Polar Trec
Rings of Life
Individuals analyze tree rings to determine the health of an ecosystem. They then look at otoliths of fish, hard calcium carbonate structures located behind the brain, in the same manner.
Normal Community High School
Classification of Matter
Steel is an example of homogeneous mixture, also called an alloy, which is made of iron and carbon. The presentation introduces learners to elements, compounds, and mixtures. They explore their similarities and differences, and then take...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Climate Change Impacts on Blue King Crabs
Carbon dioxide is not only causing global temperatures to increase, it causes the oceans to become more acidic. Lesson focuses on the blue king crab and the fragility of the habitat due to climate change. Scholars create a concept map...
Cornell University
Sometimes You Behave Like a WAVE, Sometimes You Don't!
Electromagnetic radiation behaves like both a wave and a particle. Help classes explore this concept through a lab investigation. Young scientists create optical interference patterns on a glass slide using a carbon layer. They analyze...
Space Awareness
Global Warming of the Atmosphere
Scientists know the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today is higher than at any point in the last 800,000 years. Scholars learn about the amount of thermic radiation absorbed by air and what happens to the rest of the...
Polar Trec
Permafrost Thaw Depth and Ground Cover
The thaw depth of tundra creates a positive feedback loop with both global warming and the carbon cycle. Scholars sort photos and develop a hypothesis for ground cover and permafrost depth. Then they review the data and measurements...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Formulae of Compounds
Many people confuse the chemical formulas for copper carbonate and copper oxide. A set of challenging puzzles review commonly confused compound names and their symbols. Through a series of four puzzles, pupils match the names and...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Elements 3
Many pupils mix up the chemical symbols for calcium, carbon, and copper. These entertaining puzzles help scholars remember the names and symbols. First, they match the name and symbol of 12 elements. Then, through a series of three...
University of North Carolina
Effective Email Communication
Despite its speed and convenience, an e-mail may not always be the best form of communication. As part of a series on specific writing assignments, a handout shares information on effective e-mail communication. In addition to outlining...
Curated OER
Investigation of Crystallinity in Polymeric Materials
A kaleidoscope is constructed using polarizing polymer paper and then low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and polypropylene are all melted onto individual glass slides and examined through a microscope. The intent is to...
Aurora Trust
Journey Under the Sea
Discover the interesting world of maritime archaeology and explorations under the sea with this nice set of worksheets, which cover such topics as search tools and techniques of underwater archaeology, carbon dating,...
NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Entering the Twilight Zone
Imagine an ecosystem without any light or oxygen, where living things convert carbon dioxide into food. This ecosystem is thriving and might just be the largest ecosystem on our planet, yet we know very little about it. The lesson...
Science Matters
Eruptions and Volcano Types
The Mammoth Lakes area regularly releases warnings to hikers and skiers to be careful because melting snow releases trapped gases from volcanic vents. The 17th lesson plan in the 20-part series opens with a demonstration of carbon...
Space Awareness
Oceans as a Heat Reservoir
Oceans absorb half of the carbon dioxide and 80 percent of the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Scholars learn how and why the oceans store heat more effectively than land and how they help mitigate global warming. Pupils...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
EarthViewer Climate Guide Activity
What did Earth look like 4.5 billion years ago, and what was the climate like then? Scholars explore a view of Earth throughout history. They observe continents moving, temperatures fluctuating, and huge changes in ecosystems. A...
Science Matters
Photosynthesis-Cellular Respiration Cycle
The balance of nature can be a wondrous thing! With the 19th lesson of the 21-part series on systems, learners explore the cycle of photosynthesis and cellular respiration using a lab-based activity. Groups set up different test tubes...
American Chemical Society
Climate Change and the Keeling Curve
Global warming has long been in the making. A thorough review of decades of research helps pupils discover the weather patterns of global warming. Learners then connect the weather changes to data in the Keeling Curve that reveals trends...
National Wildlife Federation
Ghost Town
Around 93 percent of the reefs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef have been bleached, and almost one quarter of them are now dead. Scholars research the sea temperatures, especially around the areas with coral reefs, to make connections...
National Wildlife Federation
Climate Solutions – A Call to Action!
The final lesson in the 21-part series on climate change focuses on energy solutions to the consumption problem. Using data specific to their school, pupils make recommendations, follow up on actions, and carefully track progress....
Serendip
Using Models to Understand Photosynthesis
Is your class in the dark about photosynthesis? Shed some sunlight on an important biological process with a thoughtful activity. After answering questions to help determine their level of knowledge, learners work with chemical equations...
Curated OER
2009 U. S. National Chemistry Olympiad - Local Section Exam
Here is a copy of a past national challenge exam that you can use in your general chemistry course as a unit or semester review. Sixty multiple-choice questions query learners on properties of matter, stoichiometry, reactions, and...
California Academy of Science
Energy: A Day in My Life
If only we could harness the energy of fifth graders, our energy problems would be over! The class discusses where different forms of energy come from and how we use them. They complete a chart of the activities that they do daily...
Curated OER
Crafting a Fair Climate Agreement
Evaluate the effectiveness of Kyoto Protocol in addressing the issue of global warming. In this global warming lesson, learners compare the pros and cons of the cap-and-trade system versus a carbon tax, as well as other possible...
Curated OER
Iron Fertilization - Pumping Iron
The theory that adding iron to ocean water may increase phytoplankton ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is examined. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute is monitoring conditions off the California coast to...