Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Day - Bursting Beans

For Teachers K - 6th
Students fill jars with dried beans and water, cover the jars, and wait to see what happens in this excellent Science experiment ideal for Earth Day (April 22nd). Emphasis is placed on discovering the reactions of seeds to water.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science Super Saturday

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students share their science expertise with elementary students in a conference format. Elementary students rotate through sessions of different science disciplines (Biology, Earth Science, Physics, Chemistry, Computers).
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gallery Walk Questions on Earth's Radiation Balance

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Questions that can be used in a lesson on Earth's radiation balance are suggested in this resource. It is not a lesson plan, per se, but it is a list of questions for stations within a "Gallery Walk" lesson. The link to how Gallery Walks...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Earth around Us: Air, Water & Soil

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students recognize that science is everywhere.  In this scientific method lesson plan, students experiment with height and record their experiment using the scientific method.  Students must identify  each step of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Energy Budget Pre Lab

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore energy by conducting an in class experiment. In this climate change lesson, students conduct a water vapor experiment in a soda bottle. Students utilize graphs and charts to analyze the results of the experiment and help...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Greenhouse Effect: Pop Bottle Experiment

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore global warming by conducting a weather experiment. In this greenhouse gas lesson, students define the greenhouse effect and the impact on our ozone layer. Students utilize a soda pop bottle, floodlight bulb, thermometers...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Earth Around Us: Air, Water & Soil

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore erosion and find the factors effecting erosion of hillsides.   In this erosion lesson, 2nd graders experiment by creating a hillside and simulating rain.  Students discuss and record their results on...
Lesson Plan
University of New Orleans

Rock Cycle and Rocks Lab

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Science rocks! Explore three types of rocks and the rock cycle with an igneous rocks experiment. Pupils discuss textures, composition, and learn how melts are formed from the Earth's crust. They weigh materials using a scientific scale...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Acid Rain Effects

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Get out the goggles and conduct a simple experiment to model and explore the harmful effects of acid rain (vinegar) on living (green leaf and eggshell) and non-living (paper clip) objects. Young chemists observe and describe the harmful...
Lesson Plan
US Department of Energy

Effects of Solar Radiation on Land and Sea

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Earth science enthusiasts experiment to compare the heating rates of soil and water. They relate their findings to the weather conditions near bodies of water. Consider also having middle schoolers measure the cooling rates to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Changing Atmosphere

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the constant changing of the Earth's atmosphere. After labeling the layers of the Earth, they identify various processes inside the Earth that can cause gases to be emitted. Using the internet, they research how the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Land as an Apple

For Teachers K - 7th
Students explore the value of land and the importance of conserving it as a limited resource. They observe a experiment where an apple represents the earth. From the demonstration, students visually see the fractions and percentages that...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Ocean Circulation in the North Atlantic

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Swirling and churning, the waters of the North Atlantic play a vital role in Earth's climate! Discover the many factors that produce circulation using a multimedia lesson from PBS's Weather and Climate series for high schoolers. Scholars...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycle

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the different stages in the water cycle. In this earth science lesson, students calculate the residence time of water in oceans using a mathematical formula. They explain how this cycle regulates the Earth's climate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hurricanes

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students perform various experiments to explore hurricanes. In this earth science lesson, students explain how they form. They identify the structure of a hurricane.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Primary Energy Sources Pros and Cons

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students explore the different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. In this earth science lesson, students discuss the pros and cons of each type. They conduct a variety of experiments on renewable energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar System and Planets

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students identify the main components of the solar system. In this earth science lesson, students order the planets according to their distances from the Sun. They differentiate planets from dwarf planets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tsunami

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students explore tsunami through various hands-on activities. In this earth science lesson, students explain how they are formed. They create tsunami and earthquake models in the lab to observe how they are generated.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using the Synoptic Code for the Prediction of Water

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students construct a thermoscreen for the experiment. In this earth science lesson, students make observations and interpret them using synoptic codes. They predict the weather based on gathered information.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Factors Affecting Ocean Currents

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students design and conduct an experiment to determine the effect of salinity and temperature changes in the movement of ocean currents. For this earth science lesson, students record observations and collect data. They share their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chocolate Chipping Away at the Rock Cycle

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders identify the different types of rocks. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders compare and contrast rocks and chocolate cookies. They explain how materials are recycled beneath the Earth.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Time: On the Astronomical Meaning of the Day, Year and Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars simulate the movement of the Earth using their body motion. In this earth science lesson, students explain how this causes seasonal changes on Earth.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geologic Sequestration

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students investigate how geologic sequestration reduces carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. In this earth science lesson, students simulate oil mining in the lab. They write down their observations and complete the lab report...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Follow the Falling Meteorite

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use triangulation method to locate meteorite landing site on the map. In this earth science instructional activity, students participate in a meteorite treasure hunt set up by the teacher. They explain how this method is used by...