Lesson Plan
Forest Foundation

Forest Watersheds

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Where does the water we use come from? To understand the concept of a watershed, class members study the water cycle and then engage in an activity that simulates a watershed.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Common Themes

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders test usefulness of a model Earth by comparing its predictions to observations in the real world.  In this landforms lesson students construct an island from a contour map using model clay then analyze the landscape...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ring of Fire

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students locate some of the 1,500 active volcanoes on a world map. Then by comparing their maps with a map of the world's tectonic plates, they discover that volcanoes occur because of the dynamic nature of the Earth's lithosphere.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plotting A Hurricane Using latitude and Longitude

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore map and plotting skills by tracing the movement s of hurricanes through the Earth's systems. a hurricane map is developed from daily media reports.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

March of the Polar Bears: Global Change, Sea Ice, and Wildlife Migration

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study global change and how these changes impact wildlife.  In this polar bears  instructional activity students analyze maps and data to understand climate change. 
Worksheet
Curated OER

Blast It! (Learning About Copper)

For Students 5th - 8th
Opening with background information on copper use and mining, this activity assesses junior geologists' reading comprehension. A map activity is available, but the map is not. There is a useful set of vocabulary matching cards and a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock River Watershed

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discover what a watershed is and which one they live in. Using the internet, they research why watersheds are important to an ecosystem and how to keep them from getting polluted. They use a map to locate various items within a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing the Relationship between Snowpack and River Flow

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners use the Internet to research current and past snowpack levels and river gauging station readings. They determine the relationship between snowpack and river flow. They predict future river flow.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scarcity of Water Throughout the World

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students identify the various forms of fresh water on the earth. They observe a demonstration aand read articles that show them the importance of water conservation. They write a journal about their opinion regarding paying for water.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Zodiac Constellations

For Students 4th - 5th
In this space science worksheet, students learn to identify the 12 constellations of the Zodiac. Students read the information and look at the detailed drawings of each constellation and when it is visible in the night sky.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Crater Lakes and the Volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students study volcanoes. In this Earth science lesson plan, students read, discuss and take notes on the volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains. This lesson also includes an art project.
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
For this earth science worksheet, students 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 the...
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
Students 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
Young scholars 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How's the Weather?

For Teachers K - 12th
Learners 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. Learners 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
Pupils 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. Pupils discuss living things that need...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Take a Hike

For Students 7th - 10th
In this geography skills activity, learners respond to 9 questions that require them to read topographic maps and interpret them. The topographic maps are not included.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Hurricane Strength: Spatial Association of Wind Speed and Water Temperature

For Students 6th - 9th
In this hurricane worksheet, students read and analyze satellite images of hurricane Rita. They complete 4 short answer questions about it.
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 instructional activity with concepts such as the...
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...