Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Fuels (Part I), The Geology of Oil

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Junior geologists work through three mini-lessons that familiarize them with the formation and location of fossil fuels. Part one involves reading about petroleum and where it comes from via a thorough set of handouts. A lab activity...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Kenan Fellows

Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – Soil

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Do great gardeners really have green thumbs—or just really great soil? Environmental scholars discover what makes Earth's soil and soil quality so important through research and experimentation. Learners also develop an understanding of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Collecting Leaves with Lewis and Clark

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders collect data on leaves collected, observe different species of leaves, and implement different methods of leaf preservation.
Unit Plan
1
1
Core Knowledge Foundation

A Time for All Seasons - Summer

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
The sun is shining and the birds are singing, what better time to teach young learners about the fun season of summer. In this week-long science series, children learn how the rotation and orbit of the earth influence...
Unit Plan
2
2
Core Knowledge Foundation

A Time for All Seasons - Fall

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
The weather is cooling down and the leaves are starting to change color; fall is right around the corner. Celebrate this special time of year with this earth and life science lesson series that teaches children about the...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Oceans as a Heat Reservoir

For Teachers 7th - 11th Standards
Oceans absorb half of the carbon dioxide and 80 percent of the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Scholars learn how and why the oceans store heat more effectively than land and how they help mitigate global warming. Pupils...
Unit Plan
1
1
Core Knowledge Foundation

A Time for All Seasons - Spring

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
Celebrate the arrival of spring with this fun primary grade science unit. Engaging young scientists with a variety of hands-on activities and inquiry-based investigations, these lessons are a great way to teach children about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Agents of Erosion

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders observe and identify the effects of geological activities and weathering on Earth's surface. They also take a look at reports of events such as storms, earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes. There is a hefty hands-on activity...
Unit Plan
University of Southern Indiana

Manifest Density

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
There's a lot content packed into the four lessons of this physical science unit on density. From salad dressing to the water cycle and hot air balloons, these lessons engage students in hands-on activities that explore real-world...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

What's the Difference?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Due to the isolation of seamounts, their biodiversity offers a great deal of information on the development of biological and physical processes. Pupils use simple cluster analysis to rate the similarity and differences in biological...
Lesson Plan
1
1
MENSA Education & Research Foundation

The Writer’s Toolbox: What You Need to Master the Craft

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Strengthen your high schoolers' writing with a series of steps for writing successfully. With sections on organizing an essay, choosing a topic, crafting a thesis statement, and revising a draft, the lesson plan encourages your class to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"World Enough, And Time"-Andrew Marvell's Coy Mistress

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read and analyze the poem, "To His Coy Mistress," by Andrew Marvell. They identify the theme of each stanza, complete a worksheet, take an online quiz, and write about a single metaphor or image from the poem.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weathering and Erosion

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars investigate how changes occur on the surface of the earth through erosion and glaciation. They observe what happens to salt and iron after they interact with water and vinegar, and analyze what occurs when water is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sun and Earth

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students explore the sun, its structure, how big it is and how far away it is.  In this solar system lesson students complete a lab activity on dew point and weather.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Round and Round

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners interpret data from a three-dimensional array of current monitors to determine an overall pattern of water circulation. They hypothesize what effect an observed water circulation pattern might have on seamount fauna. A very...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Adaptation of Species (Birds and Butterflies)

For Teachers 5th - 9th
A video about the impact of climate change on butterfly populations and a PowerPoint about butterfly and bird adaptations warm science learners up for the activity to follow. Using a variety of tools that reprsent unique styles of bird...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Atmosphere and Temperature

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the layers of earth's atmosphere and conduct an experiment to identify carbon dioxide. They construct models using styrofoam to represent molecules in the atmosphere's layers. To discover how sunlight efffects...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Earth's Layers: Day 6: Landforms II

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students closely examine the earth's crust and various landforms. For this Earth's layers lesson students work in cooperative groups and analyze their roles and responsibilities therein. Each group is assigned a specific landform to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

SCRUMPTIOUS SOIL

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars engage in investigations that lead to the discovery that earth materials consist of rocks, soils, water, and air. They build models of soil profiles, using breakfast cereal and other edible materials. They observe how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Structure and Materials

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain what is meant by term nuclear radiation, describe in detail electromagnetic spectrum, differentiate between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, understand half-life of isotopes, differentiate between processes of...
Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

Keeping It Hot!

For Teachers 7th Standards
Hot off the presses, this collection of thermal energy activities, lessons, and printables is sure to amaze. Demonstrate how thermal energy moves about in a system using simple materials. Pupils demonstrate their understanding...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weathering and Erosion

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders take a look at the effects of weathering and other geologic activities found in the environments in which they live. Along with a guided geologic walk outside of campus, there is also an effective in-class demonstration of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coal Camps and Mining Towns

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars should gain a better understanding of the processes involved in extracting coal from the Earth as a result of this instructional activity. They reearch the history of coal mining, look into coal mining towns, and create a...
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Winogradsky Columns: Microbial Ecology in the Classroom

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Winogradsky columns are ideal for observing the role of bacteria and other microorganisms in an ecosystem. This student activity guide is complete with data tables for observations and analysis questions for processing what was observed....