Curated OER
"Heat Transfer and Ice Cream!"
Students analyze earth science by creating a frozen treat in class. In this heat transfer lesson, students discuss how matter is transformed from solid to liquid and liquid to gas when energy is removed from the equation. Students...
Curated OER
The Energy Game: Finding Energy Resources
Students participate in a game in which they investigate energy resources, environmental consequences, and prices of resources.
Curated OER
Milestones in Human Spaceflight
Students investigate the history and goals of NASA and human spaceflight. In this space science lesson, students answer questions about one of seven manned space programs and print pictures from the mission. As a...
Curated OER
Getting Physical with Estuaries
Students study estuaries and how the physical factors change over time. In this investigative lesson plan students use a website to gain knowledge of estuaries then in groups they create and present their charts.
Curated OER
Distances to Stars
Students explore the idea of parallax. In this astronomy lesson, students study the distances of stars. They investigate how parallax can be used to determine these distances.
Curated OER
Saving the Bay
Students investigate water pollution prevention. In this ecology wastewater lesson, students activate prior knowledge about sewage, then view a video explaining the waste water sewage system used in the San Francisco Bay area. Students...
Curated OER
The Big Blow
Students identify and explain factors that contribute to extreme storms in the Great Lakes. For this investigative lesson students study the weather systems in the Great Lakes and compare cyclones to tropical storms.
Curated OER
Geographic Effects on Precipitation, Water Vapor and Temperature
High schoolers investigate the factors affecting climate using Live Access Server. In this geography lesson, students graph atmospheric data using Excel spreadsheet. They compare and contrast temperature, precipitation and water vapor of...
Curated OER
Science
Seventh graders study the theory of plate tectonics. In this activity lesson students complete an activity to determine how seafloor spreading and volcanoes contribute to solving the plate tectonics...
Science 4 Inquiry
Let's Get Moving
Rivers top the list of causes of erosion over time. Scholars experiment with wind, water, and ice reshaping sand. They connect the simulations facts about erosion and deposition to understand unique landforms such as the Grand Canyon and...
Curated OER
Deep Blue Sea
Elementary schoolers identify the ocean floor in a geological sense. They create a presentation that highlights the key features of the ocean floor. This terrific lesson plan has excellent streaming video segments embedded in it, and the...
Curated OER
Wild and Wetlands
Upper graders identify the major characteristics of a wetland. They explore the human factors that change a wetland and write a descriptive paragraph about wetlands. This comprehensive lesson also has an interactive "Watershed Game"...
Curated OER
How Do You Light Up Your World?
A fabulous presentation on light is here for you. In it, learners view slides which cover many important concepts of light. They understand exactly what light is, what the main sources of light are, what opaque, transparent, and...
Curated OER
How Do You Light Up Your World?
A tremendous presentation on the properties of light. Young scientists are treated to slides which share a lot of fascinating information about light. This impressive PowerPoint is filled with great photos, graphics, and discussion...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Micro-GEEBITT Climate Activity
A truly hands-on and inquiry based learning activity bridges all the lessons in the series together. Beginning with a discussion on average global temperatures, young meteorologists use real-world data to analyze climate trends in order...
Space Awareness
The Intertropical Convergence Zone
Young scientists know it is hotter along the equator, but why is it also rainier? Through the process of completing two experiments and a worksheet, scholars discover the answer is the intertropical convergence zone. First, they...
Captain Planet Foundation
Worm Your Way Out of This
How can you provide healthy soil for your garden? Study worms, bacteria, and other microorganisms in a lesson plan about decomposition and organic compost. After discussing what you know about worms and watching a video, watch what worms...
Curated OER
Ocean Careers Exploration
Learners will work together in groups to gather information about careers in oceanography. They discover the need to have a diverse group of people on a team and then share their information with the class. Web links and materials are...
Curated OER
Sampling the Ocean Floor
Students sample goodies from an unseen ocean floor and try to accurately describe their composition. This simulation helps students explain the limitations of sampling and the problem of obtaining representative samples of sea floor...
Curated OER
Suited for Space
A fantastic lesson on survival in outer space should excite your learners! Pupils explore the challenges that living, working, and surviving in space elicit. They focus on the spacesuit itself; how it protects astronauts, and enables...
Captain Planet Foundation
Which Plant Is Which?
Learn about dichotomous keys, plant identification, and how to care for the planet with a instructional activity that includes several hands-on and innovative activities. Kids go on a plant scavenger hunt and classify the plants that...
Curated OER
WWW = World Wide Wildlife
Through video, internet research, and hands-on activities, learners conduct a study of the interdependence between animals and the habitats they live in. They conduct Internet research independently in order to complete a report on a...
It's About Time
Renewable Energy Sources - Solar and Wind
There has been a huge solar energy spill! Let's go outside to play in it. This lesson includes multiple experiments showcasing solar and wind energies. Scholars build a solar heater and an anemometer before testing the results. The...
NOAA
What Little Herc Saw
See the underwater world through a different pair of eyes! Middle school marine biologists identify deep-sea organisms by examining images taken by an ROV from the Okeanos Explorer. After determining what creatures lie beneath the...