Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycle Relay

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the water cycle in nature. In this water cycle lesson, 4th graders review the hydrologic cycle by reading the poem. Students then study a picture of the hydrologic cycle and fill in the blanks with the missing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spectral Surprise

For Teachers K - 8th
Students create spectral colors. For this hands-on science lesson, students examine the electromagnetic spectrum as they follow steps to create a model that separates and displays light.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students watch and learn the different levels of "viscosity" in liquids to explain molten lava after viewing a video of a Hawaiian volcano.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Table

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students predict from a rock sample whether a water well could be drilled in that type of rock. They predict what conditons would be necessary for the well to produce water.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy/Light/Heat/Sound

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the properties of heat in this series of lessons. They discuss sources of heat and experiment to determine its properties. They identify insulators and conductors by measuring temperatures, and graphing their data....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World Projections

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars identify map projections and examine polar maps. In this map skills lesson, students use a flat world map to identify various projections and calculate the distances between locations by using a map scale.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Views of the American West: True or False?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explain that a landscape painting may or may not accurately represent a specific place. They identify techniques that create the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Why Your Ears Pop

For Students 6th - 10th
In this ears learning exercise, students read about what causes your ears to pop when you change altitude and about equalizing air pressure. Then students complete 3 short answer questions.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Cloze Activity: The Greenhouse Effect

For Students 2nd - 4th
For this greenhouse effect cloze procedure worksheet, students review a brief selection that is missing 16 words and then attempt to fill in each blank with a word they think the author might have used. A word bank is provided.
Lesson Plan
Pennsylvania Department of Education

Energy in Motion

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore energy transfer. In this thermal energy lesson, 5th graders stretch rubber bands several times and estimate the band's temperature change. Students identify this action as an example of thermal energy. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What the Sun Can Do

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students develop and test a unique, personally-relevant hypothesis about the consequences of exposure to UV radiation based units on a living organism, common baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).
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...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Forces and Machines

For Students 7th - 12th
In this forces and machines worksheet, students will review vocabulary associated with forces including friction, inertia, and work. Students will also explain how simple machines help to do work easier. This worksheet has 10 matching, 6...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Glacial Climbing

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars plot the current distribution of glaciers around the Earth and see if there any major trends where glaciers appear to be either growing or shrinking at abnormally high rates.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Geographic Question

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students are introduced to the characteristics of a river system. In groups, they discover how rivers are formed and how it flows. They discuss the relationship between the river system and people and develop ways to keep the river...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

That Mu You Do

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners are told that the weight of a car is equal to its mass multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity. When a car is at react on a horizontal road, there must be a normal force with which the road pushes up on the car to keep it...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do You Dew?

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine how the processes of condensation and evaporation occur. They describe the relationship between heat energy, evaporation and condensation of water on Earth. They give examples of the processes of evaporation and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather with Lewis and Clark: Then and Now

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders observe and write descriptions of the weather in a journal for one week. They research the daily journals of Lewis and Clark, compare the weather words used to their own personal journals, and discuss the need to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Reading in the 21st Century

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Learners interact with MapPoint tools to view maps of the past and the present in multiple ways. They participate in mini-lessons aimed at locating certain points of interest or famous routes taken in history.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Glacier Climbing

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners discover where glaciers exist and how they move. In this glacier lesson, students work in groups to create a glacier in a replica valley and observe its properties.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Geography of the Philippines

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the geographic features and population distribution of the Philippines. They analyze maps, take a quiz, define monsoon, and discuss how the people in the Philippines have adapted to their environment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soil Structure

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders examine how different soils are made up of varying proportions of clay, silt, and sand. They compare soil samples, conduct Internet research, and create a model to demonstrate the relative sizes of grains of clay, sand, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landforms And The Oregon Trail

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate the historical context for the founding of The Oregon Trail. They conduct research to put together the events that led to the geographical route that was taken. The lesson also strengthens geography skills with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycle Boogie

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore the water cycle. They learn the "Water Cycle Boogie." Students create hats to represent the different parts of the cycle and learn hand motions to go with the words of the song. Students practice singing the song and the...