Curated OER
The Sun: Earth's External Heat Engine - Part 1 of the Astronomy Model
Designed by School Power...NaturallySM, this lesson familiarizes advanced earth science and physics learners about the variables that affect our supply of solar energy. They examine gas spectra and perform calculations. There is an...
Curated OER
World Geography - Climate Notes
A challenging activity helps young geographers explore the temperatures around the world! They study how the Earth's land temperatures are affected by their proximity to an ocean, as well their latitude and their altitude. A very...
Curated OER
The Influence of Human Activity on the Environment
The surge in human population in the last 2,000 years, due in large part to better health care, has brought a surge in the demand for resources and in pollution. The graphics, photographs, and real-life examples in a thought-provoking...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Classroom Activities: EarthViewer
The spot you are standing in right now—how did it look 2,000 years ago, one million years ago, or even four billion years ago? Scholars use a model of Earth throughout history to learn about continental drift, climate change, changes in...
Curated OER
Air Conditioning
Students explore the roles that the United States government agencies play in weather forecasting, climate control, and other climate-related environmental issues. They then write letters to President Bush recommending how a new National...
Curated OER
Utah Weather
Fourth graders explore Earth science by researching weather patterns on the Internet. For this Utah climate lesson, 4th graders discuss why each climate on our planet is exposed to different weather settings and how they are measured....
Curated OER
Where Does It Come From?
Fifth graders explore free trade. In this free trade lesson, 5th graders discover which commonly found products are made in the United States and which originate from other countries. Students explore which countries are better at...
Curated OER
The Modern Atmospheric CO2 Record
Students compare carbon dioxide (CO2) data from the Mauna Loa Observatory , Barrow (Alaska) , and the South Pole over the past 40 years to help them better understand what controls atmospheric (CO2).
Curated OER
Global Weather Patterns and Disease
Students conduct research projects to determine the effects of climatic changes on the spread of infectious diseases throughout regions. After conducting their Internet research, students develop mini-presentations on their given disease...
Curated OER
Your Own Greenhouse
Young science learners construct a greenhouse out of a plastic bottle. They use a nail to punch a hole through which a thermometer will be inserted to monitor the temperature. This simple experiment easily demonstrates the greenhouse...
Global Oneness Project
A Vanishing Island
The effects of rising sea levels on Isle de Jean Charles, located off the coast of Louisiana, are documented in Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee's poignant short video. Viewers are asked to consider not only the plight of residents but also what...
Curated OER
THE BUSINESS OF CLEAN AIR
Students determine that air pollution control is caused by a combination of market incentives and government regulation. They realize that businesses exist to make profits for their owners and that governments make rules for individuals...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
European Explorers
To compare how the Spanish, French, and English approached the exploration of North America, class groups examine primary source documents and become experts on one of four explorers: Francisco Coronado, Robert LaSalle, Samuel de...
Curated OER
GLOBAL WARMING
Students form definitions of the greenhouse effect based on prior knowledge, class discussion, viewing diagrams, and participate in group brainstorming sessions and class discussions related to the impact of the greenhouse effect and...
Global Oneness Project
The Value of Ancient Traditions
Imagine having to give up cell phones, computers, and TV? What would be lost? What gained? An examination of the Drokpa, a nomadic people who live in the grasslands of Tibet, provides class members an opportunity to consider how access...
Curated OER
Chasing El Niño
Students view a video clip about the effects of El Nino. They work together to develop a question about weather folklore. They participate in an experiment that tests their hypothesis.
eGFI
Design a Thermostat
Using a thermostat is an eco-friendly way to control indoor climate. Young engineers practice building electric circuits by designing and constructing a thermostat. Plenty of background information, a vocabulary list, links to the...
Mascil Project
Closed Greenhouses
Controlling the efficiency of a greenhouse is a mathematical task. A collaborative project challenges learners to create an efficiency plan for a closed greenhouse. Using algebraic equations, they consider a set of constraints, design...
Radford University
A Change in the Weather
Explore the power of mathematics through this two-week statistics unit. Pupils learn about several climate-related issues and complete surveys that communicate their perceptions. They graph both univariate and bivariate data and use...
Curated OER
Dissolved Oxygen and Respiration
Young scholars are presented with the question, "Do plants that grow underwater use oxygen?" They create an experiment to test the presence of dissolved oxygen in the water using provided materials. Student experiments include a control...
Concord Consortium
Hydrogen Bonds: A Special Type of Attraction
How does hydrogen bonding explain ice crystals? An engaging interactive answers just that. Scholars explore how polar molecules interact and observe the changes as temperature fluctuates as well as the hydrogen bond attraction.
Curated OER
Chasing El Nino
In this El Nino worksheet, high schoolers review this specific change in the climate cycle by completing 20 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Utah's Own
Fourth graders examine the effects of humans on the environment. In this Social Studies instructional activity, 4th graders analyze human changes to the environment. Students explore the actions and effects at a community level.
Curated OER
Four Seasons
Students investigate the four seasons in a year. In this seasons lesson, students explore the weather during each season. Students illustrate each season with pictures.