Earth Day Network
Forms of Energy
Give me a home where electric buffalo roam and I'll show you an ohm on the range. Introduction your classes to potential and kinetic energy, electricity, and renewable resources with a resource that combines observation, direct...
California Academy of Science
Greening Your Middle School
Middle schoolers redesign their school to make it more energy efficient, and create a model of their design. Learners get together in groups of 5, and they take on the task of making their school more energy efficient. To do this, they...
Curated OER
Transportation Fuels: What Car Will You Drive?
How many different types of biofuels are out there? Seventh graders watch a series of videos and participate in a series of activities in order to better understand all the transportation options available. They consider what type of car...
Curated OER
The Parts of a Trilobite
Students explore the parts of a trilobite. In this fossils lesson, students investigate a real trilobite fossil and identify the body parts, Students label a diagram of a trilobite.
Virginia Department of Education
Weathering of Limestone
We all know limestone weathers, but what affects the rate of weathering? Young scientists investigate the physical and chemical weathering of limestone (chalk) through experimentation. First, they conduct trials with different-size...
Curated OER
Parts of a Crinoid
Learners study the parts of a crinoid. In this parts of a crinoid lesson, students look at pictures of a crinoid fossil or examine an actual fossil if one is available. They match names to pictures of the parts in the second part of the...
Curated OER
Exploring Alternative Energy Sources
Young scholars research the amount and kinds of energy that are produced and consumed in the United States, including the limitations of this kind of consumption. They research and create a display to teach classmates about a specific...
Curated OER
Dino-Mite Web Quest
In this science worksheet, students identify a specific dinosaur to research. Then they develop an overview of their dinosaur family and the foods each dinosaur in their family eat. Students also identify how the dinosaurs defend...
National Energy Education Development Project
Exploring Oil and Gas
The United States consumes more oil than any other country, about 1.85 billion barrels (or 77 billion gallons) a day. Viewers learn about the history of fossil fuel exploration and how they are formed in an informative presentation. They...
Curated OER
Bats
Use Stellaluna by Janell Canon to discuss bats and other types of animals. Learners identify the differences between bats and birds, list the traits of mammals, create a Bat Facts game, and go on a written scavenger hunt. Fun,...
California Academy of Science
Natural Resources Bingo
Bingo isn't just a silly game, it's a great way to practice all types of skills. After reviewing that the earth is composed of natural resources, what those natural resources are, and sustainability, the class plays a game of bingo. The...
Curated OER
Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources
Fifth graders are introduced to the important topic of renewable, and non-renewable, resources. They are expected to be able to correctly categorize different types of resources as renewable or non-renewable. Another emphasis of this...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Dinosaur Bones (Barner)
Dig into some prehistoric vocabulary in Bob Barner's informative book Dinosaur Bones. This works best if you introduce the primitive words before reading the story. These are the focus terms in the text: ancient, climate, extinct,...
American Museum of Natural History
What is the Greenhouse Effect?
Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would not be inhabitable. A thorough online resource describes the greenhouse effect and how it occurs. The source highlights the different types of gases that work together to absorb the sun's...
American Museum of Natural History
What's This?: Early Humans
Early humans crafted shelters out of whatever materials they could find. A one-question quiz asks learners to identify the type of bones used to construct the hut pictured in a display.
Curated OER
"Making a Good Impression"
Students are shown how fossils are formed and to learn how extinct organisms lived based on their remains and surroundings. They are shown TAKS review problems on the overhead related to evolution and fossil evidence. Students discuss...
Curated OER
A Scientific Approach to Teaching about Evolution
Middle schoolers examine fossils and analyzing their significance in relation to theories of evolution. Hand-outs are provided. This instructional activity could be supplementary to a broader unit on evolution or geology.
Curated OER
Dinosaurs
In this earth science worksheet, students match each vocabulary term, that names something specific related to earth science, with its correct description found in the right column. They identify different types of scientists and various...
Curated OER
Investigation 4 - Dinosaurs Tracks
Fourth graders make inferences and interpretations from sets of dinosaur tracks. They describe Utah fossils and how they were formed. Partners trade their sketches of tracks and try to guess which dinosaur it belonged to.
Curated OER
Science: Down Home Dinosaurs
students participate in hands-on activities to discover the different types of fossils. Using teacher-provided materials, they make models of cast and trace fossils. After writing essays describing how traces are formed, students plan a...
Curated OER
Can You Dig It?
Young scholars investigate a fossil site and diagram a site map. They role play as paleontologists.
Curated OER
Where Should We Place Archaeopteryx?
Pupils classify Archaeopteryx using pictures of actual fossils and scientist representations of how the animal might have looked. They compare Archaeopteryx's characteristics to those of the five extant vertebrate groups to...
Curated OER
Dino Traces
Young scholars are introduced to the type of evidence that is found at a typical dinosaur dig. They create rubbing casts of bone impressions on paper and, using bones, identify dinosaurs.