Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is the Problem of Boston Harbor?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students recognize the affects of technology on the environment. They examine data to determine methods to improve waater quality. A research paper is written to desribe recommendations for improving water in the future.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Chemistry of Coal

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students investigate the chemistry of coal. This lesson serves as a review of conservation of mass, simple reactions and equation balancing. During the lesson, students research chemical components of coal, as well as environmental...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Science Quiz-General Knowledge

For Students 4th - 6th
In this science quiz activity, students complete a set of 20 true or false questions covering a variety of general science topics. An answer key is included.
Article
NOAA

Noaa: Earth System Climate Change

For Students 9th - 10th
As viewed from space, the Earth appears beautiful and serene. As you well know, however, here standing on Earth, it's complicated! Complex, that is. And, it's constantly changing. Often changes on Earth happen so slowly it would be...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Climate Change: Earth's Giant Game of Tetris

For Students 9th - 10th
There's a game of Tetris happening on a global scale: The playing space is planet Earth, and all those pesky, stacking blocks represent carbon dioxide- a greenhouse gas that is piling up ever more rapidly as we burn the fossil fuels that...
Website
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Planet Earth

For Students 9th - 10th
A series of seven instructional, hour-long videos presenting Earth-science topics such as plate tectonics, oceans, climate changes, natural resources, the Sun, and the future of our planet. Closed captioning option provided for each video.
Handout
Encyclopedia of Earth

Encyclopedia of Earth: Rapid Changes in Glaciers and Ice Sheets

For Students 9th - 10th
The world's glaciers and ice sheets are melting according to this extensive report. It makes recommendations on how to monitor this situation, explains what we know about the past when there was much less ice in the world, describes what...
Lesson Plan
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: The Sun Earth Connection: Sunspots and Climate

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Through graphing data and interpretation, students learn about sunspots and their effect on the climate of our planet.
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Is Our Climate Headed for a Mathematical Tipping Point?

For Students 9th - 10th
Scientists have warned that as CO2 levels in the atmosphere rise an increase in Earth's temperature by even two degrees could lead to catastrophic effects across the world. But how can such a tiny, measurable change in one factor lead to...
Website
NOAA

Noaa: Paleoclimatology Program: Astronomical Theory of Climate Change

For Students 9th - 10th
Use this site to learn how the Earth's not-so-circular orbit around the sun has affected our climate over thousands of years, and continues to affect our climate now.
Article
NOAA

Noaa: Is Our Climate Changing [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover thoughts about the Earth's changing climate and how these changes may impact people and the environment.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: A Reader's Guide to Climate Change

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity from the Deep Earth Academy, learners divide into groups to read and discuss one of nine short articles (1-2 pages) about research done by the Ocean Drilling Program. These articles discuss our understanding about past...
Website
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Discover Our Earth

For Students 9th - 10th
Study earthquakes, volcanoes, topography, plate tectonics, and sea level change using graphs, maps, and movies. Engage in earth science knowledge discovery, critically evaluate the data and results, and reach conclusions about the earth...
Website
NASA

Nasa: Earth Observatory

For Students 9th - 10th
The purpose of NASA's Earth Observatory is to provide new satellite imagery and scientific information about our home planet to the public. The focus is on Earth's climate and environmental change.
Handout
Other

The Geological Society: Climate Change: Evidence From the Geological Record

For Students 9th - 10th
In this statement, The Geological Society describes the changes that are happening to the global climate in terms of what evidence has been observed in our geological history. For example, what happened during past events of rapid...
Handout
Encyclopedia of Earth

Encyclopedia of Earth: Environmental Chemistry: Carbon Cycle

For Students 9th - 10th
Article explaining the importance of carbon as the basis for life, carbon dioxide's role in photosynthesis and respiration, carbon in the ocean and lithosphere, the impact of human activities on the carbon cycle, carbon that seems to be...
Website
NASA

Nasa: Our Restless Planet

For Students 9th - 10th
This animation library is a great resource for a diverse list of earth science topics including: tsunamis, land subsidence, magnetic fields, volcanoes earthquakes, floods, and sea level changes.
Handout
Encyclopedia of Earth

Encyclopedia of Earth: Thermal Pollution

For Students 9th - 10th
Article cites factors affecting temperature change of Earth's water and explains thermal pollution's impact on our planet's ecology.
Website
NOAA

Noaa: Education Resources

For Students 9th - 10th
Links to earth science sites, including safety tips, fun activities, general earth science information, and daily weather reports and more.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Get Down and Dirty: How Does Soil Change With Depth?

For Students 6th - 8th
What covers less than 10% of the Earth's surface, yet is a vital natural resource for terrestrial life? What filters ground water and supports most of our food production, not to mention the production of building materials and paper?...
Lesson Plan
Other

Bscs: Earth's Changing Surface Lesson 1: Our Land

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
This hands-on lesson focuses on the land and its many different types of landforms and bodies of water. Included are a minute-by-minute lesson plan, activities, and teacher discussion points and questions.
Lesson Plan
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Ocean Currents Change Our Earth

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students learn about the factors that drive ocean currents by measuring the density of ocean water and tap water.
Handout
Environmental Education for Kids

Eek!: Be the Change: Our Earth What a Waste?

For Students 3rd - 5th
Read about how the people of Wisconsin are recycling much of their waste and how this is helping the environment.
Website
Other

Earth Waves: Our Changing Planet

For Students 6th - 8th
A compilation of information from volunteers on earthquakes and earthquake prediction. Includes a lot of information on quakes in the California area plus some nice maps.