Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Spectral Analysis with DVDs and CDs

For Students 9th - 12th
Build a spectrometer to analyze properties of light. Scholars examine the spectrum from CDs and DVDs from two different light sources. Using the spectrum, they work to identify different elements.
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Designing a Spectroscopy Mission

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
In this mind-bending activity, young engineers explore this question of whether or not light actually bends. Using holographic diffraction gratings, groups design and build a spectrograph. The groups then move on research a problem...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bill Nye- The Atmosphere

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this science worksheet, pupils look for the words that fill the blanks to cover the concept of the atmosphere. The activity is meant to be a review.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heating the Atmosphere

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students construct a thermograph for maximum and minimum temperatures for the 2-week period. They illustrate how the earth's atmosphere is heated by convection and conduction currents and evaporation of water.
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

Check Out Lights and Shields with Beads

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore Ultraviolet detecting beads and conduct several investigations with them.  In this investigative instructional activity students participate in an experiment to see the harmful effects of UV light and discuss their...
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

Heat Transfer In The Atmosphere

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this science worksheet, learners find the meaning of radiation, conduction, and convection and how they operate in the global atmosphere.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Earth's Atmosphere

For Students 7th - 9th
In this Earth's atmosphere worksheet, learners observe the effects of air pressure using an egg. They describe what happens to the egg and what makes it do what it does. Then they determine how to get the egg out of the bottle opening at...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Safeguarding Our Atmosphere

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students, after reading the explanation given below, use the World Wide Web to discover what NASA Glenn Research Center is doing to safeguard our atmosphere and summarize the findings in a business report format.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air Quality Issues

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students identify the different layers of the atmosphere. They examine the different types of air pollutants. They also discover laws in effect that work to protect the environment.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Flip Books!

For Students 3rd - 6th
These aren't exactly worksheets, but rather a selection of pdf files of different atmospheric or solar events. Print your chosen pdf file for each aspiring astronomer in your class, have them cut out the individual mini pages, arrange...
PPT
Glynn County School System

Light, History, Gravity, Distance, Relativity, and Space-Time

For Students 6th - 12th
Let the star's color be the guide! The color of a star indicates its temperature and its mass and distance affect the gravitational force. The lesson presentations address these concepts as well as how the theory of special relativity...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What If There's No Light?

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
young scholars discuss the importance of light and the consequences of living without it. Using a plant as a demonstration, students predict and observe what happens to a plant when it does not receive enough light. In groups, they...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

A Lesson on Atmosphere & Symbolism screams a study of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" on Halloween

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students normally "scared" of poetry welcome "The Raven" lesson plans at Halloween.
Lesson Plan
University of Colorado

Enceladus, I Barely Knew You

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Use spectral knowledge to make discoveries on a distant moon. Small groups gather information from images of one of Saturn's moons. The moon orbits within the E-ring made up of mainly water ice. Using information about the composition of...
Lesson Plan
Center Science Education

Plugged In To CO2

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Watt is going on here? Middle schoolers are learning about energy use and carbon dioxide emissions! In the first part of this lesson, learners measure how much energy different appliances consume and calculate the amount per day. In...
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Quantifying Land Changes Over Time Using Landsat

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Humans have become a geologic agent comparable to erosion and [volcanic] eruptions ..." Paul J. Crutzen, a Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric chemist. Using Landsat imagery, scholars create a grid showing land use type, such as urban,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ozone

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students locate the ozone layer of the atmosphere. They explain natural formation of ozone. They list chemicals that react with ozone. They explain how CFC's destroy ozone.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reflection and Absorption of Light

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students use a microcomputer connected to a light sensor and temperature probe to explore the reflection and absorption of radiation for different surfaces. Students follow instructions in this guided inquiry based lab and are then asked...
Handout
Curated OER

First Land Plants Found on Earth

For Students 8th - 10th
In this first land plants worksheet, students read about the major events that allowed plants to evolve on Earth. Students read about the primary and secondary atmospheres, the formation of the ozone layer to protect from UV light and...
Interactive
Curated OER

The Ozone Layer

For Students 5th - 12th
In this ozone worksheet students complete an interactive activity on the thinning of the ozone then answer a series of questions on the earths UV rays. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make Acid Rain

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students create models of the earth's atmosphere to explore how gases that are dissolved in water can eventually create acid rain. After conducting a series of experiments within their models of the earth's atmosphere, students analyze...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Stars

For Students 7th - 9th
In this stars worksheet, learners determine if 15 statements about stars, constellations, Polaris, light years and the position of the stars are true or false. If they are false, students change the italicized word in the sentence to...