Students explore different scientists throughout history.  In this scientists and culture lesson students research using the Internet and complete a handout. 

Pupils examine how seasons occur and explore how the different angles effect surface heating.  In this climate lesson students interpret satellite maps of the world that show seasonal differences in plant life. 

Eighth graders conduct a "Length of Day Symposium." They complete a variety of activities and explorations regarding the earth's rotation, its revolution around the sun and the cyclic changes in climate and energy distribution on the...

With a simple blackboard-style appearance, these slides list facts about the reason for the seasons, solstices, and equinoxes. It also touches on Kepler's first law of planetary motion. There are no pictures or graphics to help explain...

Many museums and observatories have a Foucault pendulum set up to demonstrate Earth's rotation upon an axis. This worksheet would be especially valuable if you happen upon one of these displays during a field trip. You could also find a...

Providing an interactive experience, this Jeopardy-style game leads players through a review of scientific concepts. The presentation covers topics such as sound, the Earth's layers, magnetism, and the states of matter. This would be a...

The hunt is on! Provide young botanists with a list of eighteen plant-related questions and let them loose as they search for answers on corresponding fact cards. Perform this activity in the classroom or use it as an opportunity to take...

Physical or earth science pupils prepare a magnetometer by inducing magnetism into a pair of straight pins. As the pins hang from a thread, they can be used to detect the magnetic field or poles of a magnet. They could also be used as a...

Combine science and social studies with this collection of notes on ancient astronomy. Ideas propagated by early scientists influenced the way people viewed life and our place in the universe. Examine the philosophies of Aristotle,...

El Niño and the climate changes that go along with it are the focus of this Earth Science lesson. Learners pay particular attention to the wind patterns established on Earth, nd look at weather maps to see how El Niño can alter and...

Atmosphere aces investigate the microclimates that exist within a larger area. They use a thermometer to record temperature variations and identify microclimates on a map they have drawn. This exercise helps them to understand that...

Egg-cellent! A series of lessons on eggs awaits your class. They study everything from how eggs are formed in a chicken's body to how well they float, how to determine if they are raw or cooked, the strength and construction of the...

Musing meteorologists design graphs of the temperature and pressure changes for altitude increase in our atmosphere. The activity is pertinent to middle school earth science curriculum. Vary the type of homework you assign when teaching...

Most of this lesson is spent working on the "Bathymetry Worksheet." It includes a graph of the changes in sea level over the past 150,000 years and a bathymetric map of changes in an imaginary coastline over time. Participants answer...

The instructions for demonstrating ocean turnover are provided in this resource. You could set this up for your earth science class as part of a lecture on convection currents or as an explanation of how ocean currents form. An animation...

The three types of rocks are the focus of this earth science PowerPoint. Young scientists can review the composition of these types of rocks and see the ways they are formed. For example, sedimentary rocks are formed when tiny grains of...

Review questions like these can be used in your biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science classes! They assess scientists' understanding of laboratory measurement tools including graduated cylinders, thermometers, and balances. They...

Comparing aluminum and titanium, this PowerPoint gives the physical and chemical properties of each. Illustrations are used to assist in understanding. The notes are succinct, making this information a great model for chemistry or earth...

The eight slides here progress through the stages of the extraction of iron from its ore. They include the reasons for the process, method overview, and reactions. A slide show produced by students, it is a good example of correct...

Get your middle schoolers experimenting with dry ice. In the first activity, they place a piece in water and then use phenol red to identify its pH. In the second, they place a piece in a limewater solution and watch as the combination...

What factors affect the creation of glass? Youngsters work with sugar crystals as a simulation of glass-making. First, they melt some crystals, then they add water and stirring action as a modifier, they melt sugar in water without...

Learners use a pipette to mix small amounts of food coloring into water. They visualize the small quantities of parts per million and parts per billion. Contrary to the title, the lesson is about liquid amounts rather than gas amounts....

The Arctic and Antarctic Ice caps are the focus of this Earth science lesson. In reality, this is more of a demonstration than a lesson, but there is rich discussion that happens before, during, and after the demonstration. Very...

Learners study cloud data and weather maps to explore cloud activity.  In this cloud data lesson students locate latitude and longitude coordinates and determine cloud cover percentages.