Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constellations

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the major constellations. After reviewing the Earth's basic motions and their significance, students discuss the moon's orbit and revolutions. Using a Digitarium Alpha portable planetarium projector, they observe at...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Retrograde Motion of Mars

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the motion of Mars. In this space science lesson, students use transparencies to trace the path of Mars through constellations. Students discuss the characteristics of the planet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Does Flowing Water Shape a Planet's Surface?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate how flowing water influence landforms. In this earth science lesson, students observe water behavior as it flows from the stream table at various inclinations. They discuss whether water shaped Mars landforms or not.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Role of Fire in Healthy Prairie, Brush and Forest Lands

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast wildfires and prescribed fires. In this earth science lesson, students conduct a series of experiment to explore fire characteristics. They describe favorable conditions to start a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Summer Sky Tour

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars explore space science by participating in a constellation identification activity. In this astronomy lesson, students view star charts based on the different seasons and define a list of astronomy related terms. Young...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather & Climate

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders differentiate weather and climate. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders complete a KWL chart about the two. They complete a worksheet by identifying whether a certain statement describes weather or climate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interdisciplinary Task: Weather

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students design a chart to use to record the weather for five days. They then build an anemometer to record wind speed and discover why they are used for this purpose.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting the Oil Out

For Teachers K - 6th
Learners discover ways of obtaining oil by participating in an experiment.  For this natural resource lesson, students identify diagrams of oil derricks and pumps in order to visualize how oil is retrieved from the earth....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Characteristics of Energy

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore Earth science by completing energy worksheets in class. In this energy forms lesson, students identify and define a list of energy vocabulary terms and a K-W-L chart. Students view a matter video clip in class and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Place In Space

For Teachers 4th - 8th
The purpose of this unit is for students to make the rich set of connections between astronomy and the rest of science and technology, language arts, cultural studies (social studies), math, art, and music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovery Shuttle Ready for Liftoff

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners investigate and research what the space shuttle and ground crews must do to make sure all goes well from liftoff to landing each time the shuttle leaves earth.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vertebrate History in Rocks

For Teachers 4th - 6th
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read the noted section in their science textbooks and respond to 4 short answer and 3 fill in the blank questions regarding fossils embedded in rock formations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar History

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Using the sun's light as a source of energy is not a new concept. Give your environmental studies, engineering, or physical science class this list of how humans have used solar energy throughout history. Assign groups a certain time...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Green Are You?

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students investigate environmental care by listing ways they preserve the Earth each day. For this green living habits lesson, students collaborate in groups to brainstorm ways they can "be green" more often in their communities....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Day The Earth Shook

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore structural engineering through three design challenges. They examine information about some architectural features that work and those that don't during an earthquake. Students build and test their structure and record...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cloudy Days Are for Reading and Writing

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers consider a variety of well-known proverbs that refer to the weather. They research the scientific validity of these proverbs, conduct interviews about public perception of the proverbs and summarize their findings in...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Space Travel Guide

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Looking to take a trip? Why not go to space? Here, scholars take on the role as travel agent to create a guide to their favorite planet including travel tips and sightseeing recommendations. 
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Are You Bigfoot?

For Students 5th - 6th Standards
Scholars independently explore several websites to calculate their ecological footprint. Using their new found knowledge, they answer six short-answer questions and take part in a grand conversation with their peers about how...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

The Solstices

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Compare surface temperatures when the solstice occurs in the different hemispheres. Young scientists draw conclusions from their investigation of data collected using spreadsheets and a globe.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building A Solar Still

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students investigate the water cycle by viewing an online video.  In this drinking water lesson, students create solar stills at their campus in order to purify water that is tainted.  Students view a video on their computers...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tides - The Ins and Outs of Tides

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Get your junior oceanographers to generate tidal prediction graphs on an interactive website. They will feel like experts in the field, or shall we say, experts in the ocean! This is a brief, but worthwhile activity that could be used to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

True North, Magnetic North

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Young scholars explain why compass angles need to be corrected for regional magnetic variation. They observe the difference between magnetic and true north. Each student measures the angle of variation for a town in a different state.
Lesson Plan
1
1
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

A Classroom Solar System

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Create a scaled model of our solar system in your classroom! Scholars work collaboratively to build paper mache planets and hang them in their proper position to showcase each planet's location in the solar system.   
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Will There Be a White Christmas This Year?

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Young scholars examine historical weather data, and create map and color key that illustrates the likelihood of a white Christmas in different locations across the United States.

Other popular searches