Global Change
Impact of Climate Change on the Desert Pupfish
A fish that lives in the desert? You and your class can meet the desert pupfish as they examine its habitat, the role humans play in diminishing water supplies, and how climate change might impact this fishy friend. There are four short...
Polar Trec
Global Snow Cover Changes
Snow is actually translucent, reflecting light off its surface which creates its white appearance. Pairs or individuals access the given website and answer questions about snow cover. They analyze graphs and charts, examine data, and...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Mass Changes in Chemical Reactions—Microscale Chemistry
What better way is there to introduce conservation of mass than a few simple experiments? Young chemists conduct two chemical reactions, take the masses of reactants and products, then compare their results to determine...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: The Warming of Our Large Lakes - Reasons for Concern
Another A+ lesson on the impact of climate change comes to you from the National Earth Science Teachers Association. In this installment, learners model the stratification of water in lakes due to temperature differences. The lab also...
Concord Consortium
Intermolecular Attractions and States of Matter
Need a solid resource for teaching about states of matter? Science scholars go with the flow in a simple interactive that shows how intermolecular attractions determine a substance's phase. Pupils take control of the level of attraction...
Concord Consortium
Visualizing Electric Fields and Forces
Shock your class with an exciting interactive about electric fields! Physical science superstars visualize the transparent world of electric fields by changing the charge on a stationary object. They then observe changes in the resulting...
Curated OER
Journey North 1999
This is not a lesson plan, but an outstanding resource to provide material for your lessons on seasonal changes and animal migration. Links connect you to live web cams and up-to-date information on Monarch Butterflies, hummingbirds,...
Curated OER
Analyzing Tree Rings to Determine Climate Change
Students examine how to locate and access data sets. In this climate change activity students import data into Excel and graph it.
Concord Consortium
Non-Bonding
What makes helium so Noble, anyway? Explore the bonding properties of helium versus those of hydrogen using an interactive resource. Science scholars manipulate atoms of each element and observe changes in potential energy as the atoms...
Concord Consortium
Breaking a Molecular Bond
Breaking up is hard, especially with a third part involved! Watch as molecules of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen try to keep it together as a neutral third atom bombards them. Users control the reactive molecules and the velocity of the...
Curated OER
Changing Matter
Fifth graders conduct an experiment. In this changing matter lesson plan, 5th graders receive a cup of crystals, record their observations, add water to the crystals and record new observations. Students then discuss the...
American Chemical Society
Change in Temperature - Exothermic Reaction
Alone, or as part of the intended unit on chemical reactions, this activity allows learners to experience an exothermic reaction. Here, learners add calcium chloride to a baking soda solution and watch the temperature rise! They will...
American Chemical Society
Changing State: Evaporation
Why do experiments require a control? Guide scholars through designing an experiment to see what they can do to evaporate water faster with a lesson that stresses the importance of controlling all variables. The second activity...
Curated OER
Chemical Change in the Kitchen
Students examine chemical changes to food. In this chemical changes lesson plan, students make foods and observe the changes. The changes are recorded in an observation journal. Students photograph food they make at different stages in...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Changing States of Matter: Water’s Phase Changes
Third graders observe the properties of water and in its different states. In this states of matter lesson plan, 3rd graders view a video, read The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks and experiment with freezing, melting and...
Curated OER
Night Sky Observation
Students explore space science by completing an observational worksheet. In this astronomy lesson, students view several worksheets in which students identify minor changes between separate images in preparation for real star...
Curated OER
Observing Weather
Students investigate the weather by reading children stories. In this weather observation lesson, students read Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and several other stories about weather before they create a KWL chart....
Curated OER
Cycles of Life in an Urban Habitat: Changes in Biodiversity
Second graders compare and contrast animate and inanimate objects. In this environmental science lesson, 2nd graders create simple food webs. They observe their environment and create a collage about it.
Curated OER
Changes in Nature
Fifth graders identify the chemical and physical changes in the water cycle, carbon cycle, and the effects of weathering. They analyze the periodic table, and observe how vinegar reacts with limestone in a chemical reaction that causes...
Curated OER
Black, Striped, White, & Plaid: Changing Patterns
Students create a new design for an everyday object using color and patterns after observing objects that surround them in the classroom; focusing on five examples that are either solid colored or patterned.
American Chemical Society
Combustion and Burning
On Earth, a candle flame points up, but on the International Space Station, it forms a sphere. Young scientists practice their skills by recording observations before, during, and after a candle burns. Chemical and physical...
PBS
Season Seeking
It's a time of change. A hands-on activity engages young scientists in a lesson highlighting the change of seasons. They brainstorm indicators of season changes in nature and then look for them. Next, they record observations in a field...
PBS
The Cat in the Hat Activity Exploring Weather
Observe different types of weather right in your classroom! Here, pupils look at clouds, rain, snow, wind, and hot and cold temperatures, and observe these weather patterns at school. They keep track of their observations in a worksheet...
Curated OER
Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change
Students differentiate weather and climate. In this earth science lesson, students compare weather and climate in different regions of the world. They interpret weather graphs and compare isotherm lines of northern and southern hemisphere.