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Chicago Botanic Garden

Historical Climate Cycles

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
What better way to make predictions about future weather and climate patterns than with actual climate data from the past? Young climatologists analyze data from 400,000 to 10,000 years ago to determine if climate has changed over...
Lesson Plan
NASA

The Case of the Wacky Water Cycle

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Join the tree house detectives in learning about the processes of the water cycle, water conservation, water treatment, and water as a limited resource.
Activity
NASA

Water Works on a Blue Planet

For Students 6th - 12th
Keep within a water budget. Learners find out that less than 2.5% of Earth's water is available to drink—and that there is a fixed amount of water. Scholars read an interesting article comparing the available water to a game of Monopoly...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Cycle

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Your class sets up a mini water cycle model to examine the process. Then they watch an animation, following a water molecule through the cycle. A well-developed lab sheet guides learners through the lesson and a PowerPoint presentation...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water in Earth's Hydrosphere

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Environmentalists test stream water for temperature, pH, and turbidity. Each group shares their information and then the class makes an overall evaluation of the water quality. A slide show sets the backdrop for the teaching portion and...
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Where is the World's Water?

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Scholars discover the amount of the Earth's water in various locations such as the ocean, ice, the atmosphere, etc. They then make a model of the how much water those percentages represent. Finally, analysis questions bring the concepts...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Transpiring Trees: Plant Transpiration and the Water Cycle

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Looking for a tree-rific addition to your water cycle unit? Teams of young foresters examine the role of transpiration in the water cycle through a week's worth of activities. Pupils analyze how trees take in and transport water during...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Day After Tomorrow: How is the Density of Water Related to Climate Change and Global Warming?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Science learners simulate what happens when ice breaks up and floats on water and how increased pressure on ice causes it to melt faster. They view a clip from the movie, The Day After Tomorrow, and relate their lab activities to what...
Lesson Plan
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Montana State University

What's the Weather?

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
How many jackets do you need to stay warm and climb Mount Everest? An informatie resource covers the topic of Mount Everest, the resource helps young scientists discover the difference between climate and weather. Activities include...
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

When It Rains It Pours More Drought and More Heavy Rainfall

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Which is worse — drought or flooding? Neither is helpful to the environment, and both are increasing due to climate change. The 16th lesson in a series of 21 covers the average precipitation trends for two different climates within the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water in the Atmosphere

For Teachers 4th - 8th
A slide show serves as the backdrop for a lesson on the moisture in Earth's atmosphere. Through it, mini meteorologists learn about the attributes of the atmosphere and actually use data-collecting weather tools to make observations and...
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Extreme Weather's Impact on Our Resources

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
How dry is it? It's so dry, the river only runs twice a week! Through an analysis of maps and discussions, pairs learn about droughts across the United States in the ninth of 12 lessons. They then read about, answer questions, analyze...
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

Terrarium in a Bottle: Modeling the Atmosphere, Greenhouse Effect, and Water Cycle

For Teachers 7th Standards
You've heard of farm to table ... but what about farm in classroom? Junior agriculturalists embark upon a two-week journey into the science of growing things. Based upon the classic terrarium in a two-liter experiment, the lesson goes...
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

The Tide is High, but I’m Holding On… Using ICESat Data to Investigate Sea Level Rise

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Based on the rate of melting observed from 2003-2007 in Greenland, it would take less than 10 minutes to fill the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium. The 17th lesson in a series of 21 has scholars use the ICESat data to understand the ice mass...
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Are Global CO2 Levels Changing?

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
According to the Mauna Loa observatory, carbon dioxide levels increased by 3 ppm in our atmosphere between 2015–2016. Individuals analyze carbon dioxide data from around the world and then share this with a home group in lesson...
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Ghost Town

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Around 93 percent of the reefs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef have been bleached, and almost one quarter of them are now dead. Scholars research the sea temperatures, especially around the areas with coral reefs, to make connections...
Unit Plan
Calvin Crest Outdoor School

Survival

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Equip young campers with important survival knowledge with a set of engaging lessons. Teammates work together to complete three outdoor activities, which include building a shelter, starting a campfire, and finding directions in the...
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NOAA

The Incredible Carbon Journey: Play the Carbon Journey Game

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Class members explore the carbon cycle in the final installment of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They play a simulation game where they walk through the steps carbon takes as it cycles through the different layers...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Earth's Global Energy Budget

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
Unit Plan
New York Hall of Science

My Carbon Footprint: High School Curriculum

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The earth has a love-hate relationship with carbon. Learners complete a series of nine lessons that begin with an examination of the role of carbon in Earth's systems. They then relate changes in climate and weather to changes in the...
Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Living & Non-Living Interactions

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in...
Lesson Plan
US Department of Energy

Make Your Own El Niño

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students observe and discuss a demonstration of the El Niño effect, trade winds, and upwelling. They view and analyze the teacher using a blow dryer to replicate the El Niño winds on colored water and oil in a large tub.