Virginia Department of Education
Determining Absolute Age
How can radioactive decay help date old objects? Learners explore half-life and radioactive decay by conducting an experiment using pennies to represent atoms. Young scientists graph data from the experiment to identify radioactive decay...
NASA
Photons in the Radiative Zone: Which Way Is Out? An A-Maz-ing Model
Can you move like a photon? Young scholars use a maze to reproduce the straight line motion of a photon. The second in a six-part series of lessons on the sun has learners measure angle of incidence and refraction to determine the path...
NASA
The Invisible Sun: How Hot Is It?
It's getting hot in here! The first in a series of six lessons has learners model nuclear fusion with a simple lab investigation. Groups collect data and analyze results, comparing their models to the actual process along the way.
Virginia Department of Education
Modeling the Big Bang Theory
Young astronomers learn about the Big Bang Theory and redshift through a hands-on activity in the last installment of a three-part series. Participants draw dots on balloons and then inflate them to model how galaxies moved farther apart...
Curated OER
2.0 "Water Is Life" Global Water Awareness Mini-Unit (Grades3-5)
Young scholars study the amount of potable water on the Earth. In this water activity, students examine the amount of potable water as compared to all the water on the Earth. They discuss why many parts of the world do not have access to...
Curated OER
"Water is Life" Global Water Awareness
Young scholars examine and calculate the percentage of potable water remaining on the earth. In this ecology and geography lesson, students brainstorm the main factors affecting water distribution. Young scholars use mathematical problem...
Curated OER
A New Slant On The Seasons
Students identify how the tilt and position of the Earth causes the seasons. After a discussion of the seasons and when they begin. Using themselves as the objects in the universe, they role play how the rotational movement of the...
Curated OER
Meteorites
Students model how meteors fall to the surface of planets. In this space science lesson, students identify different types of meteorites using an interactive online website. They investigate the relationship between a meteorite's size...
Curated OER
Why Do We Have Night?
Learners engage in a fun, creative way to discover how the Earth moves. This lesson helps students explain why there is day and night. It can also create curiosity to further study the solar system and eclipses!
Curated OER
Hurricanes
Students perform various experiments to explore hurricanes. In this earth science lesson, students explain how they form. They identify the structure of a hurricane.
Curated OER
Estuary and Watershed
Students investigate the San Francisco Bay Estuarine Research Reserve and watershed. In this estuary and watershed lesson plan, students complete 4 activities to better understand estuarine systems. They include studying the San...
Curated OER
What are Stars?
Young scholars research the solar system and it's characteristics. In this solar system activity, students are broken into 4 groups, each assigned a specific part of the solar system. Young scholars use the Internet to...
Curated OER
GPS Treasure Hunt for Knowledge
Students examine themselves as being part of a global community. In this global community activity, students investigate GPS systems. Students gain knowledge on how the device works. Students discover that satellites provide information...
Curated OER
Water Cycle
Students identify the different stages in the water cycle. In this earth science lesson, students calculate the residence time of water in oceans using a mathematical formula. They explain how this cycle regulates the Earth's climate.
Curated OER
Water Cycle
Ninth graders explore ways water moves through various reservoirs on Earth, examine how human activities change water cycle, investigate substances present in water that indicate human activity, and discuss how understanding water cycle...
Curated OER
Remote Sensing
Students research the Earth's ocean systems. They examine the impact of global warming on the oceans and the world as a whole.
Curated OER
Simple Machines: Pulleys
Students observe and analyze how pulleys work and how a double pulley can make work easier. In small groups they use a fixed pulley system and a double pulley system and draw a picture of how their pulley system functions. Students...
Curated OER
Seasonal cycles
Young scholars understand that the rotation of the Earth is responsible for the seasons. In this seasonal cycles instructional activity, students learn how the rotation of the Earth affects the seasons. Young scholars answer questions...
Curated OER
Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Process
Students explore Earth science by completing a could identification activity. In this weather lesson, students discuss the different forms of measurement for the weather of Earth. Students discuss global warming and examine a list of...
Curated OER
Water Filtration Competition
Students design water filtration systems. They draw sketches and write paragraphs about their systems. After presenting their systems to the class, each group then builds their system and determines its effectiveness for purifying...
Curated OER
An Overview of Solar Radiation
Students examine the Stefan-Boltzmann Law. Students compute basic radiative "constants" of the sun-Earth-atomosphere system. They examine the wavelength of maximum radiation emission.
Curated OER
The Magic School Bus Lost in Space
Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students explore outer space as they visit the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars in order to learn about our solar system.
Curated OER
Activity 2: Salinity & Tides
High schoolers explore the effects of tides and salinity on an estuary. In this salinity and tides lesson plan, students complete 3 activities which help them understand estuarine systems. They study the tides in the Chesapeake Bay, they...
Curated OER
The Sun in Our Lives
Third graders identify the different parts of the sun. In this astronomy lesson plan, 3rd graders examine how the sun's energy drive life processes on Earth. They construct a model of a solar system using large rolls of toilet paper.