Curated OER
Lesson 4: Fire, Rock, and Water
You can demonstrate the destructive force of volcanic mudflows to your early earth scientists using this lesson plan. Messy, but memorable, the two demonstrations require some preparation. Use one or both! Included is a link to activity...
Curated OER
Recycling Quiz
Ten multiple questions about recycling comprise this quiz. Administer this as a pre-test prior to presenting a lesson on recycling glass, plastic, and metals. Since an answer key is provided along with comments, you can use it as a guide...
Wilderness Classroom
Pollution
Educate scholars on pollution—air, water, and land—with a series of lessons that begin with a thorough explanation of each type. Learners then take part in three activities to reinforce the importance of reducing pollution. They...
PHET
Measuring the Interplanetary Magnetic Field
Scientists need to figure out how to measure interplanetary magnetic fields, but the magnetic field of the spacecraft is interfering with their readings. Scholars attempt to solve the problem that has perplexed NASA scientists for years.
Curated OER
Moon Phase Flip Books
What better way to study the moon phases than to see them in action? The directions on the handout only have kids cut out and tape on the moon phases to make the flipbook, but it would be even more powerful to include the name of each...
Center Science Education
Weather and Climate Data Exploration
Access local temperature data online, graph averages, and critique it. Learners listen to a scenario where weather and climate are confused, and then answer questions to differentiate the two. The lesson plan itself is compact, but there...
Curated OER
Heating the Earth
Students explore how the angle of sunlight affects the Earth's temperature and seasons and then apply this understanding to their local situation.
Curated OER
Wobbling in Circles
Sixth graders role play the parts of the sun, the moon and the Earth as they simulate the concepts of revolution and rotation. They act out the parts in small groups and discuss the concepts as a class.
Curated OER
The Reasons for the Seasons
Sixth graders conduct a controlled investigation to determine the length of the sun's shadow on a fixed object (i.e., flagpole, telephone pole, etc.) over a three-day period (one day in the fall, one in the winter, and one in the...
Curated OER
The Trip Around the Sun
Sixth graders investigate the relationship between the tilt of the Earth's axis and the seasons. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders sing the song "Why Do We Have Seasons" and use simulate the Earth's tilt by using their bodies.
Curated OER
Coal Derivatives
Learners use this hands-on activity to demonstrate the production of coke, one of the most widely used raw materials derived from coal. They are also stimulated to do research into the differences in coal types and coal products.
Curated OER
Environmental Fair
Students investigate environmental issues. In this environmental lesson, students find an object that is considered trash and make something useful out of it. Students present their creative project.
Curated OER
Who Will Care for the Water?
Students discover how humans impact natural resources. In this environmental lesson, students identify water resources in the local area and construct a T-chart to compare the positive and negative effects humans have on water resources.
Discovery Education
Smoke on the Water
How do clouds form? Learners demonstrate the formation of clouds and the water cycle by testing four different setups in a plastic bottle. They identify the key components of a cloud to help them understand the process of cloud...
Science Matters
Earthquake Building/Shaking Contest
Japan is one of only a handful of countries that constructs buildings that are almost earthquake proof. The 13th lesson in the 20-part series challenges scholars to build structures to test against earthquakes. With limited materials and...
Curated OER
Imagers: The Adventure of Echo the Bat Number to Pictures: How Satellite Images are Created
Students examine the three primary colors of light and design a numerical code to represent those colors. They tell how satellites use numbers to create satellite images after completing a number of experimental activities.
Curated OER
Flip Books!
These aren't exactly worksheets, but rather a selection of pdf files of different atmospheric or solar events. Print your chosen pdf file for each aspiring astronomer in your class, have them cut out the individual mini pages, arrange...
Curated OER
Modeling Day and Night
Young scholars complete a science experiment to study the role of night and day on sleep patterns. In this sleep patterns lesson plan, students brainstorm about night and day and the causes for the rotations on Earth. Young scholars work...
Curated OER
Day and Night
Students discuss why day and night occur after visualizing a teacher-led demonstration.
Curated OER
Earth and Seasons
Sixth graders comprehend that the path Earth takes as it revolves around the sun is called its orbit. They also comprehend that the axis is an imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and its North and South Poles. Students...
Curated OER
Earth's Journey Around the Sun
Sixth graders examine how the angle of the sun's rays is a factor in determining the seasons. They watch a teacher demonstration of the concepts and write a paragraph demonstrating their understanding.
Curated OER
A Day In My Life
Students brainstorm how they can conserve energy in their daily lives. For this energy lesson plan, students discuss how they use energy and ways to conserve it.
Curated OER
Measuring the Earth (Eratoshenes' method)
Sixth graders engage in problem solving, communicating, reasoning, and connecting to represent and solve problems, using geometric models.
Curated OER
Cloudy Days are for Reading and Writing
Young scholars research weather proverbs and determine the scientific validity of 3 weather proverbs. They write an essay presenting their reasoning. They interview elderly people to graph the most frequently heard proverbs and theorize...