Captain Planet Foundation
Help a Sister Out: Garden Companions
Explore Native American gardening traditions with a lesson on companion planting. Based on the concept that certain crops grow better when planted near other specific crops, kids research the gardening method with background links and by...
Science 4 Inquiry
Journey Through the Spheres of the Earth
Each of the Earth's spheres interacts with the other spheres in predictable ways. Young scientists explore these interactions through a hands-on activity, graphing, and watching a video. They summarize their knowledge in a video or...
Curated OER
Variables Affecting Earth's Albedo
Students study the variables that affect the Earth's albedo. In this environmental data analysis lesson students interpret and graph information and calculate changes.
Captain Planet Foundation
Sense of Place
Explore the five senses with a kindergarten lesson on gardening. After taking a walk through the class garden, kids note what they see, hear, feel, taste, and smell, and then decide what is living in the garden versus what is not living....
Curated OER
My Angle on Cooling
Students explore how the angle and distance of an object can change it's temperature. After reviewing how the position of the Earth affects the temperature of the planet, student groups design and perform an experiment to test how...
NASA
NASA: Moving Cargo
How does NASA transport people and cargo to planets? The five-lesson unit breaks down the transportation system that scientists use to transport cargo to space. Pairs team up in order to devise a transportation system that will...
Teach Engineering
Earthquakes Living Lab: Geology and Earthquakes in Japan
Sometimes it seems as if earthquakes hit the same places over and over again. Class members study Japan in order to determine why earthquakes keep happening there. Pairs work together to research and try to determine whether there...
Teach Engineering
Earthquakes Living Lab: Finding Epicenters and Measuring Magnitudes
Pairs use an online simulation to determine the epicenter and magnitude of an earthquake. Using real data about the earthquake's maximum S wave amplitudes, they then determine the magnitude. The resource provides a great career...
Curated OER
Meteors
Students identify the different types of meteorite using an interactive website. In this earth science lesson plan, students simulate how meteors crash on a surface. They relate meteor size to crater size.
Curated OER
Volcanoes
Students explore the formation of volcanoes. In this earth science lesson, students build their own volcanoes in the lab using different materials. They identify the different types of volcanoes.
Curated OER
Space the Next Frontier
Students examine the use of space as the frontier of the future. Using the colonist's experience coming to the New World, they identify challenges they would face if they were to settle in space. As a class, they share what they already...
Curated OER
Scale Model of the Solar System
Students work in groups of 4-6 for the experiment/activity part of this exercise. Students know that earth is the third planet from the sun in a system that includes the moon, the sun, eight other planets and their moons, and smaller...
Curated OER
Introducing The Gulf Stream
Sixth graders research the average temperatures of different places on Earth. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders explain how the sun's heat cause ocean movement. They discuss how temperature change affects the weather we experience.
Curated OER
Using Mathematic Models to Investigate Planitary Habitablity
Students examine how the sun's intensity affects the temperature on various planets. They determine whether or not these planets could be habitable. Finally, they factor in the average albedo of the planets to determine whether or not...
Curated OER
Biosphere
Students examine the basic biosphere and its components. In this ecology lesson plan students complete several experiments including designing a system that is balanced to sustain life.
Curated OER
I'm Falling For You!
Third graders are introduced to the concept of gravity by observing different objects being dropped from a high point. In groups, they complete the same activities Galileo did and record their observations. To end the lesson, they...
Curated OER
Newton's Laws and Winter Sports
Young scholars investigate past winter Olympic games utilizing any skiing or snowboarding event to take Newton's Challenge. Helpful Web resources are provided and students enjoy learning science laws along with researching Olympic events.
Curated OER
The Day an Egg Solved the Mystery of the Cell
Young scholars conduct an experiment comparing human cells to chicken cells. In this cells lesson plan, students conduct an experiment to see how nutrition moves through cells and how to better take care of their bodies.
Curated OER
Introduction to Earth's Dynamically Changing Climate
Learners identify the most common causes of global warming. In this earth science instructional activity, students use an interactive website to explore changes over time in sea ice, sea level, carbon emissions, and average global...
Curated OER
NASA Robots
Learners investigate how robots are used in space. In this space science lesson, students participate in an experiment using a blindfold and complete assigned tasks. The learners demonstrate how robots are "thinking" machines.
Curated OER
Daisyworld: Stella Mac or PC
Young scholars investigate Daisyworld, a very simple planet that has only two species of life on its surface - white and black daisies, and bare ground. They construct a Stella model of Daisyworld and perform guided experiments to...
Curated OER
The First Manned Mission To Mars
Students plan the first manned mission to Mars. They discuss, in small groups, some of the information that the group might have heard regarding the red planet and decide which types of occupations should be included in a crew for the...
Curated OER
Land Safely...
Students model the preparation needed for a soft-landing on a planet or object in space. They do this by packaging a raw egg with certain material, and dropping the egg from a given height to test the packaging effectiveness.
Curated OER
Earth's Hydrologic Cycle
Young scholars examine the water cycle. In this hydrologic cycle lesson, students follow the provided procedures to demonstrate the how water moves around the planet through the dynamics of the water cycle.