Lesson Plan
Curated OER

NASA's Mars Gamble Pays Off Part 2

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders explore the planet of Mars. In this Earth Science lesson, 10th graders read articles on the make up of Mars. Students complete a worksheet on their reading.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water: H2O = Life

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
In this earth science worksheet, young scholars explore and describe animals and their adaptations, including their habitats, physical characteristics, and competing organisms. They also explore and describe how others use water around...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build an Ice Cap

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students research Earth science by conducting an experiment in class. In this ice-cap lesson, students identify what an ice cap is and create a biome using a box which measures 1 ft. x 1 ft. Students participate in an animal role-playing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather Forecasting Basics

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders analyze weather diagrams and weather maps. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders explain why it is important to know the weather. They complete a handout at the end of the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Graphing: Ocean Floor

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Learners graph the ocean floor using given data. In this earth science lesson, students label different oceanic features on the map. They answer questions at the end of the lab.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tools of Modern Astronomy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students differentiate refracting and reflecting telescopes. In this earth science instructional activity, students explain how they are closely connected to satellites. They complete the concept map at the end of the activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How's the Weather?

For Teachers K - 12th
Students explore earth science by researching the Internet. In this weather pattern lesson, students utilize the website weather.com to analyze the weather in different geographic locations. Students view charts and graphs based on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Different Minerals

For Teachers 7th - 9th
In this minerals worksheet, students read about the relationship between elements, rocks and minerals. They experiment using 6 different colored gumdrops to represent 6 common elements. Students construct gumdrop and toothpick models of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students complete activities to examine the properties of water. In this water science lesson, students read a book about water's forms and study a map or globe of the Earth to investigate water. Students discuss living things that need...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Energy and Winds

For Teachers 6th Standards
In the study of wind energy, scholars build a small windmill and observe how it transfers wind into mechanical energy. Learners will make connections to the previous lesson with concepts such as the creation of wind...
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

What Can We Learn from Sediments?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Varve: a deposit of cyclical sediments that help scientists determine historical climates. Individuals analyze the topography of a region and then study varve datasets from the same area. Using this information, they determine the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oil and Natural Gas Formation

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students complete a narrative paper and a drawing depicting how the formation of oil and natural gas taken from the Earth's crust were once plants and animals millions of years ago. In this oil and natural gas lesson plan, students read,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating Station Models

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students work in groups to interpret weather maps. They use latitude and longitude readings to complete a worksheet together and turn in the worksheet along with the maps and a rubric.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Celebrating the Solstice and Equinox

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders graph the number of daylight hors throughout the year and examine why day length varies. They discover that seasonal changes and latitude on Earth affect the number of hours of daylight in each day. Students listen to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

PA Watersheds, Many Ways to the Sea

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the water cycle and the factors that interact with watersheds.  In this watersheds lesson students describe the purification process, trace the flow of infiltrate water through aquifers, and research the Internet to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Footprint

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students study facts about humans and how they are impacting the Earth.  In this investigative lesson students help map peoples footprints over the Earth's surface and evaluate these factors. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating the Soil

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the Earth's crust by researching pH levels and acidity. In this environmental safety lesson, students identify the pros and cons of acidity within soil and how it affects plants. Students collaborate in a pH level...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climb a Mountain, Raft a River on Your Own Land

For Teachers K - 2nd
Pupils are introduced to the characteristics of a map. As a class, they discuss the uses of public lands in their community and develop symbols for each feature. They use the symbols to create a map showing the recreational uses of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnetometer Extension Activities

For Teachers K - 12th
Students observe magnetic fields and locate the position of "ore deposits" patterns using models and maps.  In this magnetometer lesson students complete a hands on activity and a reading/writing exercise. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Microclimates of Our School

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students read the story "Weslandia" by Paul Fleischman, define the term microclimate, gather and record data in various places on school grounds to establish the presence of difference microclimates, analyze and compare microclimates,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather Forecasting

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study how to forecast the weather. In this weather forecasting lesson students read different meters and understand basic cloud formations in their relationship to weather.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Energy Balance Performance Standard

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students examine how Earth-Sun relationships affect Earth's energy balance and the pattern of world temperatures. Students study a Surface Temperature Regions map and write a paragraph describing the temperature pattern from the Equator...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Circle the Earth - Explore Surface Types on a Journey around Earth

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students use CERES percent coverage surface data with a world map in locating landmasses and bodies of water at Earth's Equator.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

November Science

For Teachers K
Students review that all people, plants, and animals live on Earth. They classify objects found in the environment as living or nonliving.