Curated OER
It's Getting Hot in Here
Discover the environmental and economic impact of global warming. After reading an article, emerging environmentalists identify how different countries are responding to the Kyoto Protocol. They research emission laws and write a news...
Newspaper Association of America
Cereal Bowl Science and Other Investigations with the Newspaper
What do cereal, fog, and space shuttles have to do with newspapers? A collection of science investigations encourage critical thinking using connections to the various parts of the newspaper. Activities range from building origami seed...
Curated OER
Careers in science and careers that support scientific research
Examine some of the occupations which relate to science. Work in small groups of four. Group A is given a copy of a daily television guide to highlight all the television programs that have a science or mathematics focus. Group B is...
National Park Service
News Bearly Fit to Print
There are an average of three human fatalities by bears in North America every year, which is low when you compare it to the 26 killed by dogs and the 90 killed by lightning annually. The lesson encourages researching human-bear...
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Looking to the Future
New Horizons set forth on a mission to Pluto in 2006. Ten years later, the spacecraft is still on its way. Here, enthusiastic scholars predict what they will be like—likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc.—when New Horizons arrives at its...
Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium
Puzzled About Conservation
Raise children's awareness about conservation with this series of vocabulary activities. Offering riddles about endangered species and a crossword puzzle involving key terms relating to conservation, these fun worksheets will engage...
DiscoverE
Paper Tower
Read all about it! Challenge your class to build taller and stronger. Newspapers provide the means to build towers in a simple activity. Scholars try to build as tall a tower as possible with just two sheets of newspaper.
Curated OER
In My Own Backyard
Learners explore the soil and vegetation found in their home and/or school environment and map a familiar area. Each group is assigned a section of the schoolyard. They draw maps of their assigned places and gather soil and vegetation...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Recent Weather Patterns
Decide whether weather is changing! A two-part activity first challenges classes to review the differences between weather and climate. Once finished, individuals then analyze historical data to determine if climate change is happening...
Curated OER
A Turning Point in the Space Shuttle Program
Students study about the Columbia crew and their mission, how space shuttles work, and explore the history of the shuttle program. By accessing many websites imbedded in this plan, students gain a deep understanding of the Space Shuttle...
Curated OER
If a tree falls in the forest.......
Students identify by-products from forests used in their everyday lives. They describe several ways in which people depend on forests. Students list everyday products made from trees, then research and categorize less common products...
Curated OER
Using the Very, Very Simple Climate Model in the Classroom
Learners study the relationship between the average global temperature and carbon dioxide emissions. For this weather lesson students develop a test scenario using a model then read and interpret graphs of data.
Curated OER
Fireplace Logs from Newspapers
Students discuss the topic of recycling. They identify items that can and cannot be recycled. They practice using their newspaper to make other items.
NASA
The Big Climate Change Experiment Lesson 1: Pre-Exploration
Most have heard of climate change, but what does it really mean? Scholars first answer a set of pre-assessment questions about climate change to help instructors gauge how much they know. They listen to a video lecture, watch a news...
Curated OER
Crocodiles
Work on research procedures in this instructional activity, which prompts writers to collect and evaluate information pooled from a number of sources. They work in teams to collect information about crocodiles from different sources....
Curated OER
Peace Corps Challenge—Solving the Water Quality Issue
Students create a Wanzuzu newspaper. In this Peace Corps activity, students participate in a discussion regarding water pollution in Wanzuzu. Students conduct further research about the issue and create newspapers that detail the...
Curated OER
Current Weather
A great year around activity that shows young mathematicians how the math skills they are learning are actually used in the real world. This exercise also helps learners begin to distinguish the difference between weather and climate. As...
Curated OER
Yesterday and Today
Eighth graders are introduced to the concept of conservation. As a class, they brainstorm ways in which they can or already have helped the environment. Using the internet, they research key individuals and organizations that help the...
Curated OER
Who's Wild?
Students explore the differences between animals of the wild and domesticated animals. In this wild animals instructional activity, students understand that tame animals ancestors were once wild. Students illustrate the differences by...
Curated OER
Ethics in the Science Classroom: Recycling
Students work in a group to create a skit of a scenario involving recycling. Student skits should encourage and convince the audience members to participate in recycling activities. Students provide written responses after the final...
Curated OER
Will There Be a White Christmas This Year?
Students examine historical weather data, and create map and color key that illustrates the likelihood of a white Christmas in different locations across the United States.
Curated OER
Animal Homes
Match animals to their environments with a cute lab activity. Kids draw a line between each animal, such as a fish, a rabbit, and an ant, to the place where it lives. For hands-on practice, a science investigation instructs learners to...
Curated OER
Slick Moves: Exploring the Controversial Plan to Drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Students recount their knowledge of natural resources and articulate their understanding of the multi- faceted debate that surrounds drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. They then examine the complexity of drilling in the...
Curated OER
Life In the Flood Zone
Pupils discover how floods occur by visiting the Weather Channel's website. They examine the areas of the United States which are more vulnerable for flooding. They research the history of previous floods and how to protect themselves.