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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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Resources for Teaching about Biogeochemical Cycles
Students study the different cycles and Earth's systems. In this investigative instructional activity students study the nitrogen and carbon cycles, play a game pertaining to it and also participate in a class activity.
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Energy Resources
For this energy resources worksheet, students read about the greenhouse effect and global warming. Then they explain why scientists are so concerned with greenhouse gases. Students also describe how global warming affects people worldwide.
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The Greenhouse Effect in a Jar
Students explore climate change by participating in a physical science experiment. In this greenhouse effect lesson, students discuss the impact global warming has on our environment and how it works. Students utilize a glass jar,...
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Climate change in Canada
Students investigate the impact of human activity on the environment. In this secondary math/science lesson, students analyze and interpret information from data and graphs as they investigate trends in climate change and the...
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Using the Very, Very Simple Climate Model in the Classroom
Learners study the relationship between the average global temperature and carbon dioxide emissions. In this weather activity students develop a test scenario using a model then read and interpret graphs of data.
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Pangaea Puzzle
Learners explore plate tectonics and the formations of the Earth's surface and why maps are distorted. In this Earth's surface lesson students complete a lab and answer questions.
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Sun
Students study how the sun is at the center of the solar system. For this solar lesson students measure the altitude of the sun and its size.
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Weather and Wind
Students study wind and its effect on weather. In this investigative lesson students write a report on wind and weather and create a movement sequence.
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Climate And the Greenhouse Effect
Students demonstrate the greenhouse effect. They recognize that relatively small changes to our environment can stimulate significant climate changes. They determine that the "scientific method" is a process of testing hypotheses and...
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A Comparison of Cloud Coverage Over Africa
Students use a NASA satellite data to contrast amounts of cloud coverage over different climate regions in Africa. They explore how Earth's major air circulations affect global weather patterns, and relate to local weather patterns.
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Radiation Budget
Learners examine the radiation budget and the launching of the Budget Satellite. They role-play as designers of the satellite and construct one with a power source, instruments, and sensors. they explain how their satellite functions...
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Volcanoes And Atmospheres
Students identify the volcano as the primary source of atmospheric gases, to explain the formation of ozone, and to recognize the dangers of volcanic gases through the use of technology in the classroom.
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Trouble in the Troposphere
Middle schoolers Use data sets from MY NASA DATA to produce graphs comparing monthly and yearly ozone averages of several U.S. cities. They analyze and evaluate the data and predict trends based on the data. In addition, they discuss and...
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Trouble in the Troposphere
Students create graphs using NASA data, compare ozone levels of several U.S. cities, analyze and evaluate the data and predict trends based on the data, and discuss and describe how human activities have modified Earth's air quality.
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Sunlight and the Earth # T
High schoolers learn that convection of heat in the atmosphere is the cause of weather phenomena. They learn that water vapor also carries solar heat and plays an important role in atmospheric convection.
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Devastation of Indian Quake
Students read an online article at CNNfyi.com to determine what happened in India after an earthquake. They determine the magnitude of this earthquake and address the issue of relief efforts from other countries.
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The Future of Arctic Sea Ice
Students research about the importance of sea ice to world climate and sea organisms. In this earth science lesson plan, students create a model of present and future Arctic sea ice communities. They discuss how ice melting affects...
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Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change Course
Young scholars explain the impact of glacial melting to global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students design an experiment to investigate the effect of salinity change to melting glaciers. They share their results...
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It's All In The Surface: The Effects Of Color & Texture On The Ability Of A Surface To Absorb Solar Energy
Ninth graders examine how dark surfaces absorb more light than light surfaces. They perform an experiment that compares various surfaces abilities to absorb heat, then record and analyze the results.
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Breaking it Down
High schoolers will identify the factors that contribute to erosion and weathering. They will start by differentiating between chemical and mechanical weathering. They then apply what they learned by playing the online jeopardy game. Key...
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Air Pollution: The Issue of Global Warming
Here is an outstanding 10-page lesson plan on global warming. Learners discover that there is a lot of controversy surrounding this topic in that the science behind global warming is difficult to prove. The best thing about this plan is...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Understanding the Greenhouse Effect
Dive into the power of the sun with a two-part activity. Budding scientists model the greenhouse effect in a hands-on activity, and then participate in a skit that explores the earth's energy balances and what really occurs in the...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Carbon, Greenhouse Gases, and Climate
Climate models mathematically represent the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land, sun, surface, and ice. Part two in the series of four lessons looks at the role greenhouse gases play in keeping Earth warm and has participants...