Carnegie Mellon University
How Power Plants Work 3
Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble! Find out what drives a turbine to generate electricity and whether or not it has an impact on the environment. A discussion and lecture is divided by a hands-on activity in...
Curated OER
Air and Weather
Second graders study Earth's materials. For this air and weather lesson, 2nd graders note changes in the weather and examine tools that help us study the weather. Students analyze how changes in the environment make changes in the...
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The Beaufort Scale: A Local Model
Students study the Beaufort Scale and use it to study wind in their community. In this wind study lesson, students watch a DVD about climate change and learn about the Beaufort Scale. Students complete a worksheet for the topic.
Curated OER
Making New Electricity
Students investigate the concepts of energy conversion and conservation. They research the history of energy conversions into electrical energy. They design experiments in order to replicate a conversion of energy into electricity.
Discovery Education
Hurricane Force
It's important to make sure houses can withstand winds. A hands-on activity has learners create a structure out of household materials. They use a fan to simulate hurricane-force winds to see if their structures can withstand the...
Curated OER
T3 Lesson Plan: Number 3
Sixth graders investigate local water. For this water cycle lesson, 6th graders take samples from surrounding water sources. Students record data from the samples, compare and graph the results.
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Our Earth
In this Earth's environment worksheet, learners complete a crossword puzzle given 35 clues about a variety of topics related to our Earth. Topics include ecosystems, precipitation, biomes, energy transfer, soil, weathering and rocks.
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Natural Gas: An American Treasure
Do your fourth graders need extra practice with evaluating fact and opinion? An informative resource provides two reading passages in which learners distinguish sentences as fact or as opinion. Additionally,...
World Wildlife Fund
Land of the Midnight Sun
From days of 24 hour sunlight, to endless nights that last for days, the Arctic is a very unique place to live. Examine the seasonal changes that occur in the northern-most reaches of the globe and the impact they have on the plants and...
Curated OER
Powering a Green Earth
Students compare and contrast renewable and nonrenewable energy. In this environmental science instructional activity, students discuss the importance of going green. They identify the different components in a power grid system.
Curated OER
Power In Variety
Students discover different types of energy. In this energy source lesson students compare different types of energy, renewable and nonrenewable. Students answer questions about the different types of energy and their impact on the...
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Solar Matters
Students design an energy resource wheel and demonstrate how to use it to access information about renewable and nonrenewable energy sources.
Curated OER
Mission 8: Transport
In these transportation worksheets, students learn about the various modes of transportation, the energy they use, and ways transportation affects the environment. Students complete a 15 page packet for the activity.
Curated OER
Don't Marry the Mole!
Third graders examine the power of solar energy. In groups, they create their own pizza box solar oven to discover the power of the sun and how it is a source for heat and light. To end the lesson, they use the internet to examine...
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Convection
Students experiment with the cyclic process of convection and apply the principal to everyday events.
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Capturing Wind Energy
Students investigate technology and make a correlation between technology and the weather. In this science lesson plan, students experiment with the weather and climate using technology to help them understand forces and motion. They...
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Climate Chaos Week
Pupils research the pros and cons of wind farm technology as an alternative source of energy. The class is divided into two groups that should formulate a debate on each side of the argument. Groups use a debate guide to help develop...
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Cloud Observations using GLOBE Protocols
Students observe which of ten types of clouds are visible and how much of the sky is cloud covered. They see that by observing clouds, we can get information about temperature, moisture, and wind conditions in different places in the...
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Windmills: Putting Wind Energy to Work
Students review engineering design process and discuss how wind can be used to help get work done. They look at a variety of windmills, focusing on different materials used in construction of windmills.
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Transformers
Learners examine how a transformer works and its practical applications. In this electricity activity students complete several experiments using transformers and generators.
Space Awareness
The Intertropical Convergence Zone
Young scientists know it is hotter along the equator, but why is it also rainier? Through the process of completing two experiments and a worksheet, scholars discover the answer is the intertropical convergence zone. First, they...
Curated OER
Carbon Cycles
Students examine the carbon cycle and how carbon atoms travel through it. In this energy cycles lesson students describe how human activities affect the carbon cycle.
Curated OER
Do They Grow Up or Down?
Pupils keep a garden journal after planting a garden and discuss environmental stresses put upon the garden for growth. In this garden lesson plan, students plant the plants differently from one another and observe the outcomes.
Curated OER
The Pressure of a Solar Storm
In this solar storm activity, students are given three equations and they calculate the magnetic pressure and the particle pressure of a solar storm. They also determine the distance to the magnetopause of the solar storm and...