American Chemical Society
Developing Tests to Distinguish Between Similar-Looking Liquids
Each group talks about how to test unknown liquids based on their findings in the previous experiment. In this second of four activities, they test unknowns on wax paper, newspaper, and construction paper. As a stand-alone, this...
Discovery Education
Weathering Cubes
Weathering is not necessarily a result of the weather. Scholars conduct an experiment to explore the effect of surface area and volume on the weathering process. They create their own sugar cube rocks using the same number of cubes—but...
Curated OER
How Much CO2 Gas Can Sea Water Hold?
Students explain the relationship between water temperature and gas concentration. Using a graph, they describe how sea surface temperature changes along with the seasons. They develop a hypothesis and test it by graphing and analyzing...
Curated OER
Sea Water Mixing and Sinking
Middle schoolers investigate the role of temperature and salinity in determining seawater density. They use a Temperature-Salinity Diagram to examine the effects of mixing on density.
Curated OER
Season's Greetings
Students explore Earth's seasons using an interactive website. For this earth science lesson, students watch video segments and explain Earth's seasonal milestones. They discuss the factors that causes seasonal changes.
Curated OER
Greenhouse Effect
Learners investigate the greenhouse effect. In this environmental lesson, students investigate why the greenhouse effect changes the climate through an experiment. Learners use vinegar to simulate how acid damages the environment.
Curated OER
The Work of Waves and Wind
This is not revolutionary, but it is informative. Earth science viewers in grades 7-12 get carried away with wave and wind erosion. They view diagrams of how waves impact ocean shorelines. They see examples of the different types of sand...
Curated OER
WATER FROM HERE TO YONDER
Students identify local watersheds and drainage areas by using maps and other resources. They are given copies of the water cycle. Students discuss the movement of water in the environment. They observe, record and transfer information...
Curated OER
Surface Air Temperature Trends of the Caribbean
Students investigate the seasonal changes to sea surface and near-surface air temperatures near the equator. They use actual satellite data to track and graph the differences in air and sea temperatures during different seasons in the...
Curated OER
Images of Our Changing Earth
Students identify and explain that remote sensing can detect changes on the Earth's surface that occur over time, and name at least three: urbanization, deforestation, and succession. They select a global change issue to investigate and...
Curated OER
Water Currents
Pupils demonstrate how ocean currents are influenced by changes in density. They discover that temperature and salintiy affect density as well. They participate in a short experiment to end the lesson.
Curated OER
Water Table
Students predict from a rock sample whether a water well could be drilled in that type of rock. They predict what conditons would be necessary for the well to produce water.
Curated OER
Water Cycle
For this water cycle worksheet, students answer questions about the water cycle using a word bank. Students label a diagram of the water cycle.
Curated OER
Sea Surface Temperature Trends of the Gulf Stream
Students use authentic satellite data to produce plots and graphs of sea surface temperature as they explore the seasonal changes of the Gulf Stream.
Space Awareness
Global Warming of the Atmosphere
Scientists know the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today is higher than at any point in the last 800,000 years. Scholars learn about the amount of thermic radiation absorbed by air and what happens to the rest of the...
Curated OER
Animal Skin
Students investigate the skin surface to body area ratios for different animals. In this seventh/eighth grade mathematics/science instructional activity, students explore heat transfer between an animal’s body and the...
Curated OER
Earth Energy Budget Pre Lab
Students explore energy by conducting an in class experiment. In this climate change activity, students conduct a water vapor experiment in a soda bottle. Students utilize graphs and charts to analyze the results of the experiment and...
Curated OER
Under Water Scene
Middle schoolers explore foreground and background colors. In this visual art lesson, students create an underwater collage from varying colors and textures of paper showcasing the color transition between background and foreground colors.
Science 4 Inquiry
Let's Get Moving
Rivers top the list of causes of erosion over time. Scholars experiment with wind, water, and ice reshaping sand. They connect the simulations facts about erosion and deposition to understand unique landforms such as the Grand Canyon and...
NASA
Earth's Global Energy Budget
Introduce your earth science enthusiasts to the earth's energy budget. Teach them using an informative set of slides that include illuminating lecturer's notes, relevant vocabulary, embedded animations, colorful satellite maps, and a...
American Chemical Society
Using the Combining Test to Identify Unknown Liquids
Once investigators have learned how their mystery liquids interact with water during the preceding activity, they now use their observations to identify them. This is an ideal conclusion to the mini unit on the properties of water.
PHET
Planet Designer: What’s Trending Hot?
Excite scholars to design their own planet in this first of five lessons. The lesson starts with a pre-activity assessment, a complete lesson plan that is easy to implement, and a post-activity assessment that would look great...
Curated OER
Solar-Powered Prints
Combine art and science with this fabulous lesson plan where your class will create solar-powered artwork! They will create a cyanotype, using photo-sensitive paper, sun, and water. A list of necessary materials is provided.
Curated OER
Watershed Lesson Plan
Students are introduced to the concepts of a watershed, stream flow and water quality. This five-day plan is an excellent way to introduce students to the concepts involved. They create their own watershed using a paper bag, water and...