Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigation 6 - Soil Profile

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the components of soil. They observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant growth. They record color, texture, and kinds of materials on their profile log (light color, denser, grittier -...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Earth Day Crossword

For Students 4th - 5th
In this crossword puzzle activity, students read the 25 clues about Earth Day. Students then complete the crossword puzzle about Earth Day.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Layered Earth

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students role play plate tectonics by creating a "plate statue" made up of students. In this earth science instructional activity, students describe how Earth's movement cause earthquakes and volcanoes. They draw and name the different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Tilting Earth

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders use a styrofoam ball on a stick to represent earth and a light bulb in the center of the room to represent the sun. They walk around the light, holding their sticks at an angle to show the tilt of the earth's axis. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building Materials

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders are presented with three rocks and a variety of tools and are asked to investigate the properties of the rocks to see which rock is best for building tables and benches for a museum picnic area.
Lesson Plan
S2tem Centers SC

Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Winter, spring, summer, and fall—take the learning of the seasons beyond the elementary level to the middle school classroom. Curious learners begin by watching videos about the seasons and the rotation of planet Earth. Then,...
Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Plate Tectonics: Fourth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 4th Standards
The pre-lab portion of the lesson introduces emerging geologists to the various layers that make up Earth. After completing a sheet on the identification of the layers, class members simulate plate boundaries and their...
Lesson Plan
1
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University of Colorado

Space Travel Guide

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Neptune takes 164.8 Earth years to travel around the sun. In the fifth of 22 lessons, young scientists create a travel guide to a planet in our solar system. They provide tips for others on what to bring, what they see, and their...
Lesson Plan
Starry Night Education

The Year and Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Turn your classroom into a live demonstration of how the earth and sun interact to create the four seasons. Using a globe, a light source, and a series of constellation cards, super scientists discover how the...
Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Earthquakes: Second Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 2nd Standards
What causes earthquakes? Second graders learn about stresses from plate movement with a set of hands-on activities. After tracing fault lines on a map with yarn, class members create a paper plate model of Earth to show its layers...
Activity
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Lake Afton Public Observatory

Shadows, Angles, and the Seasons

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Shine some light on the topic of seasonal change with this collection of activities. Whether it's by measuring the change in the length of their shadows, or modeling the earth's orbit around the sun using a lamp and a globe, these...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Water: A drop in your cup

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students complete activities where they observe the amount of freshwater in the world as a fraction of the actual amount of water using different mixtures. In this freshwater lesson plan, students brainstorm on how to preserve...
Lesson Plan
1
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Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Where Are We Going?

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
Come take a ride on the space bus! Scholars go on an imaginary trip to pick up their peers from the inner and outer planets while reinforcing math skills. First, learners round decimals to identify each planets' distance from Earth....
Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Make a Terrarium

For Students 6th - 12th
Scholars read a brief overview of what a terrarium is and how it creates the greenhouse effect, then click on a link to discover the materials and 10 steps they need to build their own.
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Earth Shaking Events

For Teachers 6th Standards
The world's largest measured earthquake happened in 1960 in Chile, reaching a terrifying 9.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale. The second lesson in the 20-part series introduces earthquakes and fault lines. Scholars map where previous...
Lesson Plan
1
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Montana State University

Climb into Action!

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Climate change affects even the largest and intimidating of landforms—even Mount Everest! A resource helps teach learners the connection between global climate change and its effects on Earth. Activities include videos, class discussion,...
Lesson Plan
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Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi

Find the Most Spectacular Volcanoes in the World!

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Heat things up in your earth science class with this collaborative lesson on volcanoes. After first being introduced to the different types of volcanoes and how they are formed, young geologists work in small groups to...
Lesson Plan
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National Science Teacher Association

Middle School Sampler: Science

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Focus on inquiry-based learning in your science class with a series of activities designed for middle schoolers. A helpful packet samples four different texts, which include activities about predator-prey relationships, Earth's axis...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Experience a Solar Eclipse

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Didn't catch the last solar eclipse? Now every day can be eclipse day, thanks to an interactive instructional activity from PBS' Space series for middle schoolers! The well-rounded multi-media experience includes video clips, an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Marvels of Mud

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Young scientists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this three-day earth science investigation. Following the scientific method, children monitor the growth of algae in pond water samples in order to determine...
Activity
Colorado State University

If You Can't Predict the Weather, How Can You Predict the Climate?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Why is the weather man wrong so often? Young climatologists discover how chaos rules both weather and climate through a math-based activity. Using an iterative equation, the class examines how small day-to-day weather events total up to...
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

Terrarium in a Bottle: Modeling the Atmosphere, Greenhouse Effect, and Water Cycle

For Teachers 7th Standards
You've heard of farm to table ... but what about farm in classroom? Junior agriculturalists embark upon a two-week journey into the science of growing things. Based upon the classic terrarium in a two-liter experiment, the lesson plan...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Energy Cycle: Albedo

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners complete all of the steps in the scientific inquiry process to study Earth's energy cycle; most specifically temperature and the effects of albedo (energy reflected back from Earth's surface) on temperature.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reflections on Earth: Exploring Planet Earth from Space

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine satellite images of Earth and contrast images at different scales. For this exploring Earth from space lesson plan, students use satellite images to contrast images at different scales, calculate distances from the scale...

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