NOAA
Water Cycle
Be water wise! Science scholars learn the water cycle on a global scale in part seven of a 13-installment series. The hands-on interactive allows them to explore Earth's water storage, types of precipitation, and the cycling of water...
Curated OER
Greenhouse in a Bottle
Students create models of the greenhouse effect using recycled 2-liter bottles. They discuss how their models compares to the real greenhouse effect the earth experiences.
Science 4 Inquiry
Edible Plate Tectonics
Many people think they can't observe plate tectonics, but thanks to GPS, we know that Australia moves at a rate of 2.7 inches per year, North America at 1 inches per year, and the Pacific plate at more than 3 inches per year! Scholars...
Curated OER
Earth System Science
Students explore the Earth and its ability to support life. They discuss the geosphere and the water cycle and complete the Water Wonders activity. After completing the activity, they respond in their journals and reflect upon the...
Curated OER
Stratospheric Ozone
Students explore about the structure of Earth's atmosphere and about the stratospheric ozone. They discuss how it is produced and destroyed, where it is located, why it is important, and how it is changing. Students investigate about...
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals
Students are able to describe earth processes (e.g., rusting, weathering, erosion) that have affected selected physical features in students, neighborhoods. They are able to identify various earth structures (e.g., mountains, faults,...
Curated OER
Modeling Estuaries
Students create a model estuary. In this modeling estuaries lesson plan, students identify characteristics and mix water of varying densities. Students form a hypothesis, conduct an experiment, and analyze the results.
Curated OER
Structure of the Earth
Sixth graders examine the layers of the Earth and the changes that take place on a daily basis. They look at the layers of a boiled egg to relate them to the layers of the Earth.
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Earth's Atmosphere and Temperature
Students explore the layers of earth's atmosphere and conduct an experiment to identify carbon dioxide. They construct models using styrofoam to represent molecules in the atmosphere's layers. To discover how sunlight efffects...
Curated OER
Candy Quakes
Eighth graders, using a candy bar, gum, and Twizzlers, demonstrate the effects of deformational forces on the earth's crust. They examine the processes of rock and fossil formation.
Curated OER
The Mountain Blows its Top
Learners replicate a volcanic eruption. In this volcanoes lesson, students follow the provided procedures to show and describe how the inflation of a bulge led to the eruption of Mount St. Helens.
Curated OER
Earthquake Formation
Young scholars explore earthquakes. In this natural disaster and engineer career education lesson, students identify features of the earth's surface that increase the likelihood of an earthquake. Young scholars use visual aids to locate...
Curated OER
Gingerbread Spacecraft
Students explore the different parts of the Cassini spacecraft. In this space science lesson, students create a model of the spacecraft using food products. They compare and contrast their model with the real one and evaluate its...
Curated OER
Earth's Plate Tectonics
Students identify the different layers of the Earth. In this earth science activity, students create a model of the crusts and continents. They explain how plates movement cause earthquakes and volcanoes.
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Cruising the Mantle
Students explore the plate boundaries of the earth. Through the use of video, internet and hands-on activities, students examine the types of plate boundaries. They create a model to illustrate the movement and interaction of the...
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Layering the Soil
Students study and classify soil. For this soil science lesson, students classify soil by texture and size and study soil horizons. Students label the soil types with their specific soil horizon and learn about permafrost. Students...
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The No Zone of Ozone
Students explore the causes and effects of the Earth's ozone holes through discussion and an interactive simulation. Using gumdrops and toothpicks, they conduct a large-group, interactive ozone depletion model.
Curated OER
Take a Stab!
Learners construct an experiment to test the rigidity of compressed air and its strength. In this earth science lesson, students are divided into groups, and by putting their thumb over the end of a straw, use the compressed air strength...
Teach Engineering
Dress for Success
Dressing for success is not always about looking sharp. Sometimes it is about staying warm and dry. Present your class with an activity that challenges groups of pupils to design a layered material for blizzard conditions. The teams test...
Curated OER
Wreck Detectives
Junior archaeologists examine types of artifacts from the Bronze Age on the internet. In collaborative groups, they create a story about a ship from this period and then construct a model of the ocean floor after their ship has sunk....
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The Layered Earth
Young scholars role play plate tectonics by creating a "plate statue" made up of students. In this earth science lesson, young scholars describe how Earth's movement cause earthquakes and volcanoes. They draw and name the different...
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Tic-Tac-Toe for Layers of the Earth
Eighth graders identify the different layers of the earth. In this earth science lesson plan, 8th graders choose a project to do from a given list according to their learning style. They present their finished project in class.
Curated OER
Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics
For this plate tectonics worksheet, students use Graham crackers, frosting, water and a paper plate to simulate tectonic processes such as convergent, divergent and transforming plate boundaries.
Curated OER
The Spectrum of a Star
Tenth graders identify stars based on their line spectra. In this astronomy activity, 10th graders analyze spectrograph and determine the elements present in the star. They explain the relationship between temperature and star classes.