Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Drifting Continents, Dynamic Results

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers plot earthquake and volcano data using a Compass Rose Plotting. They explain the relationship between plate movement and connection. They draw conclusions that earthquakes and volcanoes occur in predictable locations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Fuel and the Ticking Clock

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students study energy sources to learn about fossil fuels and environmental concerns. In this energy sources activity, students watch demonstrations for various energy examples. Students find hidden pennies, make a bar graph on their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fallout!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers 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....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Quality

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students 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.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Super Scientists Bingo

For Students 6th - 8th
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.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Blast It! (Learning About Copper)

For Students 5th - 8th
Opening with background information on copper use and mining, this worksheet assesses junior geologists' reading comprehension. A map activity is available, but the map is not. There is a useful set of vocabulary matching cards and a...
Unit Plan
National Park Service

Caves, Canyons, Cactus, and Critters

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Three Clouds Activity

For Teachers K - 8th
Learners explore how clouds are produced through three different age-appropriate hands-on experiments.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Fossils

For Teachers 3rd
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Atmospheric Cells

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students 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 from...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air Pollution Over Where?

For Teachers 6th - 10th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Conserving Energy Resources

For Teachers 7th
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.
Lesson Plan
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)

Smile: Somethin' Sweet

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
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.