Curated OER
Palpating Pachyderms: How Do We Interpret Observations?
Students interpret a poem before completing activities to distinguish observations and interpretations. They examine how personal background can influence how a person interpreters what they observe.
Curated OER
How Things Fly
Students research the mechanics of flight and create a slideshow with one slide dedicated to each of these topics: lift, drag, thrust, and weight. They create a short quiz regarding the material that they presented and give it to their...
Curated OER
Neanderthals on Trial
Students examine a drawing of a Neanderthal artifact that was found in Solvenia in 1996. They attempt to identify the artifact in small groups, and present their ideas to the whole class. They discover what scientists believe the...
Curated OER
A Scientific Approach to Teaching about Evolution
Students examine fossils and analyzing their significance in relation to theories of evolution. Hand-outs are provided. This lesson could be supplementary to a broader unit on evolution or geology.
Curated OER
Why Don't Whales Have Legs?
Students are given a variety of materials and are asked to design a heat loss experiment that results in a reasonable explanation of "Why don't whales have legs?" students work with the theory of natural selection.
Curated OER
Paleogeographic Mapping (o.k. Fossils Are Neat But What Good Are They?)
Students examine how evidence from fossils can be used in paleogeographic interpretation. They gain experience in developing multiple hypotheses.
Curated OER
NOAA Research Project
Young scholars research any topic relating to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research cruise that Mrs. Richards be participating in.
Curated OER
The Formation And Types of Coral Reefs in Insular Southeast Asia and their Inhabitants
Learners study the geological formation and inhabitants of the coral reefs in Southeast Asia. They investigate how the effects of weather and human activity on these ecological systems.
Curated OER
Interdisciplinary Global Warming
Ninth graders are given a wide variety of earth science topics to choose from to write a report on. This lesson also has a scoring rubric imbedded in the plan. They utilize the internet and other sources to complete their research.
Curated OER
Cloud Discovery
Students create a slideshow that pictorially depicts a variety of cloud types. They research clouds, develop and present the slideshow and then evaluate their efforts based on a rubric for self-evaluation.
Curated OER
Titan and the Other Moons of Saturn
Students identify and describe the moons of Saturn. They sort the moons by their characteristics. They write a paragraph describing the moons to end the lesson plan.
Curated OER
Archaeological Finds
Students demonstrate the goals and methods of archaeology and write a report of an archaeological dig at a site associated with a specific culture. They explore the science of archaeology and how it contributes to the understanding of...
Curated OER
Hunt for Habitats
Students review components of a habitat and go on a hike around a pond and woods exploring different habitats and the plants and animals that use them. They examine mammal pelts and discuss the life histories, adaptations, and positions...
Curated OER
Wagons Test
Students examine the characteristics of different biomes. In this ecology lesson, students design biomes where given animals can live. They discuss the design within the group and share it with the class.
Curated OER
Thanksgiving: Bird Evolution
Students explore the evolution of birds. In this biology lesson, students research articles that discuss evidence about the ancestry of birds. They discuss their findings with the group and draw a journal magazine cover highlighting...