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Climate And the Greenhouse Effect
Students demonstrate the greenhouse effect. They recognize that relatively small changes to our environment can stimulate significant climate changes. They determine that the "scientific method" is a process of testing hypotheses and...
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Why Does a Puddle Shrink?
Fourth graders describe the relationship between heat energy, evaporation and condensation of water on Earth. They compare evaporation rates when the back of the hand and an equal area of a paper towel are moistened with the wet swab.
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Beauty: Patterns in Nature
Students explore the patterns of nature. In this interdisciplinary instructional activity, students examine beauty in nature and participate in a hands-on simulation that demonstrates how human preferences for beauty have led to an...
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Extreme Weather
Students examine different types of extreme weather and how to prepare for them. For this weather lesson students explore different types of extreme weather and create disaster preparation posters for different types of extreme weather.
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Watercycle
Third graders examine the natural circulation of water from oceans, lakes, and rivers to evaporation into the air, and then to condensation to produce rain falling back to the soil as components of the water cycle.
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Radiation
Students distinguish between natural and man-made radiation. They measure radiation using a Geiger counter and investigate footprints of radiation.
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Literature
Pupils listen and respond to poems about rain. Then they review the continent of Asia and the country of Japan. They listen to a Japanese folktale about a peach boy. Next they listen to a story from Germany about musicians.
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The Water Cycle
Fifth graders examine the stages of the continuous water cycle that exists on Earth. They observe a water cycle model that is set up in the classroom and write descriptions of what they see. As a class, they discuss models of the water...
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Create a Brochure
Young scholars explore the animals, plants and features of Yosemite in order to create a brochure. They, in groups, are assigned different areas of the park to create brochures for. They access websites imbedded in this plan.
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Hands-On Weather Data Collecting
Fifth graders use Internet sites to complete a study of weather and atmosphere. They compare weather data from cities around the world. They use thermometers, the Beaufort wind scale, and simple weather symbols to measure weather around...
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Molecular Models Laboratory
Students use models to visualize molecular structures. Students read about Lewis dot structures, hybridization, and formal charge. Then students build and draw the molecules and ions given. Students complete 11 pre-lab questions and 4...
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Does the Sun Influence the Temperature of the Earth?
Students explore whether the sun influences the temperature of the earth.
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Sky 2: Shadows
students will explore making shadows and tracking the movement of an object over the course of a day to look for patterns. It is best to couple this shadow activity with reading the book, Bear Shadow, and making a map of Bear's...
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The Power of Atmospheric Pressure Process
Learners are introduced to the basic principles of atmospheric pressure. After watching demonstrations, they discover the capability of air pressure and how it affects weather. In groups, they use an inquiry template to solve different...
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Water and Ice
Students explore water and ice. In this 3 states of matter lesson, students work with a partner to observe, illustrate, and describe the characteristics of an ice cube in a cup. The ice cube is observed again in 15 minutes and changes...
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Graphs and Spreadsheets
Students collect data and present it in a graph and/or a spreadsheet, depending on their previous understanding of technology.
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Watching the Weather
Students examine the weather. They discover the conflict between man and nature caused by the changes in weather and the impact it has upon their lives. Students explore weather folklore. They write a report on the weather. ...
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Objects in the Sky
Students explore what the sky looks like at different times. They identify objects in the sky and recognize changes over time. Students observe the sky and look for objects that are common in both the daytime and the nighttime sky.
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Sky 4: The Moon
Students will draw the moon's shape for each evening on a calendar and then determine the pattern in the shapes over several weeks. Students' understandings should be confined to observations, descriptions, and finding patterns.
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Optimism
Young scholars engage in a instructional activity to build the character trait of optimism. They use two quotations to begin the class discussion. Students brainstorm to come up with a definition of optimism. Then they read a story that...
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The Function Box
Students explore arithmetic and numerical patterns. After observing a teacher created function box, students describe a pattern and predict what will "come out" of the function box. They explore patterns such as geometric shapes,...
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A Journey Through Our Solar System
Students investigate the concept of the solar system in our universe by constructing a model that is made to a measurable scale. Once the model is constructed it should be placed in a wide open space for observation and demonstration...
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Water 1: Water and Ice
Students explore forms that water can take and examine the water cycle. For this hands-on science lesson, students participate in activities that require them to change water to a solid and back to a liquid again.
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Water 1: Water and Ice
Students explore forms that water can take. In this science lesson plan, students participate in hands-on activities that require them to change water to a solid and back to a liquid again.