Teach Engineering
Air Under Pressure
Introduce your class to air masses and how they affect the weather with a lesson that focuses on the differences between high and low air pressure systems. The class explores actual weather data using archived weather data.
National Park Service
Rock Ranking
Junior geologists sort rocks and soil. They separate a sample of river gravel by size, shape, color, and other characteristics. To include Common Core standards, you could have little ones graph the number of particles in each sample.
Curated OER
Analyzing Tree Rings to Determine Climate Change
Students examine how to locate and access data sets. In this climate change instructional activity students import data into Excel and graph it.
Teach Engineering
Building a Barometer
Forget your local meteorologist — build your own barometer and keep track of the weather with an activity that provides directions to build a barometer out of a narrow necked bottle, a glass, and some water. Using their barometer,...
Curated OER
It's Raining, It's Pouring: The Water Cycle
Students investigate the relationship of the steps in the water cycle, and create a simulation of the water cycle in a jar.
Curated OER
Ozone Layer
Students read a CNNfyi.com article in order to identify causes of ozone depletion. They compare and contrast the effects of chlorofluorocarbons and bromine on the ozone. They develop a plan to prevent future destruction of the ozone.
New York Hall of Science
My Carbon Footprint: High School Curriculum
The earth has a love-hate relationship with carbon. Learners complete a series of nine lessons that begin with an examination of the role of carbon in Earth's systems. They then relate changes in climate and weather to changes in the...
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Polar Vortex Interactive
An interactive lesson places pupils as scientists who must learn why the ozone layer is being destroyed by analyzing the data from multiple satellites. The first analysis shows how UV is related to the ozone cycle. The second...
American Museum of Natural History
Tornadoes Spinning Thunderstorms
Tornado winds can reach more than 200 miles per hour. Learners explore wind speeds and more characteristics of tornadoes with an online lesson. They learn how tornadoes form and how scientists attempt to predict them. Can be used as an...
Curated OER
Let the Weather Help You Dress
Students observe weather daily for at least a month and graph the weather for one month. Then they use weather vocabulary such as sunny, windy, rainy, stormy, cold, snowy, foggy, and hot, and share their predictions about weather. ...
Curated OER
Weather, Data, Graphs and Maps
Students collect data on the weather, graph and analyze it. In this algebra instructional activity, students interpret maps and are able to better plan their days based on the weather reading. They make predictions based on the type of...
Curated OER
Earth's Weather
Seventh graders learn how solar radiation, latitude, and other factors affect weather. They break into six groups and are assigned a topic to research and to present their findings orally.
Curated OER
Weather Records
Students write newspaper articles using a "weather record" worksheet and information they find in newspapers.
Curated OER
Weather Myths
Fourth graders examine myths that are based on weather phenomenon. They write, illustrate and present an original weather myth.
Curated OER
Weather
Second graders, while examining the weather, describe the characteristics of the Sun, Stars and Earth's Moon (e.g relative size, shape, color, production of light, heat). Thus, the give examples of how the sun affects Earth's processes...
PHET
Measuring the Interplanetary Magnetic Field
Scientists need to figure out how to measure interplanetary magnetic fields, but the magnetic field of the spacecraft is interfering with their readings. Scholars attempt to solve the problem that has perplexed NASA scientists for years.
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
Wonders of Weather
Students understand the destructive force of a tornado. They learn the role of a thunderstorm in the creation of a tornado.
Curated OER
Freezing Cracks
Fourth graders examine how weather events cause weathering of the Earth's surface and how freezing water creates cracks and broken rocks over time. They observe what happens when a jar full of water is frozen overnight, and record their...
Curated OER
Cold As Ice
Fourth graders investigate how glaciers cause the weathering of landforms. They observe a brick that has been placed on a frozen slab of ice, and discuss the results, comparing them to the movements of a glacier. In small groups, they...
Curated OER
Weather Anomalies
Ninth graders participate in a simulation of a select scientific team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Curated OER
SOIL
Second graders name the various materials that comprise soil, including weathered rock and other organic matter; and explain that soils differ in their color, texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth of many...
Curated OER
Soil
Second graders name the various materials that comprise soil, including weathered rock and other organic matter. They explain that soils differ in their color, texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth of many...
Curated OER
Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change
Students compare the carbon dioxide content of four different samples. In this chemistry lesson, students research the causes of global warming. They explain how humans contribute to rising global temperature.