Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is the Coast Really Toast?: A Lesson About Volcanoes, Phase Changes, and the Art of Estimation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Clever! Use a clip from the 1997 film, Volcano, to get your chemistry class knee-deep in heat concepts related to lava. In the movie scene, lava flow is stopped in the nick of time. Your class must use calculations to determine if this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Goldilocks Principle: A Model of Atmospheric Gases

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students discuss the characteristics of the Goldilocks Principle. They discover the pressure and chemical composition of Venus and Mars. They discuss how the Earth's temperature is affected by the atmosphere.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Properties of Water: "Dead Or Alive"

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students study the water cycle and create a booklet entitled: "Discover the Wonder of Water" They observe and record data regarding evaporation, condensation, and precipitation and how water moves from a solid to a liquid to a gas. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oceanic Heat Budget Activities

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students map and research imaginary islands located in different parts of the world. They describe the weather and climate of their island and show how local currents, water temperatures and waves may influence the weather patterns.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Search for El Nino

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders complete an El Nino scavenger hunt. For this earth science lesson, 6th graders describe the conditions that create El Nino and compare it to normal condition. They discuss how this phenomenon affects marine ecosystem.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sunlight and Warm Air

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students discuss radiant energy from the sun, performing a simple experiment with sun glasses and bright light to demonstrate the concept. Students further participate in simple in-class experiments to demonstrate: air density as it...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Greenhouse Effect in a Jar

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars explore climate change by participating in a physical science experiment. In this greenhouse effect lesson, students discuss the impact global warming has on our environment and how it works. Young scholars utilize a glass...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy and the Environment: What Can We Do?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students consider the impacts of global warming and brainstorm ways to help decrease their contribution to the problem.  In this climate change lesson, students are exposed to facts concerning global warming and think of ways to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biomes: The Threat of the Sea

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers create posters to raise awareness about Global Warming as an immediate threat.  In this environmental activity, students respond to the video Biomes: The Threat of the Sea by researching global warming and making...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Future of Arctic Sea Ice

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research about the importance of sea ice to world climate and sea organisms. In this earth science lesson, students create a model of present and future Arctic sea ice communities. They discuss how ice melting affects...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing the Wind

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students make a windmill.  In this wind activity, students learn background information about the windmill, complete an activity where they create a windmill, discuss using wind as a natural resource and brainstorm other inventions...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Discovery of OXygen

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct experiments to identify the different properties of oxygen. In this chemistry lesson, students examine its importance to life on Earth. They explore the historic dispute about oxygen's discovery.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Puzzle it Out

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students study the Earth's climatic system and construct a puzzle that names all of the pieces of the  components involved.  In this Climate lesson, students draw a picture on a puzzle piece depicting a specific component....
Activity
US Department of Energy

Whales and Sea Ice: Investigating Insulation

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners investigate the properties of insulation as it relates to whales and sea ice. They research whales and examine atmospheric changes that occur with sea ice variability.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Greenhouse Effect ...Building Our Own

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore the greenhouse effect. They set up a simplified model of the earth and the greenhouse effect. Students compare temperatures inside a jar to temperatures outside the jar. Pupils collect information and create a line...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Travel Mug Design

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students create and develop a travel mug. They create visuals and a three dimensional infomercial. They apply an engineering design and demonstrate knowledge of thermodynamics involved in heat transfer. They illustrate Newton's Law of...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Greening Your Middle School

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Middle schoolers redesign their school to make it more energy efficient, and create a model of their design. Learners get together in groups of 5, and they take on the task of making their school more energy efficient. To do this, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Suited for Space

For Teachers 5th - 8th
A fantastic lesson on survival in outer space should excite your learners! Pupils explore the challenges that living, working, and surviving in space elicit. They focus on the spacesuit itself; how it protects astronauts, and enables...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Ultraviolet (UV) Light From the Sun

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify the different energy given off by the sun. In this earth science lesson, students predict where the UV beads will turn the darkest color. They explain the importance of using UV protection.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dimming the Sun

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students collect, interpret and analyze weather variable data. They describe atmospheric variables that affect evaporation. Students create graphs and analyze the information collected.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Energy Budget Pre Lab

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore energy by conducting an in class experiment. In this climate change lesson, students conduct a water vapor experiment in a soda bottle. Students utilize graphs and charts to analyze the results of the experiment and help...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biomes: the Threat of the Sea

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study global warming including its causes and effects.  In this creative lesson students make posters on global warming.   
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Greenhouse Effect: Pop Bottle Experiment

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore global warming by conducting a weather experiment. In this greenhouse gas lesson, students define the greenhouse effect and the impact on our ozone layer. Students utilize a soda pop bottle, floodlight bulb, thermometers...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycle

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the different stages in the water cycle. In this earth science lesson, students calculate the residence time of water in oceans using a mathematical formula. They explain how this cycle regulates the Earth's climate.