Curated OER
Science: The Changing Life of Air Pressure
Fourth graders observe demonstrations how heated air rises and becomes a low pressure area. After watching several teacher-conducted experiments, 4th graders, in groups, discuss and answer questions in their journals. Finally, they...
Curated OER
Environmental Science/Water Pollution
Learners study natural habitats, aquatic life, renewable and non-renewable resources. They discuss conservation efforts for sea otters and desert toad in this units.
Curated OER
Science: The Water Cycle
Students examine the various stages of the water cycle. In groups, they complete a hands-on activity by creating model water cycle. Students design posters representing each of the seven stages of the water cycle.
Curated OER
Earth Processes
Fourth graders explore and discuss the process of evaporation. They discuss how wet things become dry. Students observe the process of evaporation and they make predictions about the observations they make about evaporation. Students...
Curated OER
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
In this emissions worksheet, learners will study a graph comparing biological and industrial carbon dioxide emissions over the years and another graph showing the geographic regions of carbon dioxide emissions. Using this information,...
Curated OER
Other Objects in the Solar System
In this solar system worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle given 11 clues about objects in the sky such as asteroids, meteoroids, comets and planets.
Curated OER
Asteroid, Comet, or Meteor?
In this asteroid, comet and meteor activity, students complete a chart by determining which of 8 given characteristics belong to asteroids, comets or meteors.
Curated OER
Land Reinforcement
In this land reinforcement worksheet, learners complete 7 matching questions, 2 short answer questions, and 1 essay question about key points from their chapter on land conservation.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Natural and Human Causes
Part three in the series of seven has pupils discussing the different greenhouses gases, learning about the carbon cycle, and then watching a short video about the carbon cycle. Based on their knowledge, individuals complete a greenhouse...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
Ice core samples give scientists access to climates of old—those from more than 800,000 years ago. Through an analysis of various temperature graphs from ice cores, tree rings, and weather stations, scholars compare historical climates...
Rainforest Alliance
Trees and Carbon
You'll find everything but the kitchen sink here ... or just a carbon sink. In the activity, pairs or groups of middle school learners go outside and measure a tree's circumference and height to estimate its carbon storage potential and...
University of Colorado
The Moons of Jupiter
Middle schoolers analyze given data on density and diameter of objects in space by graphing the data and then discussing their findings. This ninth installment of a 22-part series emphasizes the Galilean moons as compared to other...
US Geological Survey
The Water Cycle for Schools: Beginner Ages
Explore a day in the life of a water droplet. An interactive infographic helps scholars learn how water cycles work from precipitation all the way around to condensation. Learners hover over each step of the cycle to read more as they...
Curated OER
Trends of Snow Cover and Temperature in Alaska
Students gather historical snow cover and temperature data from the MY NASA DATA Web site. They compare this data to data gathered using ground measurements from the ALISON Web site for Shageluk Lake. They graph both sets of data and...
American Museum of Natural History
Climate Change
It actually is possible to have too much of a good thing when it comes to climate change. A slide show lesson describes how burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change. Individuals read about the scientific process and the...
University of Colorado
Clay Planets
Why do scientists use models? In the first installment of 22, groups create scale models of our solar system. They then share and discuss their models.
Curated OER
Does Humidity Affect Cloud Formation?
Students use S'COOL data to identify factors that affect cloud formation. They find a data set using the S'COOL database , and use Excel to manipulate the data. Student isolate relevant data, create meaningful graphs from a spreadsheet,...
Curated OER
A Comparison of Cloud Coverage over Africa
Students identify different climate regions and local weather patterns. In this cloud coverage lesson students use NASA satellite data and import it into Excel.
Curated OER
Understanding Weather
A succinct set of slides covers the main points for your weather unit. From the factors that contribute to conditions, to fronts and extreme occurrences, to the different types of clouds, numerous facts are listed in bullets. The only...
University of Colorado
Can Photosynthesis Occur at Saturn?
In the 19th activity of 22, learners determine if distance from a light source affects photosynthesis. Participants capture oxygen in straws and find that the amount of water the gas displaces is proportional to the rate of photosynthesis.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate Change
Scholars become experts on the eight major impacts of climate change through a jigsaw and grand conversation. They then research and present what they learned about effects specific to their region.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Introducing Ecosystem Services
Purifying air and water, providing soil in which to grow crops, and moving water through its natural cycle are all services an ecosystem provides that benefit humans. Lesson four in a series lets learners explore and discuss the value of...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystem Services
The fourth activity in a series of five has classes participate in a jigsaw to learn about global impacts of climate change and then share their new information with a home group. Groups then research impacts of climate change (droughts,...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Introducing Ecosystem Services
Ecosystems provide many things humans not only use but also need in order to survive. The last lesson in the series of seven introduces scholars to the idea of ecosystem services, that ecosystems provide humans with many things we need....