Curated OER
Fossil Fuel and the Ticking Clock
Students study energy sources to learn about fossil fuels and environmental concerns. In this energy sources instructional activity, students watch demonstrations for various energy examples. Students find hidden pennies, make a bar...
Curated OER
Fallout!
Students plot the locations of fallout from two disasters that polluted much of the world's air. They plot the ash fallout from the 1980 Mt. St. Helen's eruption to see what the wind patterns in the United States look like overall. Next...
Curated OER
Water Quality
Learners play the role of scientists testing for water quality in the area. In this ecology lesson, students determine the water sample's pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. They write a journal reflection after the activity.
Curated OER
Super Scientists Bingo
In this science worksheet, middle schoolers select twenty-five scientists from the list to fill in their bingo card. Then they match each of the scientists listed to their correct description strip.
Curated OER
Blast It! (Learning About Copper)
Opening with background information on copper use and mining, this learning exercise assesses junior geologists' reading comprehension. A map activity is available, but the map is not. There is a useful set of vocabulary matching cards...
National Park Service
Caves, Canyons, Cactus, and Critters
Mother Nature's Gravel Company is open for business! The unit includes four lessons covering weathering and erosion. Experiments are simple to complete and young geologists compare notes to see who makes the biggest ice...
Curated OER
Three Clouds Activity
Students explore how clouds are produced through three different age-appropriate hands-on experiments.
Curated OER
Making Fossils
Third graders examine the differences between cast and mold fossils. They discuss geological time and how many fossils are millions of years old, then create a cast fossil using clay and a shell, and a mold fossil using a shell and...
Curated OER
Atmospheric Cells
Young scholars recognize that the sun is the source of energy driving atmosphere cells. They relate the motion of the atmospheric cells to mantle convection cells. Students recognize that the function of atmospheric cells is to move heat...
Curated OER
Air Pollution Over Where?
Students predict the movement of an air borne pollutant using their understanding of air currents. They determine which governments and/or communities should be contacted to be forewarned. They also explore the properties of their...
Curated OER
Conserving Energy Resources
Seventh graders research on energy conversion. After they have researched several types of energy resources, teams of two to four create posters which depict how these resources can be conserved.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Somethin' Sweet
This site provides a lesson plan using candy making to demonstrate physical and chemical changes in matter. Includes directions to make caramel and rock candy.