and its goal of saving our environment.  Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create a Cloud In a Jar

For Teachers K - 6th
Young scholars investigate cloud formation. In this weather lesson, students examine how clouds are formed. Young scholars participate in experiments that model how water vapor in the air works.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jackie Gore

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify the amount of heat given off by solar energy. In this solar energy lesson, students complete an experiment using soil and sand measuring the heat from solar energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Life Cycle of a Star

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Learners investigate the life cycle of a star through research. Once research is complete, students prepare posters and present findings to class. Flash animation is included to help learners visualize life cycle of star researching.
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Outer Planets

For Students 5th - 8th
In this planets worksheet, students research the diameters and sizes of the planets. Then student will create scale model sizes of the planets out of cookie dough. Students complete 5 short answer questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dark Skies: Volcanic Contribution to Climate Change

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students examine how volcanic eruptions affect global climate. They listen to first-hand accounts of the effects of a large volcanic eruption and illustrate a landscape to show understanding. They experiment with the loss of light and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Polar Energy

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners define and read an article on polar energy.  In this polar energy lesson plan, students answer questions about the article.  Learners participate in activities related to isotopes, half-life and radiocarbon. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquake Epicenter

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students use chart data to determine the location of the epicenter of an earthquake. This task assesses students' abilities to generalize and infer, organize data, interpret data, and apply mathematical concepts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building Up, Breaking Down

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars investigate how rocks are modified into construction materials. In this building up and breaking down lesson plan, students explore what happens to building materials over time and how people modify natural materials....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Blame It On El Nino

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students understand what the weather phenomenon El Nino is and what causes it. Students recognize how remote sensing technology can detect and predict El Nino. Students discover how El Nino effects weather conditions throughout the globe...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Why Do Things Fall?

For Students 6th - 8th
In this universal gravitation worksheet, students fill in the blanks to complete sentences with 11 given terms about gravity, inertia, acceleration, mass and force. Students also answer 7 questions about mass, weight and force.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Atmospheric Processes - Conduction

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explain the process of conduction using a molecular explanation, and explain how different materials conduct at different rates.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bacteria: Friend or Foe?

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Young scholars examine a variety of environmental and industrial roles of bacteria. explore where bacteria can be found and distinguish bacteria from other organisms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Indoor Environment: A Magazine Publication Project

For Teachers 1st - 8th
Students demonstrate knowledge of Indoor Air Quality by creating a class magazine. A link to order a free Action Kit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is provided so teachers can build background knowledge. Performance...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Differences between Climate and Weather

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students collect weather data over weeks, graph temperature data and compare the temperature data collected with averaged climate data where they live.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Plants Need in Order to Survive and Grow: Soil

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students conduct an experiment to evaluate whether plants need soil to survive and grow. They plant two seeds, one with soil and one without, make predictions, and record and analyze the seed germination results on a worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

From Fact to Fiction: The Origins of Constellations

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders investigate the constellations. In this constellations lesson, 6th graders discover where the constellations are located and the myth associated with them. Students create their own myth and make a slide show about stars...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weightlessness

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students predict the behavior of coffee in a cup while it is dropped during a demonstration. They relate their observations to the weightless conditions that astronauts experience in space and discuss the concept of free-fall.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Satellite Eyes

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore the ways in which satellite images provide details of the Earth's surface and how they are capable of taking digital images of the Earth from space they vary in resolution and breadth. They view how cameras and lenses...