Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Convection and Wind

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students use water, beakers, hot plates, paper dots, and goggles to participate in a hands on activity where they see how a convection current creates wind. In this convection current lesson plan, students participate in a hands on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biodegradability

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners study the effects of water, salt water and heat on common household materials. They separate an emulsion and show that the materials are completely recoverable and observe the effect of acetone and water on polystyrene.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Habitats:

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students investigate the creatures of intertidal zones. They explore the adaptations species make to survive .
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Non Native Species: English Ivy-Landscape Plant or Deadly Killer?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the impact that invasive species have on biodiversity and more natural areas.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coral Reefs

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students research an inhabitant of a Caribbean coral reef using a list of common organisms that live on or near it. Students then write a description of their organism and draw a picture or a 3-D model of it. Eventually they all work...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Corals & Coral Reefs

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students describe a coral reef, how it is formed and its inhabitants. They explain the ecological and economic importance of coral reefs and discuss its present-day threats. Lesson contains adaptations for all levels.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Endangered Species

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students watch video clips of endangered animals. They imagine a small garden in front of a house and describe the living and non-living things that could interact to make up a garden eco-system.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecosystems Connect

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students investigate ecosystems near their school and across the world. They examine both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) elements of each. They recognize ecosystems from various continents around the globe. The use of computers...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Glove Gardens

For Teachers K - 5th
Students investigate how seeds sprout. In this scientific inquiry instructional activity, students make predictions on which seeds will grow the fastest and observe the seeds over a period of time. Observations are recorded into a...
Organizer
Center for Innovation

Air Pollution: What is the Solution?

For Teachers 8th - 10th
For this air pollution worksheet, students use an online simulation called "Smog City" to manipulate different conditions that affect air pollution. Students answer questions about the health effects at peak ozone levels for different...
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
Curated OER

How do living and non-living structures affect coral reef habitats?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students create model coral reefs showing surface area and including examples of communities.  In this coral reef lesson, students research and explore the functions or benefits from a coral reef.  Students design a benthic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plant an Ozone Monitoring Garden

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students create a garden.  In this ozone lesson, students discuss ozone injury, identify plants sensitive to ozone, and then plant their own ozone garden.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Coral Reefs

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students identify locations of coral reefs, both in the water and around the globe, identify relative depth of corals in the ocean by observing behavior of cold and warm saltwater, and create models of coral reefs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Piece of Cake: Ocean Communities

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explain habitats. In this model based lesson students create a model to help describe a habitat that is typical of deep-water. Students will describe how organisms such as coral and sponges add to their habitat.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deep Gardens

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students compare and contrast deep-sea coral reefs with shallow-water coral reefs. For this underwater ecology lesson, students describe three types of coral and explain why scientists are concerned about the future of deep-sea coral.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Guardians of Eden

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students understand the definition of a guardian and the role of the guardian in caring for something. For this Garden of Eden lesson, students examine how a guardian takes care of a garden. Students complete worksheets on being a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Green City

For Teachers K - 1st
Learners practice beginning reading while exploring an environmental theme. In this our green city lesson, students create their own published books, examine phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, comprehension, and vocabulary.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore U.S. history by reading a Native American tale in class. In this cultural storytelling lesson, students read the story How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun and discuss the characters and themes of the Native American...
Lesson Plan
NASA

The Invisible Sun: How Hot Is It?

For Students 9th - 12th
It's getting hot in here! The first in a series of six lessons has learners model nuclear fusion with a simple lab investigation. Groups collect data and analyze results, comparing their models to the actual process along the way.
Lesson Plan
NASA

Analyzing Tiny Samples Using a Search for the Beginning Mass Spectrometry

For Students 9th - 12th
Teach the basics of mass spectrometry with a hands-on lesson. The fourth in a series of six lessons explores how mass spectrometry measures the ionic composition of an element. Learners then compare and contrast relative abundance and...
Lesson Plan
PHET

Where to See an Aurora

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Where can you see an aurora in North America? After completing an astronomy activity, scholars can locate the exact coordinates. Pupils plot points of the inner and outer ring of the auroral oval and answer questions based on...
Lesson Plan
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University of Colorado

Using Spectral Data to Explore Saturn and Titan

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Saturn's rings are made of dust, ice, and solid chunks of material. Individuals use spectrographs in this final installment of 22 lessons to determine the atmospheric elements. They analyze spectrums from Titan's atmosphere and...
Website
American Museum of Natural History

One-on-One With The Sun

For Students 6th - 12th
Follow along as Stella Stardust interviews the sun. A fun and informative interview provides scholars with information about the sun.