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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students watch a video about plate tectonics. in this Earth Science lesson, students watch a video clip from Bill Nye about Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics. They make a slight crack in a hard boiled egg and manipulate the egg to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seafloor Block Model

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars construct a 3-D block model of the ocean floor to study fundamental earth processes. This is a preconstructed cut out that allows the students to put it together but then to add their own colors as well. There is an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Window Treatments for Energy Savings

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Young scholars investigate energy-saving window treatments. In this environmental lesson, students research how energy-saving windows work by conducting an experiment using a thermometer and graphing data. Young scholars identify why...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Does Global Warming Increase the Intensity of Atmospheric Natural Disasters?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study global warming by communicating the problem, process and solutions.  In this global instructional activity students use graphs, research and write a critical stance on natural disasters.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It Looks Like Champagne

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine some practical implications of the discovery of liquid carbon dioxide in deep-ocean ecosystems. They interpret phase diagrams and explain the meaning of "critical point" and "triple point."
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's a Gas! Or is it?

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students discover the principles of solubility and phase state and their influence on chemical phenomena observed around deep-sea volcanoes. They describe the effect of temperature and pressure on solubility of gasses and solid materials.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is Air a Fluid?

For Teachers 2nd - 11th
Students use baking soda, vinegar, matches, and other materials to pour gas. In this air lesson plan, students use the materials to pour gas and learn that air can be a fluid like a liquid.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

PASSWORD VOCABULARY REVIEW

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars write definitions for vocabulary words used in a unit in any subject area. They use the words to play a game.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat Flow

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore how a whale's countercurrent flow of blood is an example of a heat exchange system and conduction. Excellent worksheet provided.
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Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Convection Currents

For Students 9th - 10th
Get a visual of convention currents with this activity. This activity allows students to observe the currents by bending light due to cold and warm water.
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Activity
PBS

Pbs Kids: Colored Water Convection

For Students 3rd - 8th
This PBS site allows users to learn more about water convection as they discover how to demonstrate the way convection currents form. A fun science project!
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Activity
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: Atmospheric Processes: Convection

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides a pair of activities to demonstrate convection currents in air and water. Encourages students to view air as a fluid.
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Activity
Museum of Science

Museum of Science and Industry: Activities: Fly a Hot Air Balloon

For Students 5th - 9th
Step-by-step instructions, with photos, of how to construct a hot-air balloon from tissue paper, to demonstrate that heated air expands, creating a convection current. This activity requires the use of a hot air gun and is labor-intensive.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Mn Step: What Makes Thunderstorms? See Convection

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Using water, food coloring, and an ice cube, students observe the movement of convection currents in a container, and illustrate what they see happening. This activity develops their understanding of how thunderstorms form.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Turning the Air Upside Down

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students develop their understanding of air convection currents and temperature inversions by constructing and observing simple models.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Let's Get Breezy!

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students apply an understanding of the concept of heat transfer through convection, conduction, and radiation as they use wireless temperature probes to investigate the heating capacity of different materials under heat lamps.
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Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Physics/light

For Students 9th - 10th
Here is a large collection of simple science class activities for understanding the physics of light.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Drifting Continents

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This activity is a teacher-led demonstration of continental drift and includes a math worksheet for students involving the calculation of continental drift over time. Students will understand what continental drift is, why it occurs, and...
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Lesson Plan
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)

Smile: Plate Tectonics (Intermediate)

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Many activities in this lesson plan to help students understand the Theory of Plate Tectonics. Plans can be used in intermediate or middle school levels.
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Weather Watchers

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students are introduced to some essential meteorology concepts so they more fully understand the impact of meteorological activity on air pollution control and prevention. First, they develop an understanding of the magnitude and...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Earthquake Formation

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students learn about the structure of the earth and how an earthquake happens. In one activity, students make a model of the earth including all of its layers. In a teacher-led demonstration, students learn about continental drift. In...
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Lesson Plan
Climate Literacy

Clean: What Happens to Ice in Water?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students investigate the properties of water in the ice and liquid phase as it relates to convection in the ocean and density driven circulation, and ultimately the climate.
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Website
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: Introduction to the Atmosphere

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A detailed overview of the Earth's atmosphere, with explanations about atmospheric properties, the structure of the atmosphere, its four layers, atmospheric processes, energy heat transfer, conduction and convection, and radiation. All...
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Lesson Plan
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Blossoms: Will an Ice Cube Melt Faster in Freshwater or Saltwater?

For Students 9th - 10th
Engage students in the study of the ocean and saltwater with these activities. Students will see that saltwater has different physical properties than freshwater - mainly density. This lesson can serve as a springboard into other...