Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling the Big Bang and the Formation of the Universe

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders conduct an experiment to understand the Big Bang Theory.  In this Big Bang Theory lesson, 6th graders will observe a balloon with confetti popping to emulate and analyze information related tot he Big Bang theory....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Causes and Effects of ENSO

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze monthly sea surface temperature data from the Pacific Ocean to determine if the period is an El Nino or a normal year. They recognize signs to see if there are any patterns that signal either occurrence. Satellite images...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ceres and Pluto: Dwarf Planets as a New Way of Thinking about an Old Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine the new categories of planets and how planets were reclassified.  In this solar system instructional activity students complete activities using Venn diagrams and images of planets. 
Worksheet
Curated OER

Solar Activity

For Students 8th - 10th
In this solar activity worksheet, students complete a puzzle given a word bank with matching numbers. The numbers correlate to the answers to basic math problems that use the order of operations. Students use their mathematical answers...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plants and Animals, Partners in Pollination

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Learners participate in multiple hands-on activities to explore reproduction and pollination. In groups, using a cotton swab and powder, students simulate being pollinators and plants. They name the parts of the flowers and the function...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Convection Activities

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students conduct a series of hands-on activities to demonstrate that heated air expands and that warm air rises because it is less dense.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plants and Animals: Partners in Pollination

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students describe the complementary relationships between pollinators and the plants they pollinate, identify adaptations that flowers have developed to "encourage" pollination, and create and draw their own "designer" flowers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Medicine: Then and Now

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read ancient Greek texts to explore ancient healing practices and compare them to modern-day medicine. They conduct research into modern first-aid practices, using a standard medical reference.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Capillary Action and Adhesion

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students perform classroom experiments to observe adhesion. They perform a second experiment using sand, salt, water, and a heat lamp to observe the principle of capillary action. They also experiment with adhesion in plants.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"ART ZOO 'Blacks in the Westward Movement', 'What Can You Do with a Portrait', and 'Of Beetles, Worms, and Leaves of Grass'"

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students study black history, examine portraits and portrait making and create their own portraits, and  investigate their natural environment. This humanities lesson provides a text that can be used to teach lessons in black...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Galaxies

For Teachers 4th - 6th
The first thing to note is that this lesson plan was written for use in a parochial school. Even if you are in a non-religious setting, however, the website exploration of galaxies and the accompanying worksheet make for an engaging...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sunday School Inspiration Lessons

For Teachers K - 2nd
Many activities related to the Chrisitan religion are included in this lesson about storytelling; students create their own Bible related art from stickers, stamps, t-shirts and hats. Puppets also help to to retell Bible stories and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Can a Spacecraft Always Face the Sun?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students determine the correct orbital path for a satellite that collects data about the sun so that its view of the sun never be obstructed by the Earth.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

LIFE IN SPACE Human Body: An Un-Earthly Home

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students examine an effect of zero gravity on the human body using a baby food jar, balloons and a jar with a large mouth.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Storms

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners investigate the cycles of solar activity. They plot the solar activity and use the graph to answer a number of questions and explain the relationship between the solar storms and sunspots and the impact on earth and space travel.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Toys in Space

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Studentsexplore how gravity affects the operation of toys and simple machines. They watch a video and experiment with simple machines.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sun too close? We'll just change Earth's orbit

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study an article and discuss what would happen if the Earth's orbit changed.  In this Earth's orbit lesson students answer a list of questions and complete an activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water and the Fitness of the Environment

For Teachers 10th - 12th
In this environment worksheet, students answer 6 different questions. The questions are really an activity for each one. This requires extra space to complete them on separate worksheets.
Lesson Plan
Center Science Education

Looking Into Surface Albedo

For Teachers 5th - 10th
How does the color of a surface affect the heating of the earth? Middle school science classes experiment with color and surface albedo to determine the relationship. The website has tabs for an overview, teacher's instructions,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Strawkets and Control

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the effect that fins have on rocket flight. They construct two paper rockets that they can launch by blowing through a straw, one with fins and one with wings, and observe and record the results of the rocket flights.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Strawkets and Thrust

For Teachers K - 5th
Students investigate the effect of thrust on rocket flight. They construct two paper rockets, one with a smaller exit nozzle, and compare/contrast the distances traveled by the rockets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Warm and Toasty

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students are introduced to the concepts of specific heat and heat capacity. In groups, they design an experiment to test these two topics on various fabrics. They compare and contrast the amount of heat loss on the different materials...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky and Cloud Windows

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars monitor the weather, clouds, and sky. In this weather lesson, students create a sky and cloud window to focus their sky observations. They write observations in a notebook and include the date, time, cloud cover, types of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronauts Train in Deep-Space Brine

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students examine an article on astronauts training in deep space brine then discuss what they learned.  In this investigative lesson students get into groups and design an exercise that includes isolation, silence and conflict...