Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mercury in the Environment

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. They develop an understanding of chemical reactions, structures and properties of matter. They develop decision-making skills in natural and human-induced hazards.
Lesson Plan
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Seasonal Cloud Cover Variations

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students recognize different cloud types. They determine the seaonality of various types of clouds. They graph the data and determine if a correlation exists between season, cloud cover and type of clouds most prevalent during each season.
Lesson Plan
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Design an Island

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students make a map of an imaginary island using the topographic symbols provided from a worksheet. Students place lakes, dwellins, reefs, etc. in areas where they would logically be located from understanding how the topography of an...
Lesson Plan
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Bioregions of California

For Teachers K - 12th
Students map out the bioregions of California by examining the species and environment in different areas of the state. They use information and pictures from a PowerPoint presentation to complete a map handout and play a trivia game.
Lesson Plan
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Trouble in the Troposphere

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students 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...
Lesson Plan
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Pangaea Puzzle

For Teachers 5th - 11th
Students 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. 
Lesson Plan
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Rocks and Minerals: Sedimentary Rocks

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore the concept of rock formation. In this sedimentary rocks lesson, students observe and record their findings about sedimentary rocks. Students then create limestone, coal, and sandstone models and write reports...
Lesson Plan
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Acid Rain: Where Have All the Rainbows Gone?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners study the pH scale and sources of acid precipitation.  In this acid rain instructional activity students complete a lab on acid rain then complete a handout.
Lesson Plan
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PA Watersheds, Many Ways to the Sea

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the water cycle and the factors that interact with watersheds.  In this watersheds lesson students describe the purification process, trace the flow of infiltrate water through aquifers, and research the Internet to...
Lesson Plan
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The Oceanographic Yo-Yo

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine how oceanographers use chemical and physical parameters of seawater to locate hydrothermal vents.  In this ocean lesson students complete an activity and worksheets. 
Lesson Plan
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The Rock Cycle

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders, in groups, examine soil samples with magnifying glasses. They discuss the living and non-living things they find in their soild samples.
Lesson Plan
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Hudson Canyon Expedition Let's Bet on Sediments!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate and analyze the patterns of sedimentation in the Hudson Canyon students observe how heavier particles sink faster than finer particles. They study that submarine landslides (trench slope failure) are
Lesson Plan
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The Water Cycle

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students research the water cycle and identify main vocabulary associated with the water cycle. They build and observe a closed system model that demonstrates the water cycle in action.
Lesson Plan
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Fenwick Island, Maryland And Beyond: Who Owns the Sand?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine beach processes and complex beach systems. They study the human efforts to stabilize an unstable environment can lead to complex problems.
Lesson Plan
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Watershed Analysis

For Teachers 12th - Higher Ed
Students conduct a regional watershed analysis of an area of their choosing. Using on-line data and their personal knowledge of the area, they determine the annual hydrologic budget and teach the class about "their" watershed.
Lesson Plan
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Burp Under the Ice

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the impact of climate warming on Arctic methane deposits. They identify natural methane processes and describe how this contributes to species extinction. They write reports on their findings.
Lesson Plan
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Why Do We Need Petroleum?

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students learn the many ways petroleum is used in our industrial society, and the advantages and disadvantages of its use. They explore what it would be like to live in a world without petroleum.
Lesson Plan
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Plotting the Petroleum Plume

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the difference between confining layers and aquifers in a basic water table aquifer scenario. They contour groundwater elevation and petroleum product thickness data.
Lesson Plan
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Teaching about Conductivity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore conductivity and productivity in aquatic systems.
Lesson Plan
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Water Use and Conservation

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students discuss the different types of water found on Earth. They discover why not all water is used for drinking and calculate how much water they use. They create their own water conservation plan.
Lesson Plan
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Science: Trouble in the Troposphere

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research a NASA Website and record information about an assigned city's tropospheric ozone residual monthly climate. In groups, they graph the information for the past year. They form new groups and compare their city's...
Lesson Plan
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What Goes On Down Under?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore the sources for recharge and discharge of groundwater. They research the connection between surface water and groundwater. Students construct a model of an aquifer and explore recharge and discharge of the aquifer.
Lesson Plan
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Where In The World?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students review the proper terms for maps and various geographical features. In groups, they create a topographical map and label all geographic features in a given area. They present this material to the class and answer any questions...
Lesson Plan
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Lost Creek- Sacred Landscapes

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders engage in the discovery of the meaning of Sacred Landscapes. The religious concept is researched for its impact upon the practices of Native Americans and the geographical regions. They write reflection papers upon the...