University of Colorado
Great Red Spot Pinwheel
The great red spot on Jupiter is 12,400 miles long and 7,500 miles wide. In this sixth part of a 22-part series, individuals model the rotation of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. To round out the activity, they discuss their findings as a...
Messenger Education
Mission: Possible—How Can We Plan an Exploration of Another World?
An astronaut's spacesuit weighs 280 pounds and takes 45 minutes to put on — that's a serious suit! The second activity of a three-part series allows pupils to see all that goes into space exploration. Through simulations, groups analyze...
Curated OER
Season Tiles: Ceramics Lesson
Each color holds its own feeling and these feelings are used to describe the four seasons. Youngsters create a color palate based on the four seasons, assigning various colors to each season. They each create four clay tiles, painting...
PHET
Mapping the Field of a Dipole Magnet
High school scientists build their own magnetometer and use it to map the field surrounding a bar magnet. Excellent background resources is included, as well as a diagram of how to build the magnetometer.
Curated OER
Today's Weather on Mars
Students investigate the temperature and wind data locally, nationally, and internationally and compare these conditions to those on Mars. Conclusions are drawn about the differences of these conditions and the causes for the variance...
Curated OER
Future Conditional
Students examine how toxic pollutants affect environmental and human health. They define key terms, watch a video, and answer discussion questions.
Curated OER
Dimming the Sun
Students collect, interpret and analyze weather variable data. They describe atmospheric variables that affect evaporation. Students create graphs and analyze the information collected.
Curated OER
Law of Superposition
Students identify the law of superposition and it states that beds of rock in a series are laid down with the oldest at the bottom and younger layers on the top. They construct a legen for a block diagram and construct a block diagram...
Curated OER
Is There Really Life on Mars?
Students examine the work of scientists and determine how they test their theories.
Curated OER
Finding Jupiter's Moons
Students explore Jupiter's Moons. They calculate and predict the location of Jupiter's 4 large moons. In addition, they draw Jupiter with its moons correctly shown for the time of the observation.
Curated OER
Global Change — Change and Cycles Where Land, Air and Water Meet
Learners participate in an experiment to define a parts-per-billion solution. In this ecology lesson plan, students select a second substance to create a parts-per-billion solution and observe and record their results. Learners work in...
Curated OER
Geology
Students, in groups, observe the effect of water and ice on surface features of the land. They alsoexplore erosion and deposition.
Curated OER
FILLING IN THE GAPS - Acquiring and Analyzing Satellite and Ground-Based Data
Students monitor rainfall, compute daily averages, and compare their methods of computation to those used by actual researchers using satellite observations.
Curated OER
Astronomy Teamwork
Middle schoolers work together in groups to complete an astronomy project. In the classroom, they find real objects to represent various objects in the solar system. After going outside, they practice using a distance scale and use...
Curated OER
Sea Floor Spreading
Pupils recreate sea-floor spreading and the pattern of magnetic stripes that are created by different configurations of plate boundaries. They see how transform faults work.
Curated OER
Water Chemistry
Students engage in a instructional activity that is concerned with the concept of water chemistry. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students also consider an experiment to observe how water has the abiility to exist as...
Curated OER
Aquatic Organisms
Students create a poster describing the five characteristics of a salt water organism compared to a fresh water organism.
Curated OER
Robots from Junk
Students create balloon and rubber band models of robotic rovers to investigate the concepts of mass, torque, and friction. Through research and planning, students construct a rover test-bed that simulates the Martian environment.
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
Build A Model of the Water Cycle
Learners identify and describe the steps in the water cycle. They discover the sun as the source of the cycle. They work together to create their own water cycle model.
Curated OER
Evolution of Observation
Young scholars develop an awareness of the evolution of the scientific method. They facilitate the student's knowledge of looking at variables from different perspectives. Students develop their abilities to defend their ideas with...
Curated OER
"Checking In"
Students examine the checkpoints along the Iditarod Trail. They calculate the distances, mean and medians between each checkpoint. Using the internet, they follow along a virtual trail. They answer questions about when it would be more...
Curated OER
Musher Graphing and Probability
Students use the internet to research statistical information on the musher dogs participating in the Iditarod. Using the data, they create three different types of pie charts. They use the charts to answer questions about the dogs. They...
Curated OER
Life's Big Questions: Where Did Life Come From?
Learners explore the life forms that live in the hot springs of Yellowstone. They examine how microscopic creatures can survive in these extreme conditions. Students perform experiments to observe growth samples and demonstrate how a...