Stanford University
Solstice and Equinox Season Model
How can December 21 be the shortest day of the year when all days are 24 hours long? Pupils see how to build a model showing the differences between winter and summer solstices and equinoxes. Using this model, classes can then discuss...
Intel
Beat the Heat
Explore greenhouse effect and climate change through a 15-day unit. Scholars learn about these STEM concepts by researching, conducting surveys, experimenting, and collaborating with experts in the field. They frequently communicate...
Polar Trec
Can Carbon Dioxide Act Like a Greenhouse Gas?
Ninety-seven percent of scientists who study climate agree that human activity is warming the planet. Learners explore carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, a gas causing this warming, through a hands-on experiment. Once complete, they...
Forest Foundation
Forest Watersheds
Where does the water we use come from? To understand the concept of a watershed, class members study the water cycle and then engage in an activity that simulates a watershed.
Curated OER
Earth
Young scholars study the earth in relation to the solar system. In this planetary lesson students complete several investigations into the measurement of the earth and its magnetic field.
Curated OER
World Population Day
In this World Population Day worksheet, students complete activities such as reading a passage, phrase matching, fill in the blanks, correct words, multiple choice, spelling sequencing, scrambled sentences, asking questions, take a...
Curated OER
Introduction to the Day and Night Sky
Students explore space science by participating in a sky observation activity. In this astronomy activity, students define a list of astronomy vocabulary terms and examine star charts of the four seasons. Students gather with their...
Curated OER
Solar Car Series: During what part of the day can t most Sun power be collected?
Learners participate in an outdoor activity in which they make direct but safe observations of the Sun. Students use a solar cell and voltmeter apparatus to collect data on the amount of DC voltage produced by the solar cell during a...
Marcia's Science Teaching Ideas
Observing the Moon Activity
In this moon activity, learners observe the moon on three consecutive nights and draw their observations. They answer questions about the phases of the moon and its position in the night sky. They identify the position of the sun, earth...
Curated OER
Minerals of the Earth
Students learn and practice identifying Earth's minerals and their properties. Working in small groups, they evaluate minerals. This is a well-described lesson, which students enjoy.
Curated OER
Day and Night in the Desert
Students illustrate scenes showing day and nighttime activities in the desert. They include plant and animal life including predators and prey.
Curated OER
Sunrise, Sunset: Quickly Go the Days
Students explore the concept of daylight. In this daylight lesson plan, students compare the amount of daylight on a particular day in Anchorage compared with daylight where they live. Students color maps of the US according to amount of...
Curated OER
Save a Drop for Me
Students discuss the meaning of philanthropy and how it applies to people caring about the water supply. In this water conservation lesson, students explore possible water conservation activities and select a project. Students will...
Curated OER
Connect the Spheres: Earth Systems Interactions
Is everything really connected? Take your class on a walk outside, where they will make observations and write them down on a worksheet. Once they are back in the classroom, learners will work to determine if and how things like birds,...
Las Cumbres Observatory
Measure the Diameter of the Sun
Measuring the diameter of the sun may get a little heated, but using an indirect approach can help individuals keep their cool. Learners use the reflection of the sun to measure how long it takes for it to move one diameter. Using the...
US Geological Survey
Water, Water, Everywhere?
Less than one percent of the earth's water is available for human use. A hands-on activity models the phenomenon for young scientists. Beginning with a specific volume of water, learners remove water that correlates to the percent of...
Curated OER
Astronomy: Earth/Moon
Students investigate the Earth and the Moon. They select activities from a menu of options including viewing videos, drawing magnetic fields and plate tectonics, creating vocabulary flashcards, observing the phases of the moon over a...
Curated OER
Mars
After reading a short excerpt about the planet named after the Roman god of war, Mars, your class will answer four comprehension questions. The activity challenges them to fold over the paper and answer the questions without referring...
Science 4 Inquiry
Phases of the Moon
The moon takes just over 27 days to orbit around Earth. Young scientists position themselves as the earth as they rotate around the sun and hold the moon. This allows them to observe the patterns and phases of the moon.
Science Matters
Thermal Energy Flow in Materials
The sun sends the earth 35,000 times the amount of energy required by all of us on the entire planet, every day. The fourth lesson in the 10-part series looks at how light energy from the sun transfers into thermal energy. Scholars build...
Science Matters
Solar Energy
The solar energy industry in the United States added more jobs in 2015 than the oil and gas extraction and pipeline industries combined. With the field growing so rapidly, it's essential to understand what solar energy is and how it...
American Chemical Society
Condensation
It's time to break the ice! If you are doing all of the lessons in the unit, children have already seen that increasing heat increases the rate of evaporation, but is the opposite true? Does decreasing temperature cause more condensation...
Curated OER
Taking the Measure of the Universe
Four fabulous activities immerse amateur astronomers into measuring objects that we cannot handle. The experiences are applied to NASA's Space Interferometry Mission, which will take measurements of planets around stars other than our...
Curated OER
An Environmental Puzzle: The Carbon Cycle
Middle school science stars examine fuels and energy with a variety of activities. They begin with a KWL chart, read an informative passage, and then complete a puzzle. The puzzle itself is included. Cleverly, each piece corresponds to a...