Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Cycle and Watershed

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students summarize the steps in the water cycle. In this earth science lesson plan, students create a skit, song or poem showing the various components of the cycle. They identify the different watersheds in their area.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Fossil Record

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research about the animals found in Burgess Shale. In this earth science lesson, students evaluate the significance of fossils in human history. They create models of their chosen animal.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Changing Crust

For Students 7th - 9th
In this changing crust instructional activity, students use candy bars, licorice sticks and bubble gum to simulate the 3 types of forces that change the Earth's crust. These include compressional forces, tensional forces and transversal...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Principles of Ecology

For Students 7th - 12th
For this ecology worksheet, students will review 10 vocabulary words associated with the basic principles of ecology. This worksheet has 10 fill in the blank questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Moon

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students design and build an ideal lunar settlement. In this astronomy lesson, students identify the key features of the moon. They compare its environmental condition with the Earth's.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Draining the Land - the Mississippi River

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use topographic maps to identify parts of rivers. In addition, they discover gradient and predict changes in the channels caused by variations in water flow. Other activities include sketching a river model with a new channel...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

The Fibre Optic Cable Class

For Teachers 5th - 9th Standards
Many people know that fiber optics are used in delivering the Internet, but are surprised to learn they are also used in astronomy. Scholars explore light, reflection, and fiber optics through hands-on activities. They discuss...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Gravitational Waves

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Young scientists participate in a hands-on experiment to explore Einstein's theory of relativity in a creative manner. They investigate various waves and compare their characteristics as they discuss how each wave is created....
Lesson Plan
Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Section One: What is Biodiversity?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Four intriguing and scientific activities invite learners to explore the natural resources of their town. The activities cover concepts such as genetic traits, organizing species in a taxonomy, the differences between different species...
Lesson Plan
LABScI

Kinematics: The Gravity Lab

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Falling objects can be brutal if you don't protect your noodle! Scholars explore the motion of falling objects through measuring short intervals to determine if the distance traveled varies with time. Building off of this, scholars...
Lesson Plan
Wild BC

Weather Where We Live

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Over a span of two weeks or more, mini meteorologists record weather-related measurements. What makes this particular resource different from others covering similar activities are the thorough details for the teacher and printables for...
Activity
University of Florida

Protecting Our Water Resources

For Teachers K - 9th
Teach young environmentalists to protect their planet's resources with a set of interactive experiments. Kindergartners and other youngsters learn about watersheds and the water cycle, while older elementary learners focus on fertilizer...
Lesson Plan
LABScI

Acoustics: The Sound Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
If the delay between a sound and its echo is less than 1/10th of a second, the human ear can’t distinguish it. Through the use of a Slinky, rubber band guitar, and straws, scholars explore where sound comes from and how it travels....
Lesson Plan
LABScI

Potential and Kinetic Energy: The Roller Coaster Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Ron Toomer, a famous roller coaster designer, suffered from motion sickness. Pupils design their own roller coasters, learning about potential and kinetic energy in the process. Labs focus on the importance of drop height, energy...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Star in a Box

For Teachers 5th - Higher Ed Standards
What happens to stars as they get older? A simulation takes pupils through the life cycle of stars based on their masses. The resource introduces the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and the common relationships and life cycle patterns observed.
Activity
US Department of Agriculture

Sink or Float?

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd Standards
Will it sink or will it float? Learners predict the outcome as they drop random objects into a container of water. Then, they keep track of the results and record the data in a t-chart to draw a final conclusion.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Crashed On the Moon

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students compare/contrast the environments of our moon and earth, and examine examples of how these differences would affect their daily activities on our moon. They develop lists of emergency supplies to bring if their spaceship crashed...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historical Geography Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are told that Geography is the science that deals with the differentiation of the surface of the earth due to the influence of things like population, vegetation, geology, and land use. They explore the Geography Basics page. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Not So Lost in Space

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers investigate how engineers navigate satellites in orbit around the Earth and on their way to other planets in the solar system. They study vocabulary words and participate in studying a satellite by learning about times...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Candy Quakes

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders, using a candy bar, gum, and Twizzlers, demonstrate the effects of deformational forces on the earth's crust. They examine the processes of rock and fossil formation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Arsenic and Old Lace

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils read about specific instances of arsenic in history and share these stories with each other. They identify, after reading the articles and sharing, what role arsenic played, how arsenic enters the system and what its effects are....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocks, Minerals, and Erosion

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students identify and describe rocks that contain records of the earth's history and explain how they were formed. They formulate questions about and identify needs and problems related to objects and events in the environment, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Is Life?

For Teachers 8th - 9th
In this life characteristics worksheet, students answer 16 questions about living things, Redi's experiment, basic needs, growth and development.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fishing

For Teachers K - Higher Ed
Students explore the techniques and basic needs of the fisherman.  For this fishing lesson, students view a demonstration of the use of fishing equipment. Students research Iowa farm ponds and design a class mural from their...