Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth and Space Science: Let it Flow

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students engage in a lesson in which volcanoes be explored and examined. After watching a video, students create volcanoes out of clay.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycle

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Young scientists explore Earth elements by conducting an experiment. They define water vocabulary terms such as condensation and precipitation. In addition, they conduct a water experiment in which they build a terrarium, so they can...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students begin their examination of the climate zones found around the world. Using a software program, they identify the relationship between the vegetation, climate and temperatures of the different zones. They also plot coordinates...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Global Change- Earth as Home

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students create their own environment. In this environmental protection instructional activity, students pretend they are the owners of a tropical island. They create jobs for the citizens and develop the island as a model environment.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Why Earthquakes Occur

For Students 6th - 9th
In this earthquake learning exercise, students learn about why earthquakes occur. After reading the information, they answer the 12 questions in the packet. The answers are on the last page.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Demonstrating Moon Phases

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders participate in a demonstration of the moon's phases. In this moon phase lesson, 3rd graders watch as the teacher demonstrates moon phases with a bright light and a Styrofoam ball. They answer questions associated with the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cloudy vs. Clear

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students analyze line plots. For this weather lesson using real NASA data, students discuss how weather affects the way the Earth is heated by comparing different line plots.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Amazon Water Cycle Role Play

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students participate in a role play where they play clouds, the ocean, rain drops, and more in order to learn about the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson plan, students have discussions and learn vocabulary.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Weather Crossword

For Students 3rd - 6th
In this weather crossword puzzle instructional activity, students use the 16 clues and the word bank to fill in the blanks in this crossword puzzle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weathering Landforms

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders brainstorm a list of ways the Earth's surface can change. As a class, they are introduced to the concepts of erosion and weathering and discover how wind and water cause changes to the surface of the Earth. To end the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocks and Minerals

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners identify how weathering and erosion effect the Earth's surface. In this weathering and rocks lesson, students study various types of rocks in water and brainstorm ways the Earth's surface changes. Learners view an interactive...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tropical Atlantic Aerosols

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students analyze NASA data from the Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer. In this NASA data lesson, students access an assigned website to examine information from the MISR on the Terra Satellite. They determine how desert dust travels...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecology And the Conservation of Natural Resources

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and how the continents were connected in one large land mass called Pangaea. They examine plate tectonics and the theory that the earth's surface is composed of large moving...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Journeys...The Voices of Change

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students trace the immigration patterns of their ancestors. They plot information on a world map, develop a timeline of target immigration patterns, research and write a report on immigration and participate in a class play.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Reason for the Seasons; Science, Geography

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners think about what causes the seasons to change, reflect on what they know about seasons and how their lives affected by seasonal changes.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's About Time

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students create their own timeline. In this social science instructional activity, students write the important events that happened in their lives on their timeline and then compare their timeline to Earth's timeline.
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Rock Cycle Roundabout

For Teachers 4th - 12th
After a basic introduction to the rock cycle and the three main types of rocks, young geologists can deepen their understanding of how rocks change through a fun learning game. Based on the characteristics and events shared by a reader,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Greenhouse Effect

For Teachers 6th - 9th
In this Earth Science worksheet, students read about the Greenhouse Effect and the difference between natural and amplified warming. Following, they answer ten short answer questions related to what they read about global climate issues.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Graphs of Temperature and Radiation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars study plots and use a Live Access Server to generate plots.  In this temperature lesson students examine the process of incoming and outgoing radiation. 
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Carbon, Greenhouse Gases, and Climate

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Climate models mathematically represent the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land, sun, surface, and ice. Part two in the series of four lessons looks at the role greenhouse gases play in keeping Earth warm and has participants...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Exploring the Water Cycle

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The water cycle is one of earth's most easily observable processes, but demonstrating each step within classroom walls can be a challenge. Through a series of videos and quick demonstrations, cover each aspect of the hydrologic cycle in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Differences Between Ground and Air Temperatures

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars examine the differences between air temperature and ground temperature.  In this investigative lesson students find NASA data on the Internet and use it to create a graph. 
PPT
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Curated OER

Solar/Lunar Eclipses and the Seasons

For Teachers 5th - 7th
How do the moon, sun, and Earth line up to create eclipses? Why do the seasons change throughout a year? The answers to these questions are explained through this series of slides. This apt presentation outlines information using bullet...
PPT
Curated OER

Water:Properties, Chapter 3

For Teachers 11th
Hydrogen bonds, and polarity are described in this PowerPoint, and the reasons for tension and cohesion associated with water.  The states of water under certain conditions are explained with information about the changes in...