Activity
Big Kid Science

Eclipse Classroom Activities: Cultural Significance Project

For Teachers 1st - 12th Standards
What better way to celebrate eclipses than across cultures? Explore myths of solar and lunar eclipses from ancient cultures like the Chinese, Ancient Greek, Mesoamerican, Incan, Egyptian, Ancient Babylonian, and Middle Eastern. Learners...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sunny Symbols

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
After listening to a series of stories about signs and symbols associated with the United States, pupils discuss the importance of the sun in Native American legends and as a representation of New Mexico. As part of this exploration,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Climate Change Skeptic's Argument: Natural Solar Cycles or Human Activity?

For Teachers Higher Ed
Teachers explore patterns in sunspots and total solar irradiance to understand the counterpoint to the human effect of global warming. In this professional development tool, teachers work through a lesson on the sun's natural...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Great Explorations: To the End of the Earth and Beyond

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students analyze the factors that affect exploration such as religion, trade, territorial expansion, and science. In this Great Explorations lesson, students determine the names of famous explorers as well as their routes and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spacing Out

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars explore environmental and geological conditions on other planets in our solar system, comparing their findings to information about Earth. They propose technologies that might assist in supporting human life on those planets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water, Weather, and the World

For Teachers 4th - Higher Ed
Students in a special education classroom examine the role of weather and water in their lives. Each day, they add a symbol for the weather outside and identify the proper activities for the weather on that day. In groups, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grow it Now, Drive it Later?

For Teachers 7th
What do corn and career exploration have in common? A lot, if you're considering an agricultural career that contributes to alternative fuel resources. Through a series of films, presentations, activities, and readings, learners will...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comet Myths, Facts, and Legends

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Here is an interactive book lesson through which learners explore the facts and stories about comets. The plan is comprehensive, providing background information, standards met, vocabulary, assessment ideas, and more. Though the content...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paper or Plastic: Exploring Renewable Resources.

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students discuss, develop, invent, and implement a plan for making informed personal economic decisions about renewable resources.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sundials: Keeping Time Like Native Americans

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students explore the use of sundials. They observe the shadows cast by the sun and record the times at various points throughout the day. They create sundials and record the location of the shadows and the time of day. They view a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I, Robot: Chapter Four- Catch That Rabbit

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore the development of technology in the 20th century.  In this chapter lesson, 6th graders read and discuss the literary content of chapter four, I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. They research the technology that was...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Alternative Energies

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research various forms of alternative energy sources and examine the pros and cons of each type. They discuss American oil dependence and the Bush administration's policies regarding this issue.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Lesson: Space Exploration

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners explore space. In this current events instructional activity, students visit selected websites to learn about NASA, Mars, the Seti Institute, and space exploration terminology. Learners make space glossaries and their own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rain Reasons

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore how climatic factors influence the growth of plants. They create an experiment to find how variations in water, light, and temperature affect plant growth and describe how precipitation and geography can affect the...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Businesses and Communities on the Move

For Students 7th - 10th
In this American transportation history worksheet, students read about various forms of transportation and respond to 16 multiple choice and short answer questions regarding trains, streetcars, automobiles, and trucks.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scientists and Statesmen in Early America

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Explore the historic and cultural context of the foundations of the United States of America. They identify the political and scientific contributions of early American scientists.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bible: The Purpose of Creation

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Learners listen to Haydn's "The Creation" and discuss the purpose of creation.  In this religious studies lesson, students reflect on the mood of Haydn's piece and view pictures of human inventions. They will then identify reasons...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 4 Activity 1: Mapping the Third Dimension

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners work in pairs to construct a simple stereoscope.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Expanding Children's Geographic and Economic Worlds

For Teachers K - 1st
Students learn their addresses and gain a sense of connection between their neighborhood and the rest of the world and the universe.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tree Friends

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students are introduced to tree structure and use. They identify their special tree using all senses except sight. Students identify six different internal parts within a cross section of tree trunk (bark, phloem, xylem, cambium,...
Graphic
Other

Space Images

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover brilliant, ominous images of our solar system from space exploration's cutting edge technology. Although this is a commercial site that sells these images, they are still educational and fun to look at.
Graphic
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Gallery: How Do Earth and Life Interact?

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore the biosphere, zoom in on some unique ecosystems, and learn how activity in the Solar System and plate tectonics can affect the climate and life on the planet.
Website
Oklahoma Mesonet

Oklahoma Climatological Survey: The Seasons

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out what the seasons are and how they change. Through the use of excellent graphics, content explores the Earth's orbit around the sun and how sunlight reaches the earth at equinox and the winter solstice.