Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Myths and Legends on Natural Disasters: Making Sense of Our World

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore different natural and manmade disasters through a webquest. In this earth science lesson, students explain their causes. They also discuss how disasters affect society. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Investigating Soil Color and Texture"

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders will identify/understand the differences between soil and dirt. They will classify soil color accurately and use Munsell notation to describe it (Munsell books provided).Students will classify soil texture using the feel...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Pacific and El Niño

For Teachers 5th - 7th
El Nino, and the climate changes that go along with it, are the focus of this Earth Science instructional activity. Learners pay particular attention to the wind patterns that are established on Earth, and look at weather maps to see how...
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
eGFI

Fabricating Glass and Candy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Folktales and Ecology: Animals and Humans in Cooperation and Conflict

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Story elements such as conflict, character analysis, resolution, and moral are discussed and charted as elementary children read folktales involving animals. An element of science is also introduced as learners discover what a keystone...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Longer Days, Shorter Nights

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
A lamp, four globes, and some signs taped around the room are all you need to set up a solar system simulation for teaching how Earth's tilted axis creates the seasons. (Sticky dots are also needed, but not mentioned in the materials...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
How many times have you traveled around the sun? Aspiring astronomers grasp what a year is and they differentiate between orbit and rotation by walking around the sun right within your classroom. Place a lamp in the center of the room to...
Lesson Plan
US Department of Energy

Geothermal Energy

For Teachers 5th - 8th
With Earth Day quickly approaching, as well as many science fairs, why not challenge your class to investigate geothermal energy or other renewable energy resources? There are five driving questions explored in depth here, as well as...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Navigating with the Kamal

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Historians have proven that as early as 1497 skilled navigators were using a kamal to sail across oceans. Scholars learn about navigation tools and astronomy before building their own kamals. They then learn how to use it to determine...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Birthday Stars

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Space explorers take a virtual trip around the sun right within your classroom! They stand in a circle facing away from the "sun" (a lamp) in the center of the room. As they move according to your instructions, they view different...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Lost City Chemistry Detectives

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
In 1977, scientists discovered hot springs in the middle of deep, cold ocean waters near the Galapagos Islands. Scholars research the chemical reactions that explain what scientists found at the Lost City. A discussion connects many...
Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

Where to Look For Life?

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Every year we discover new planets including more than 1,000 in 2016 alone. Will we ever find life on another planet? The instructional activity includes two activities to help scholars understand this concept. First, they analyze the...
Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

Is There Anyone Out There?

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
What is an alien's favorite game? All-star baseball! Scholars start defining living and non-living. Then, they conduct experiments to research if life exists, keeping in mind that life could be in many forms, not just human. 
Lesson Plan
1
1
Channel Islands Film

Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How far have California's Channel islands moved? What was the rate of this movement? Class members first examine data that shows the age of the Hawaiian island chain and the average speed of the Pacific Plate. They then watch West...
Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

The Voyage Scale Model Solar System

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Young scientists learn how to select a scale factor for a large scale model. Then they figure the scale for each of the planets and the distance between them. Finally, they construct a giant scale model of the solar system and answer...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food for Spaceflight

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
When astronauts get hungry in outer space, they can't just call and have a pizza delivered. In order to gain an appreciation for the challenges associated with space travel, young learners are given the task of selecting,...
Lesson Plan
1
1
STEM for Teachers

Tsunami!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
How does the depth of an ocean affect the speed of a tsunami's waves? Use Jell-o, graham crackers, and marshmallows to model the effects of an underwater earthquake and its resulting tsunami. The lesson includes hands-on activities,...
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Is It Getting Hot in Here, or Is It Just Me?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Currently, only 2.1% of global warming is felt on continents, while over 93% is felt in the oceans. The fourth lesson in the series of 21 on global warming is composed of three activities that build off one another. In the first...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Waters of the Earth - Friends or Enemies

For Teachers 10th - 12th
High Schoolers observe the paintings and drawings of Robert Harris, and do a study of the ocean that delves into human and physical geography. Learners make prints, listen to music, create a database, and perform research on a specific...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Science: The Sun-Earth Relationship

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students examine the sun's impact on the Earth. They read online articles, explore various websites, and answer questions using information found on the Internet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Good Old Earth Materials

For Teachers K - 4th
Students investigate different types of building structures and how they are able to stand up to earthquakes. Through comparison they determine which buildings are better able to handle earthquakes than others. They create a building,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling the Seasons

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Junior geologists become the force that makes the world go around! With a lamp on the floor in the middle of the room to represent the sun, volunteers hold a globe, revolve, and rotate. Observers notice how the light hitting the globe...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Watching in 3D

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Bring the ocean floor to life! Earth science scholars discover the process of deep sea mapping in the third installment in a series of five lessons about ocean exploration. The teacher's guide includes helpful resources, worksheets, and...

Other popular searches