Curated OER
Earth Science Lesson Plans on Geologic Time
Springboard your fourth and fifth graders into the study geologic time. They will complete 7 activities to learn about geologic time and the topics most often associated with it: astronomy, creation, planet formation, volcanology,...
Redefining Progress
Have and Have-Not
Is there a correlation between a country's wealth and the extent of its ecological footprint? What exactly constitutes an ecological footprint, and how does one country stack up against the rest? This is a unique lesson to incorporate...
NASA
Mineral Mystery Experiment
One way to study something is to try to replicate it. Young scientists do just that as they use solutions to recreate mineral structures on a dwarf planet. They make solutions with different types of salt, evaporate them, and observe the...
Residential College in the Arts and Humanities
Poetry Lesson Plans
Need some ideas for poetry lessons? Check out this packet loaded with suggestions for elementary, middle, and high school writers.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Nature’s Fury: Extra Support Lessons (Theme 1)
Earthquakes, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, and more. To enrich their study of nature's big events, kids map tectonic plates and major earthquake locations, identify emergency response agencies, and storyboard a film about volcanos.
Curated OER
Planetary Surface Evolution and Resurfacing
Students are provided with drawings of planet surfaces in order to investigate different types of planetary terrain. They make observations for each planet and discuss the characteristics observed. The lesson plan includes background...
Curated OER
Blazing Gas
Fourth graders read and discuss the sun and the energy we use on Earth from the sun. In this sun lesson plan, 4th graders discuss the solar system, planets, and answer short answer questions.
Curated OER
The Planets in Our Solar System
Students gain knowledge about earth and space science by studying the nine planets in the solar system as well as their key characteristics. In this solar system instructional activity, students identify the nine planets. Students work...
Curated OER
Planets in Balance
Students study the solar system by researching the planets. In this exploratory lesson students divide into teams and create mobiles.
Curated OER
Planet Discovery and Identification
Pupils explore the internet world of Second Life and create a portfolio about the planets in our solar system. In this planets lesson plan, students provide many facts about 1 specific planet.
Curated OER
Sculpt-a-Planet
Learners study the moon and the planets. They create a painted, paper mache moon or planet sculpture.
Curated OER
Planets Curriculum
Young scholars investigate the planets in our solar system. They conduct research using a variety of resources in order for students to make cognitive connections with the demonstrations made by the teacher. Young scholars discover how...
Curated OER
Planets of the Solar System
Pupils use the internet to research the planets in the solar system. Using the information they collect, they design and create a webpage with the data. They present their material to the class and answer any questions presented to them.
Curated OER
Planet Sun Catchers
Learners create suncatchers that resemble planets using recycled plastic lids.
Curated OER
Exploring the Planets
Sixth graders explore the planets through an interactive web site. In this astronomy based lesson, 6th graders compare planets, explore comets, and discover planet facts through a variety of activities provided by the Smithsonian Museum.
Curated OER
Fossil Fuels (Part II), The Geology of Oil
More of a mini-unit than a lesson plan, these activities lead inquisitors through a survey of oil deposits. In the first part, they read about and view diagrams of sedimentary rock layers that trap oil. Next, they test porosity and...
PHET
My Solar System
Orbit diagrams appear to be a work of mathematical art. The simulation helps scholars build their own systems of planets, stars, moons, etc., to observe their orbits. By altering their positions, velocities, and masses, a variety of...
Curated OER
Solar System and Planets
Students identify the main components of the solar system. In this earth science lesson plan, students order the planets according to their distances from the Sun. They differentiate planets from dwarf planets.
Curated OER
Could the Solar System have Ten Planets?
Students react to statements about the solar system, then read a news article about a recently discovered object that could be another planet. In this space science and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the lesson with a...
Curated OER
Planets Word Search
In this planets word search worksheet, learners search for words that name eight planets reading across, up and down, or diagonally that are hidden in the puzzle. Students find 8 words.
Curated OER
Blue Planet: Seas of Life - Tidal Seas
After viewing the video Blue Planet: Seas of Life, learners review oceanic concepts. In this earth science lesson, students reflect on the effect tides have on living things and conduct research to create a "tidal trivia" game....
Curated OER
Planets
First graders study the planets in the solar system. In this planets lesson, 1st graders read Planets, then create a mobile containing all of the planets in the correct order. Students will label the planets with descriptive words.
Teach Engineering
Get Me Off This Planet
What do Newton's Laws have to do with getting from Earth to Mars?The activities in this resource show how Newton's Laws work with rockets to get them into space. Background information includes facts about orbits and how orbits...
Curated OER
Wish You Were Here
Pupils work in small groups to research information about planets in the solar system. They create picture postcards from space, drawing images they imagine they would see while traveling to a planet. They then write personal messages...