Eighth graders study the earth's surface.  In this planet structure lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation then draw and label the earths layers. 

Eighth graders study the objects in our solar system.  In this space lesson plan students identify and describe planets, then classify them as terrestrial or gaseous.

Students figure out how to design their own space station. They take a tour on the International Space Station to see what living there is really like, and how lessons learned on the ISS help pave the way for future space tourists.

Students explain the impact of glacial melting to global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students design an experiment to investigate the effect of salinity change to melting glaciers. They share their results to...

Students work in groups to present a segment of a timeline of events and discoveries in astronomy. In this astronomy lesson plan, students teach their classmates about their section of the timeline.

Students explore the effects of velocity on an object when it collides with another object. They design and outfit a potato astronaut in a spacesuit to withstand the hazards of high velocity impacts from space debris and meteoroids.

Students collect and analyze data relating to seasonal changes. They view a video, research web sites and build a sundial to collect their data.

Young scholars use NASA satellite data to see cloud cover over Africa.  In this seasons activity students access data and import it into Excel. 

Students examine NASA satellite observations of surface temperature and investigate the seasonal changes of land and water temperature.

Learners tudy space and what it takes to be an explorer.  In this space explorer lesson students examine the characteristics of explorers and create an exploration log. 

Middle schoolers work together to compare and contrast Mars and Earth. Using the internet, they answer questions given to them by their teacher and calculate answers showing their work. They graph their answers and discuss the results...

In this space science worksheet, students read an informative passage about radio waves and the possibility of sending messages in space. The passage describes a "Sounds of Earth" record on the Voyager satellite which contains messages...

Where does all the heat go when the sun goes down? An interesting lesson has learners explore this question by monitoring the infrared radiation emitted over time. They learn that hot spots cool more quickly that cooler spots.

Math rocks! Cavern design teams determine the rankings of rock types based upon desirability points. The points are connected to the properties of the rocks and their usefulness in building a cavern. 

Students are able to describe earth processes (e.g., rusting, weathering, erosion) that have affected selected physical features in students, neighborhoods. They are able to identify various earth structures (e.g., mountains, faults,...

Eighth graders identify the different stages in the life cycle of a star. In this astronomy instructional activity, 8th graders read H-R diagrams and analyze data. The describe how the Sun's evolution will affect Earth in the future.

Learners develop a timeline of all the major events involved in the formation of the Earth and the emergence of humans. In groups, they focus on a specific topic by watching a PBS program and taking notes. After the video, they list...

Students map magnetic fields of a magnet using a compass and predict where fields cancel each other to create 'Bermuda Triangles'. In this magnetism lesson, students use a compass to map the magnetic field of a magnet. They explain how...

Your class will watch as one child orbits the sun as Earth, while another orbits as Mars. If the timing is right, they will see the repetitive dance between the two planets and discover how often they are opposite from each other. For...

Meteorologists view an animated video by the Environmental Protection Agency to learn how the carbon cycle works, and then move into groups to analyze and graph actual data of the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration from Hawaii's...

With the global temperature on the rise, the effects of climate change are starting to be seen. However, many people have a difficult time conceptualizing the long-term effects, such as sea levels rising. Given an easy and effective...

Young environmentalists examine how water bottle use is polluting the waters on our earth. In groups, your students study the handout on their assigned topic and present their findings to the rest of the class. Leading up to this...

Students examine the benefits of the space program to our life on earth.  In this space exploration lesson students participate in a lab, answer questions and study radar mapping. 

Eighth graders describe and identify the three layers of the Earth. They work together to construct their own earth model. They share their creation with the class.