Lesson Plan
Science Friday

Fossil Detectives

For Students 6th - 8th
What can this rock be? Pupils pretend to be paleontologists by sketching fossils and making predictions about their types. To determine whether they can identify the type of dinosaur, class members compare their observations and...
Activity
BBC

Walking with Dinosaurs

For Teachers K - 8th Standards
Breath new life into your class's study of dinosaurs with this extensive collection of materials. Offering everything from a printable T-rex mask, word searches, and connect-the-dots activities to informational handouts, hands-on...
Unit Plan
Lerner Publishing

Meet the Dinosaurs

For Teachers K - 3rd Standards
Take your class of youngsters on a prehistoric adventure with this four-lesson series on dinosaurs. Accompanying the Meet the Dinosaurs books by Don Lessem, these lessons engage children in writing their own dinosaur books,...
Lesson Plan
Carnegie Mellon University

Transportation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Teach your environmental studies, life science, or engineering class how an internal combustion engine works using the first few slides of the accompanying presentation. Then, focus in on the resulting carbon emissions. Finally, take a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Science Lesson Plans on Geologic Time

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Springboard your fourth and fifth graders into the study geologic time. They will complete 7 activities to learn about geologic time and the topics most often associated with it: astronomy, creation, planet formation, volcanology,...
Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Submarines and Aircraft Carriers: The Science of Nuclear Power

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
As physics masters view this presentation, they learn how nuclear power is used in submarines. They use Google Maps to plot a course through the ocean and calculate the time required for surfacing and traveling. They learn about fission,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Adventure

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students create a book about the process of a dinosaur becoming a fossil.  In this earth science lesson, students are taught about fossils and create a book that tells what happened to a dinosaur's bones after they die.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mud Fossils

For Teachers K - 4th
Young scholars observe real fossils. In this science instructional activity, students make their own mud fossils by pressing material into the mud and letting it dry in the sun for 3-4 days. Young scholars then get the fossils...
Activity
Society of Petroleum Engineers

Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy

For Teachers 2nd - 10th Standards
Energize an environmental science unit on natural resources with this collection of instructional materials. From simple coloring sheets for primary grade children, to guiding questions for a high school research...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The History of Life on Earth

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Using meters as years, your class works together to map out the geologic time scale on a football field. Plenty of background information is included in this lesson plan as well as several resource links and a student worksheet. Your...
Activity
Consortium for Ocean Leadership

Nannofossils Reveal Seafloor Spreading Truth

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Spread the word about seafloor spreading! Junior geologists prove Albert Wegener right in an activity that combines data analysis and deep ocean exploration. Learners analyze and graph fossil sample data taken from sites along the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Fuel Sources, Usage and Alternatives: What are the Options?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students identify the different sources of fossil fuels. In this environmental science lesson, students research about how these impact our environment. They explore renewable energy sources that could replace fossil fuels.
Lesson Plan
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Human Feet Are Strange

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Feet are neat! So, if you've already walked the path of examining animal footprints with your class, put them in the shoes of early humans! A well-designed lesson incorporates video, discussion, and hands-on learning to demonstrate how...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Composting: A Scientific Investigation: California Academy of Sciences

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Garbage, recycle, compost: Does it really matter where we put our trash once we are done? By making detailed observations over seven weeks, kids will see which materials break down naturally to become a healthy part of the soil, and...
Interactive
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Deep History of Life on Earth

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Take it all the way back! Young scientists discover the changes that took place from the time Earth became solid to present day through an interesting interactive. The resource guides users through key events that have shaped our world...
Lesson Plan
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Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)

Ocean Acidification: Whats and Hows

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Open this lesson by demonstrating the production of acidic carbon dioxide gas by activated yeast. Emerging ecologists then experiment with seashells to discover the effect of ocean acidification on shelled marine organisms. They measure...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

The Methane Circus

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Step right up! An engaging research-centered lesson, the third in a series of six, has young archaeologists study the amazing animals of the Cambrian explosion. Working in groups, they profile a breathtaking and odd creature and learn...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Climate, Corals and Change

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Global warming isn't just an issue on land; deep ocean waters are also showing troubling signs. Young scientists learn more about deep water corals and the many recent discoveries researchers have made. Then they examine data related to...
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Layer of Time

For Students 6th - 12th
Dig through the layers for a better understanding of fossils. Scholars learn that fossils form in layers of sedimentary rock. Pupils arrange virtual layers to show the fossil record of different species. Once the layers are correct, they...
Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

Diversity of Living Things

For Teachers 8th Standards
Here's a topic classes can really dig—the fossil record. Use the well-organized and thoughtful road map to take eighth graders back in time to unearth the answer. Learn how our climate has changed, and how organisms have...
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Anatomy Adventure

For Students 6th - 12th
Sometimes science is puzzling. Using an online animation, individuals manipulate skeletal bones of an ancient species to recreate its skeleton. Learners complete the skeletal puzzle and learn about the process of paleontology in person...
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

What Do You Know About PaleontOLogy?

For Students 6th - 12th
Believe it or not, some dinosaurs are not extinct. Discover this and other interesting facts about dinosaurs in a 10-question online quiz. As individuals answer questions, the resource provides them with feedback and additional facts...
Website
American Museum of Natural History

Climate Change

For Students 6th - 12th
It actually is possible to have too much of a good thing when it comes to climate change. A slide show lesson describes how burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change. Individuals read about the scientific process and the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossils Footprints Across Time

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners examine fossils to understand how they are formed and how they give information about geological history. In this fossil lesson, students research and write about fossils and make models of different fossil types.The PDF...