Curated OER
Energy Woes
High schoolers role play as members of Save the Earth Foundation attending a public hearing about potential energy failures. They write a plan of action regarding the advantages an disadvantages of alternative energy sources.
Curated OER
Disappearing Water
Students explore the water cycle. In this earth science lesson, students observe and measure water in a closed container and in an open container. Students record their observations and compare their sets of data to draw conclusions...
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How Do Things Fall?
Students study forces by examining the force of gravitational attraction. They observe how objects fall and measure the force of gravitational attraction upon objects. Students discover that, since gravitational constants are different...
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Air Pressure & Barometers
Fourth graders observe, measure, and record data on the basic elements of weather over a period of time (i.e., precipitation, air temperature, wind speed and direction, and air pressure). Then, they make a barometer and keep record of...
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Native American Culture
Students read a variety of Native American Literature and discuss the main idea by answering critical thinking questions about the poem. Students use context clues to understand the feeling of the Native American culture about the Earth....
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Managing Heat
Third graders perform various experiments to show the flow of energy that causes heat. In this heat lesson plan, 3rd graders understand how heat is transferred or trapped. Students use the scientific method and critical thinking skills...
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A Tree is a Friend
Fifth graders discover the value of trees in our society. In this ecosystem instructional activity, 5th graders read the book, A Tree is Nice, and discuss with classmates how trees are essential to our existence due to creating...
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Lights, Camera, Action!
Students explore various images and recognize that in order to make a visible image using a camera or using our eye, light is required. In small groups, they observe how the eyes respond to changes in light and record their observations...
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Applied Science - Built Environment (3) Pre Lab
Third graders discuss types of transportation. In this transportation lesson, 3rd graders discuss common ways people get around and the effect of electric energy on our society. They write a paragraph about different kinds of...
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Sea Level Trends ~ Ocean Front Property: An "Immerging" Market
Young oceanographers take a look at sea level data from several cities over a few centuries. They use the data to fuel a discussion about what kind of changes are taking place and the impact they are having on the coastal ecosystems....
Curated OER
Wax On, Wane Off
Students explore the Earth's only natural sattelite, the moon. They view a demonstration using tennis balls of the waxing crescent moon, waxing gibbous moon and a lunar eclipse.
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You're In My Space!
Students explain how political, social, and economic boundaries can be changed through cooperation and conflict. Small groups are assigned a particular trouble area of the world. Each group studies a particular side of the conflict.
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Water and Ice
Students examine how water changes state, from a liquid to a solid. In this water lesson students study the water cycle and how temperature and pressure effect it.
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Our Universe: Always Moving, Always Changing
Students explore the main concepts of astronomy through the eleven lessons of this unit. The past, present, and future methods of studying the science are examined in this unit.
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Glacier Climbing
Students discuss glaciers and the current distribution of glaciers around the Earth. They create simulated glaciers using cornstarch, shoeboxes, water, and pebbles.
Space Awareness
What is a Constellation
Why do some stars in a constellation appear brighter than others? Using a get-up-and-move astronomy activity, scholars explore perspective and the appearance of constellations in the sky while developing an understanding of the...
NASA
Taking Apart the Light
Break down light into spectra. Scholars learn how atoms emit and absorb photons and come to understand how this process allows scientists to identify different atoms based on either absorption lines or emission lines. Learners then...
Pennsylvania State University
Learn, Protect, and Promote Water
A hands-on activity helps learners explore the water cycle. After discussing how they use water, classes discuss water pollution and then move into a simulation where 20 pupils move through the water cycle based on description cards.
Salt River Project
How Do We Clean Polluted Water?
How do we clean up oil spills and other pollutants in the water? Explore water treatment strategies with a set of environmental science experiments. Groups remove oil from water, work with wastewater treatment, and perform a water...
Curated OER
Theory, Theory, Who's got the theory?
Students analyze 5 separate theories of evolution in order to help them explain the different meanings of theory, how human values influence science, and that the scientific view of the origin of life does not involve supernatural forces.
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Land Erosion - Does Vegetation Matter?
Young learners explore erosion, deposition, weather and climate in this science lesson. They discuss the cause of erosion, collect data and analyze it suing the TI Explorer. They can also use the TI CBL or Vernier LabPro for this...
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A Wild Chain Reaction
Learners explore habitats. In this habitat lesson, students break into groups and are labeled as a part of a habitat. Learners then do an activity with yarn that shows how all of the parts are connected and depend on each...
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Where Does the Water Around Our School Go?
Learners in groups, map quadrants of the area around the school and make predictions about the direction of waterflow and zones of accumulation that will occur when it rains. Then when it does rain they check to see if their prediction...
Curated OER
Our Earth: Storehouse of Natural Resources
Students listen to an explanation of the science of the mining industry and create a geological map of Africa. They discuss the uses of minerals and resources and research a natural mineral resource in their part of the world.