Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dark Skies: Volcanic Contribution to Climate Change

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students examine how volcanic eruptions affect global climate. They listen to first-hand accounts of the effects of a large volcanic eruption and illustrate a landscape to show understanding. They experiment with the loss of light and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sedimentary Rocks

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this sedimentary rock worksheet, students answer 9 fill-in-the-blank questions and 8 matching questions regarding sedimentary rocks and their formation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Life Cycle of a Star

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students investigate the life cycle of a star through research. Once research is complete, students prepare posters and present findings to class. Flash animation is included to help students visualize life cycle of star researching.
Lesson Plan
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Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students begin their examination of the climate zones found around the world. Using a software program, they identify the relationship between the vegetation, climate and temperatures of the different zones. They also plot coordinates...
Lesson Plan
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Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders participate in an activity which introduces them to common types of precipitation. They examine "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" through a teacher read aloud and make a weather pamphlet.
Lesson Plan
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The Environment

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students, while engaged in a group discussion, collaborate a mini-project on environmental issues at home and/or in the classroom as well as incorporating environmentally related words and expressions within their daily diary writing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is That Natural?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine how they use and waste natural resources. They participate in a class discussion about natural resources, in small groups complete a worksheet identifying ways students misuse natural resources, and create an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bird Up

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders identify basic physical and behavioral characteristics of birds and how they adapt to their environments. To organize and share scientific information with peers. They discuss similarities and differences among birds....
Lesson Plan
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What's the Weather?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore different types of weather and examine the elements in the sky that create weather. They create a class lift of weather words and examine and discuss a weather poster. Students then complete the "What's the Weather?"...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Genetically-Modified Food

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the pros and cons of genetic engineering. They watch a short Bill Moyers video, conduct Internet research, create a poster, participate in a pro/con debate, and write an essay expressing their personal feelings on...
Lesson Plan
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Volcanic Activity in the U.S.

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students locate and map ten volcanoes in United States, create chart comparing volcanoes by last eruption, type of volcano, location, and interesting fact, and create Powerpoint slide show describing basic information about volcanoes and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Co-evolution of Plants and Pollinators

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore biological evolution and natural selection and its evolutionary consequences. They also explore how organisms are interdependent on one another.
Lesson Plan
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How Many Birds Would It Take To Keep A Jackal Alive?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine the role of large families in some animal populations. They work together to complete an activity related to food supply. They discover the relationship between preys and predators.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnetic Field Activities

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the idea of magnetic field through investigations of magnetic fields as produced by various common magnetic materials and direct currents. They study the vector nature of fields, the ubiquity of field sources in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Goes Around Comes Around!

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students create an ecosystem in a jar to show a model of the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycle. Working in small groups, they research and present orally the information they find on this cycle.
Lesson Plan
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The Grand Canyon

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students act as scientists investigating the damming and experimental flooding of the Colorado River by the Glen Canyon dam that took place in 1996. They write a proposal as to whether or not more experimental flooding should be done on...
Lesson Plan
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The Big Hideout

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify the types of camouflage used by animals in the desert. They work together to create their own animal creating their own type of camouflage. They determine how well the camouflage works.
Lesson Plan
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Beautiful Butterfly Tiles

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders create a butterfly drawing that includes the elements of art and principles of design. They create artwork that can be made into ceramic tiles to be installed around the classroom doorways in our new addition.
Lesson Plan
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Bat Ecology

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students, through hands on games and activities, discover how bats live and how bats benefit ecosystems. They play a game designed to show them how echolocation works and another to show how mother bats locate their young through their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Walk in the Forest

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore interrelationships among plants and animals.  Students listen to Where to, Little Wombat? by Charles Fuge, and contribute words and phrases for a classroom animal and plant survival chart. Students take a walk in a...
Lesson Plan
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Siting Wind Power

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze a variety of curves that describe the power extracted from the wind by a variety of commercially produced wind turbines. They utilize site specific topographic maps and political boundary data to evaluate and make...
Lesson Plan
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Cookie Mapping

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners study the components of a bedrock geology map through a hands-on activity involving a cookie and graph paper.
Lesson Plan
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Scale Model of Our Nearest Stars

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders calculate a light day, light hour, and light minute from the standard of a light year. After establishing the distances, a one meter scale is created to demonstrate the distance between the sun and the planets of our solar...
Lesson Plan
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Flight

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students are introduced to the four forces of flight--drag, lift, thrust, and weight--through a variety of fun-filled flight experiments. They "fly" for short periods and evaluate factors that might either increase or decrease their...