Curated OER
Retrograde Motion of Mars
Middle schoolers investigate the motion of Mars. In this space science lesson, students use transparencies to trace the path of Mars through constellations. Middle schoolers discuss the characteristics of the planet.
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African Savanna
First graders are introduced to the ecosystems of savannas throughout the world. Using new vocabulary, they identify and describe the characteristics of a savanna and the animals that live there. They also describe the Earth's physical...
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Identifying Pennsylvania Watersheds
Ninth graders study and identify the six major drainage systems in Pennsylvania. For this watershed lesson students read an article, complete an activity and take a quiz on what they learned.
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Climate Control
Students explore the locations, characteristics, and natural and human dangers to the Earth's biomes to better explain the relationship between daily life and the environment.
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Idaho Earthquakes
Students examine the types of earthquakes that occur in Idaho. In groups, they compare and contrast the types of energy released and how they affect the movement of the Earth. To end the lesson, they analyze a map showing the magnitudes...
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A Different Kind of Rock Star: Part 2
Students examine our society's fascination with Mars. In this journalism lesson plan students read an article that outlines the various ways Mars has captured our imagination and are given topics for discussion and a...
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Can You Find a Solution?
Students explore the topic of public conservation. In this Florida panthers lesson, students read a scenario about the endangered panther and collaborate to plan a way to protect the panther population. Students also participate in a...
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Where Does Water Come From: The Water Cycle
Students explore the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson, students read the book The Magic School Bus Wet All Over and summarize the steps of the water cycle. Students label a picture map of the water cycle.
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Natural Resource Awareness
Seventh graders design a collage that shows natural resources or things made from natural resources. They discuss the collages and decide how they use natural resources at home and school. They listen to a read aloud of a Native American...
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Introducing NatureMapping
Students model the NatureMapping program in order to study habitats and biodiversity.
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Science: Trouble in the Troposphere
Students research a NASA Website and record information about an assigned city's tropospheric ozone residual monthly climate. In groups, they graph the information for the past year. They form new groups and compare their city's...
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Radiation Comparison Before and After 9-11
Using the NASA website, class members try to determine if changes could be detected in cloud cover, temperature, and/or radiation measurements due to the lack of contrails that resulted from the halt in air traffic after the attacks...
PHET
Where to See an Aurora
Where can you see an aurora in North America? After completing an astronomy activity, scholars can locate the exact coordinates. Pupils plot points of the inner and outer ring of the auroral oval and answer questions based on...
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Plate Tectonics Day 3 Sea Floor Spreading: Evidence for Continental Drift
Learners are introduced to Sea Floor Spreading and how it provides evidence for Hess's and Deitz's theory of Continental Drift. They use paleomagnetic data to calculate the rate of Sea Floor Spreading.
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Sea Water Mixing and Sinking
Middle schoolers investigate the role of temperature and salinity in determining seawater density. They use a Temperature-Salinity Diagram to examine the effects of mixing on density.
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Differences Between Ground and Air Temperatures
Young scholars examine the differences between air temperature and ground temperature. In this investigative lesson students find NASA data on the Internet and use it to create a graph.
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Why Do We Have Day And Night?
Second graders demonstrate knowledge and appropriate use of hardware components, software programs, and their connections. After a lecture/demo, student groups utilize raisins and apples to demonstrate day and night. They put togethre a...
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Snow Cover By Latitude
Students create graphs comparing the amount of snow cover along selected latitudes using data sets from a NASA website. They create a spreadsheet and a bar graph on the computer, and analyze the data.
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Cartography
Students research about cartography and how to be a cartographer. In this math lesson, students draw a map of their classroom. They use a robot to explore navigation using a compass rose.
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Migration of the Neo-Tropical Songbirds
Fifth graders plot the migration of birds using Google Earth. For this lesson on bird migration, 5th graders work in groups to plot the migration of a group of birds using Google Earth. Students present and discuss their findings and...
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Meet the Weather Scientist
Fourth graders collect, record and analyze data using simple weather instruments or use weather resources to comprehend weather. They comprehend that scientists are very important people in today's world. Pupils look at cloud types to...
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Weather: Piecing It All Together
Fourth graders collect, record, and analyze data using simple weather instruments and a variety of weather resources to investigate weather. They observe the teacher demonstrate how a rain gauge functions, record the weather for five...
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Arbor Day Across the United States
Students perform research about hardiness zones used to guide planting. They read a hardiness zone color-key map and create their own color-key maps to show when different states celebrate Arbor Day.
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GIS and Agriculture
Students are introduced GIS systems and how they operate. Using a GIS system, they locate and map the various types of agricultural products grown in Oregon. They rank each county based on the amount of agricultural products produced and...