Curated OER
Rovers on Mars
Students explore latest Mars rovers - Spirit and Opportunity. They investigate the nature of communications with the Rovers including use of Mars Orbiters as relay stations. They research needs of future missions and design...
Curated OER
Sinking in the Rain (or Drought)
Second graders, in groups, explore sinkholes and how they effect humans and the natural environment.
Curated OER
Andromeda's Scale
Students perform a classroom activity of measuring the angular size of something from several distances. On the Internet, they obtain and examine images with various magnification factors and estimate the angular size of Andromeda.
Curated OER
Too Hot to Handle
Students identify sources of geothermal energy. They watch videos and investigate the sources of geothermal energy.
Curated OER
Become a Member of the Mission to Mars Team
Students examine the various jobs of the Mars Mission Team, organize them into categories and write a formal application for a position on the Mars Mission. Entries are made into the logbook and on-line Field Journals read.
Curated OER
"To Terraform or Not to Terraform?"
Pupils analyze an article written by an engineer at NASA proposing colonizing Mars with human explorers on the fastest track possible. They are invited to react to the article through several activities.
Curated OER
Scaling the Map
Students practice determining map distances using the map scales. They discover how much an area represents on the map in relation to the actual area. They decide on the best place to build their cavern.
Curated OER
Lost at Sea: The Search for Longitude
Middle schoolers research and chart the shortest course to circumnavigate the globe.
Curated OER
Determine Soil Particle Size
Pupils examine various soil samples in groups. Using the samples, they identify the characteristics of them and calculate percolation and infiltration rates. They use this information to discover why some species can survive in one area...
Curated OER
Weather and its Effect on the Environment and Settlement
Students, after choosing two diverse cities, collect data on weather for a month and construct a graph on temperature and precipitation. After collecting population data of said cities, and graphing it, they plot population on a large...
Curated OER
Oregon Rainshadows
Students brainstorm list of possible highest locations in Oregon, identify and label places from list on map using color code, and discuss and identify causes of a rain shadow.
Curated OER
Trading in a Marketplace
Students complete a trade simulation in a marketplace. In the simulation, they role play the role of producer and consumer of goods and apply the concepts of supply and demand. In groups, they discover how an environment can affect the...
Curated OER
How to Celebrate the 800th Anniversary of the Mogol Empire
Students research information on the Mongolian Empire from various readings and online videos of primary sources and create a poster for oral presentation. Students connect history with the current day, while incorporating geographical,...
Curated OER
Plant Life
Seventh graders examine different categories of plant life and their roles as producers of food and oxygen for other organisms. They study the evolution of plants from simple organisms to very complex ones. They look at the different...
Curated OER
Arsenic Contamination: Natural Disaster or Human Induced?
Young scholars list as a class the sources of arsenic contamination of water. They describe the major health effects of arsenic contamination in a letter. Students identify the regions that are affected by it.
Curated OER
Science: What Happens to Create the Lode?
Students understand how mineral deposits are formed and why they are not evenly dispersed. They create and describe three different precipitates from four solutions simulating mineral ore deposit formation in sedimentary rock.
Curated OER
Oxygen: What a Gas!
Eighth graders explain how oxygen reacts to other elements. They also explain why oxygen is a reactive substance, how it has weight, and how it reacts with other substances. They construct an experiment to relate their findings.
Curated OER
Sleuth Rays
Students conduct a close examination of the atom's electrons, and discover how to theorize the energy levels, observe the brightness of light, classify colors, and measure temperature.
Curated OER
How Far And How Long Will It Take
Students use a ruler to determine length and then fit the unit to a scale in miles. This unit will also give a geological awareness of altitude and the difference it makes in travel time. The travel time with Mapquest will obviously be...
Curated OER
Sunlight and Heat
Students brainstorm about the sources of heat. They discuss that sunlight is one of those sources. Students complete a lab about cold water and warm water. They record the temperatures from each thermometer and discuss which container...
Curated OER
Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest: Science, 4th Grade
Fourth graders investigate weather patterns in their home state of Utah. After creating KWL charts, they research weather and geographical data to locate the state's extremes. As an extension, 4th graders write and illustrate books about...
Curated OER
Coefficient of Restitution
Students investigate variables that influence the bouncing of balls. In this exploratory lesson students observe how the manipulated and control variable are correlated by graphing the data.
Curated OER
Lives of Stars
Young scholars explain in their own words how stars are formed. In this space science lesson, students summarize the life cycle of stars. They draw diagrams and label the step of the cycle they represent.
Curated OER
Where Has All the Water Gone?
Students identify how we use water everyday. They determine the amount of water used in different activities. They finally explain why the water supply is limited and how we can conserve water.