Lesson Plan
Curated OER

PLANETS IN PROPORTION

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discover scales for both the solar bodies' relative sizes and their distances from the sun. They find equatorial circumference and volumes of their solar bodies. Students apply estimation strategies and proportioanl reasoning to...
Lesson Plan
Messenger Education

Cooling with Sunshades

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Messenger's sun shade measures 8 ft x 6 ft and will have temperatures reaching 700 degree Fahrenheit on the outside while maintaining a cool 70 degrees underneath. In the third activity of four, groups discuss the basic properties of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Radiation Comparison Before and After 9-11

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Using the NASA website, class members try to determine if changes could be detected in cloud cover, temperature, and/or radiation measurements due to the lack of contrails that resulted from the halt in air traffic after the attacks...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Wind Direction

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Young scholars identify the wind direction. For this weather lesson, students use a weather vane to find the wind direction. Young scholars complete a worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Planets in Our Solar System

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students gain knowledge about earth and space science by studying the nine planets in the solar system as well as their key characteristics. In this solar system lesson, students identify the nine planets. Students work in groups to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Go Glacier Go!

For Teachers K - 4th
Learners create a model of a glacier and observe how it moves. In this landforms lesson, students learn what a glacier is, build a model glacier and observe how it moves in a manner that more closely resembles a liquid than a solid.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Time is Right

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders study the timeline of life on Earth. They learn about the progression of prokaryotes to single celled eukaryotes and the development of increasingly complex multicellular organisms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Worm Weather Predicted

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners examine worm habitats. In this animal habitats lesson, students participate in a lab activity that requires them to explore the adaptations that earthworms make to their environment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Box Cooker

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore solar power. In this solar power lesson plan, students build simple solar cookers after they study convection, conduction, and radiation. Students transfer their knowledge of how the solar cooker works to climate changes...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate Comparison

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore climate regions. For this climate lesson, students examine the climate regions of Alaska as well as the state of Hawaii. Students research selected Internet sources to gather information regarding the climates present in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Become an Expert

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students practice their researching techniques by preparing a presentation with little notice.  In this information research lesson, students utilize the Internet to research one of several subtopics concerning panthers....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Living in a Watershed

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine watersheds. In this ecosystem lesson, 4th graders discover what a watershed is and identify the local watershed they live in. Students investigate the attributes of a watershed as well.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cloud Types

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine cloud types. For this cloud lesson, students identify cloud types, observe clouds and collect data, and analyze data to identify the most common cloud they observe overhead during the course of a month.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Can You Find a Solution?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the topic of public conservation. In this Florida panthers lesson, students read a scenario about the endangered panther and collaborate to plan a way to protect the panther population. Students also participate in a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Keep It Cool

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Young scholars complete a science experiment to study insulation, heat transfer, and permafrost. In this permafrost study lesson, students design and test a soda insulator. Young scholars graph their class data and discuss the results....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Alien Periodic Table

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners construct a periodic table based on the physical and chemical properties of elements. In this chemistry lesson, students share their work with the class and explain why they classified the elements that way.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Everything is Made of Something

For Students 2nd - 3rd
Young scientists can use this worksheet to learn about natural resources, as well as what we use them for. A word search prompts pupils to find sixteen words about natural resources.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Savage Planet in the News

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students explore extreme earth phenomenons. In this savage planet lesson, students explore and report on various types of severe weather and earth phenomenons using the Internet, a word processor, or other multimedia device.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tides of Change

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use the Internet to gather information on tides and then use this information to determine the period of revolution of the moon around the earth (part 1) and the relative pull of the sun and the moon on the tides (part 2).
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Permafrost: Permanently Frozen Ground

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore permafrost.  In this 3 states of matter lesson, students identify characteristics of solids and liquids.  Students observe water and soil melting and freezing at various temperatures.  Students make...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who's New in the Deep Sea?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the methods and technology that scientists use to study the deep sea and other remote environments.  In this ocean habitats lesson students make observations about organisms from video clips, generate questions and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Identifying Pennsylvania Watersheds

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders study and identify the six major drainage systems in Pennsylvania.  In this watershed instructional activity students read an article, complete an activity and take a quiz on what they learned. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Beaufort Scale: A Local Model

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students study the Beaufort Scale and use it to study wind in their community. In this wind study instructional activity, students watch a DVD about climate change and learn about the Beaufort Scale. Students complete a worksheet for the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extreme Environments

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine extreme environments and the characteristics that make them.  In this adaptation lesson plan students see how animals have adapted to these environments.