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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Lesson: Renewable Energy

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars examine renewable energy sources such as solar, water, and wind. They experiment to determine how renewable energy is transformed into electricity. They investigate the role of engineers who work in the field of renewable...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's a Kid to Do?

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students participate in an environmental action letter-writing campaign. They conduct Internet research on the Global Response website, discuss various successful Global Response campaigns, select a campaign they are interested in, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Living Earth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students discuss glaciers and write a definition for a glacier as a class. After discussion, they participate in an activity that demonstrates how glaciers can cause dramatic changes and create new landforms. Groups discuss their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Climate Change Skeptic's Argument: Natural Solar Cycles or Human Activity?

For Teachers Higher Ed
Teachers explore patterns in sunspots and total solar irradiance to understand the counterpoint to the human effect of global warming. In this professional development tool, teachers work through a lesson on the sun's natural patterns to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating Planetary Life

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research about the search for life in Mars. In this space science lesson, students develop a creative visual display of their findings. They present their project in class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Compass Building Instructions

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Students build their own compass following a given procedure. In this technology lesson, students explain how a compass is used in navigation. They trace the history of its development.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Time: On the Astronomical Meaning of the Day, Year and Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars simulate the movement of the Earth using their body motion. In this earth science lesson, students explain how this causes seasonal changes on Earth.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heavens Above

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils study the stars and their positions.  In this astronomy lesson students see how scientists can predict the positions of the stars and can tell how they would have appeared in the past. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Catapults!

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students work together to discover the relationship between the angle of catapults and the flight of different objects. They discover the heavier the object the more force is needed. They examine how engineers use this information to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Earth's Dynamically Changing Climate

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars identify the most common causes of global warming. In this earth science lesson, students use an interactive website to explore changes over time in sea ice, sea level, carbon emissions, and average global temperature....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Colonial America

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore Internet sites about Colonial America, and create multimedia presentations.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's down there?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
students analyze how oil is formed and where in the Earth we find it. Students take a core sample to look for oil in a model of the Earth. They analyze their sample and make an informed decision as to whether or not they should "drill...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Determining the Age of Fossils

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the concept of radioactive dating. In this radioactive dating lesson, students investigate how to determine the ages of fossils and rocks as they learn about half-life radioactive decay.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

People and Space

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students eat dehydrated foods that the astronauts would eat in space. In this dehydrated foods lesson plan, students make lists of food they could eat, discuss how dehydration takes place, eat food, and complete discussion questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy and Me: What is My Responsibility?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate energy and their impact on the environment. In this environmental lesson plan, students will conduct a series of three activities that will help in their understanding of energy and how we use it.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Water, Water Everywhere and None to Drink"

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders research the importance of maintaining an unpolluted water source in their community. They work together in groups and brainstorm ideas on what they can do to help. They can also write their local politicians.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scale Model of the Earth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students work together to create a model of the Earth. They label and identify each layer and describing its properties. They discover how engineers use models to test different concepts.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thar She Blows!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students identify the advantages and disadvantages of wind farms and turbines. They examine how weather conditions can affect their effectiveness and how engineers are trying to solve the problem. They discover how engineers use this...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Vocabulary of Space

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students build their knowledge and understanding of vocabulary related to space.  In this space lesson, students discuss four categories of words and phrases related to space. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biomes: Extreme Climate

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss the causes of global warming. In this earth science activity, students examine how global warming is connected to the arctic and world climate. They write a paragraph about their interconnection.