Virginia Department of Education
Heat and Thermal Energy Transfer
How does radiation affect our daily lives? Answer that question and others with a lesson that discusses radiation and its use in thermal energy transfer through electromagnetic waves. Pupils investigate vaporization and...
Colorado State University
What Is Energy?
Don't let the energy of your classroom falter! Explore the scientific definition of energy through play. A hands-on lesson focuses on the change of energy from one form to another.
CK-12 Foundation
Intrusive and Extrusive Igneous Rocks
Check out a resource that's erupting with engaging material! Earth science scholars discover how igneous rocks form in a well-rounded interactive. They manipulate the cooling time of lava to watch crystals form, learn visual...
CK-12 Foundation
Satellites, Shuttles, and Space Stations: Satellites in Orbit
Blast off! How do satellites, space shuttles, and space stations escape Earth's gravity and achieve orbit? Young astronauts study rocket science (literally) with an interactive lesson. They discover the four main uses for satellites, how...
Curated OER
Geography: World Dynamics
Students discuss and examine how the world is changing. After reading an article, they discover the immediate changes that have taken place and how they have effected living things. They complete a worksheet identifying the changes as...
Curated OER
Cool It! Comprehension
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read a chart about the future of climate change and then complete the two worksheets that test their understanding of the text with a quiz and a graphic organizer about the changes that...
Curated OER
It's About Time
Students create their own timeline. In this social science instructional activity, students write the important events that happened in their lives on their timeline and then compare their timeline to Earth's timeline.
Curated OER
Seasons' Journey : Putting it All Together
Third graders complete a diagram of the revolution of the earth around the sun and write a one paragraph explanation of the factors that cause seasons.
Curated OER
Biomes: Extreme Climate
Middle schoolers discuss the causes of global warming. In this earth science lesson plan, students examine how global warming is connected to the arctic and world climate. They write a paragraph about their interconnection.
Curated OER
Tsunami
Young scholars examine what causes tsunamis and why they all behave differently. In this tsunami lesson students complete a group activity after viewing a video.
Curated OER
The Role of Fire in Healthy Prairie, Brush and Forest Lands
Students create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast wildfires and prescribed fires. In this earth science lesson plan, students conduct a series of experiment to explore fire characteristics. They describe favorable conditions to...
Curated OER
What's Your Favorite Season?
Students explore earth science by creating illustrations in class. In this four seasons activity, students identify the four different types of weather that take place during the year and read the books Harvest Year and Snow Comes to the...
Curated OER
Beginning At Home
Students participate in activities that increase awareness of environmental stewardship. In this stewardship lesson, students discuss solutions to environmental problems and apply the solutions to ways they can keep their classroom...
Curated OER
Global Warming
Learners examine how human produced emissions of carbon dioxide contribute to global warming. Using the internet, they research the future effects of global warming on the Earth. In groups, they discover ways to reduce daily energy...
Curated OER
Making Clouds: Aerosol-Cloud Interactions in a Beaker
Students observe a teacher demo on how clouds form. In this earth science lesson, students discover how cloudiness affects relative humidity. They explain the scattering of light by clouds.
Curated OER
How Many Days Are in a Year?
Young scholars create a calendar for an imaginary planet. In this earth science lesson, students analyze the errors on the different calendars used on Earth. They present their work in class.
Curated OER
Harvesting the New World: Changing Land Uses and Contact Between Cultures in Colonial Times
Ninth graders differentiate the Native American and European values. In this world history instructional activity, 9th graders define colonialism in their own words. They study the effects of epidemics and other diseases to Native...
Curated OER
Natural Features of Our Community
Second graders read about and discuss natural features of communities. They listen to a guest speaker, such as a park ranger to expand their knowledge of natural features. They go on a field trip, if possible, to a local zoo or...
Curated OER
Earth's Age: The Dating Game
Students conduct a simulation to determine radioactive decay and half-life. Using pennies, dice or sugar cubes as isotopes placed in shoe boxes simulating rocks, they hold five trials representing 1000 years each to find the theoretical...
Curated OER
The Marsh Land as a Changing Environment
Sixth graders continue their examination of the state of Connecticut. After taking a field trip, they identify the types of birds, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates who make their home in the salt marshes. In groups, they identify...
Curated OER
Recycling & Our Environment
Young scholars present information about recycling to other students. In this environmental protection instructional activity, young scholars create a puppet show or commercial about the importance of recycling for other students to view.
Curated OER
Windbreakers; Earth Science, Topography, Weather
Students consider how topography affects weather and human activity. Students simulate a mountain range and observe surrounding wind patterns.
Curated OER
Breaking News English: NASA Telescope to Look for Other Earths
In this English worksheet, students read "NASA Telescope to Look for Other Earths," and then respond to 1 essay, 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 10 true or false questions about the selection.
Curated OER
Back to the Earth
Pupils conduct an experiment in which they bury four objects (apple, lettuce, plastic and styrofoam) in the ground and come back to observe them a month later. They consider what biodegrades and how it affects our planet.