Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Heat Things Up!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars build and evaluate simple models to understand the greenhouse effect. They explore the role of increased greenhouse gas concentration in global warming, and the implications of global warming theory for engineers,...
Lesson Plan
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Are We Falling Apart? Exploding Volcanoes

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students research and demonstrate volcanic activity. In this volcanism lesson, students research the types of volcanoes and define related terms using the Internet. They demonstrate volcanic activity with water, corn syrup, and flour.
Lesson Plan
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Compass Building Instructions

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Students build their own compass following a given procedure. In this technology instructional activity, students explain how a compass is used in navigation. They trace the history of its development.
Lesson Plan
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How Pollution Disrupts Our Natural Environment

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students conduct experiments to illustrate global warming. For this air pollution lesson, students first examine how a layer of greenhouse gasses might impact the earth's atmospheric temperature, then evaluate how the layer of gasses...
Lesson Plan
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Living On The Moon

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students evaluate what life would be like living on the moon or another planet in our solar system.  In this science lesson, students create a colony that they would use to live in on the moon using Legos. 
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Environment: Battling for Oxygen

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students construct an interactive ozone depletion model using gumdrops and toothpicks. After analyzing the data obtained from the model, they record it on butcher paper and complete worksheets about oxygen.
Lesson Plan
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Modeling the Change of Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students evaluate data to determine changes in length of day. They model the revolution of Earth around the sun to show changes in length of day and sun angle and illustrate how the sun angle affects the change of season.
Lesson Plan
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Areology-The Study of Mars

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students examine core samples from Mars and discover what they can use it to tell the history of Mars.  In this core sample instructional activity students create and analyze their own core samples then eat them at the end.
Lesson Plan
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A Recipe for Air

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students create a pie graph using M&Ms to demonstrate the composition of air. They label each section of the graph, and list the fractions from largest to smallest.
Lesson Plan
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How Old Is Mike?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars examine the absolute dating of fossils, they use a list of names and ages to determine the difference between relative age and absolute age. They explore the relative age and absolute age of people and of fossils.
Lesson Plan
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The Life Cycle of a Star

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students 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 students visualize life cycle of star researching.
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Disappearing Rocks

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the causes of erosion and observe how different surfaces erode differently. They recognize erosion and predict what type of erosion caused it. In addition, they predict the outcomes of erosion on different materials.
Lesson Plan
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Take the Pulse of Your Classroom

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students discuss seismic waves. In this science lesson, students investigate the acceleration of the floor in the classroom similar to a seismograph. Students observe a three-component seismogram from an earthquake and determine what it...
Lesson Plan
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Energy of the Future

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine technologies that already exist and record their findings in a journal. They work with students in other countries to explore alternative energy sources They publish their designs online.
Lesson Plan
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I, Robot: Chapter Four- Catch That Rabbit

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore the development of technology in the 20th century.  For this chapter lesson, 6th graders read and discuss the literary content of chapter four, I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. They research the technology that was...
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Extra! Extra!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students describe how plants and animals depend on each other. They see how living and nonliving environments change over time. They identify ways in which humans have changed their environment and the effects of those changes.
Lesson Plan
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Weight A Minute

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students watch a video and engage in hands-on activities which introduce scientific information made real through re-cognition and understanding the phenomena of gravitational force and how it impacts life on our planet.
Lesson Plan
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Dinosaur Detectives

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers write a report about a paleontologist. In this paleontology lesson, students research and write a report about a noted paleontologist. They discuss the importance of technology to paleontologists and how paleontologist...
Lesson Plan
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How would an oil spill affect a Marine Sanctuary?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the concept of environmental stewardship. For this science lesson, students discover how scientists assess damages to the environment following oil spills. Students conduct a simulation of a public meeting in order to...
Lesson Plan
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Using Repeat Photography to Map Environmental Hazards

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the changes of their environment by experimenting with photography.  In this environmental observation instructional activity, students compare historic photographs of areas with pictures they have just taken....
Lesson Plan
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Trends Forecasting

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students practice trends forecasting to predict the weather. In this forecasting lesson plan, students learn how meteorologists predict the weather by looking at weather trends. They then predict their own forecast, analyze the results,...
Lesson Plan
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Gravity Gets You Down

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the force of gravity and how it effects different objects that are put into acceleration when applied the experiment of free falling. They drop different objects that have a variety of masses and some that cause air...
Lesson Plan
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Introduction to Coral Reefs

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students identify locations of coral reefs, both in the water and around the globe, identify relative depth of corals in the ocean by observing behavior of cold and warm saltwater, and create models of coral reefs.
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Water Conservation

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explore types of water reserves. In this water conservation lesson, students brainstorm ways water are used in their homes. Students use a graduated cylinder to simulate the amount of water on Earth and the amount that humans use.