Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Land of Plenty, Land of Want

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view a video about the state of the environment. They discover the topic of sustainable agriculture. They identify problems and how to solve them.
Lesson Plan
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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.
Lesson Plan
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The Sun in Our Lives

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders identify the different parts of the sun. In this astronomy lesson plan, 3rd graders examine how the sun's energy drive life processes on Earth. They construct a model of a solar system using large rolls of toilet paper.
Lesson Plan
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The Salt Water Connection

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the various factors that influence the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay, California. They watch a video about Monterey Bay and take notes, and conduct research and write a report about a specific organism living...
Lesson Plan
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Life Underground

For Teachers 1st
First graders build a terrarium in order to observe animal and plant life dynamics. In this biology lesson, 1st graders compare how organisms survive in different environments. They write their observations and analysis in their journal.
Lesson Plan
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The Mysteries of Saturn and Cassini

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine photographs of Saturn and make observations. They develop questions they have based on viewing the photos. They work together to answer their questions.
Lesson Plan
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A Generation that Cares: Saving our Environment!

For Teachers 3rd - 10th
Students discover the dangers posing our environment.  In this environmental awareness lesson plan, students investigate problems like global warming and pollution and discuss ways their generation can solve these issues....
Interactive
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Glaciers

For Students 4th - 9th
For this glacier worksheet learners complete a virtual glacier activity and several short answer questions on climate change and building glaciers.
Lesson Plan
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A View Of Home From The Front Door and From Space

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students discover how distance can change how our view of an object. Students build a representative model of where their home is located from different distances. They create three drawn models of their home from various elevations as...
Lesson Plan
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Attributes of Renewable Energy: From Nanopossibilities to Solar Power

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore solar energy, why we use it and how we use it.  In this renewable energy lesson students compare active and solar techniques.
Lesson Plan
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The Energy Grab Game

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the scarcity of energy resources. They also explore the competition for natural resources and the inadequate distribution of natural wealth among the Earth's nations.
Lesson Plan
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Shrinking Spaces

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students describe the impact of population growth on the environment. They describe how cities affect their surrounding environment and explain how cities are handling growth and its resulting effect on the quality of life. They visit...
Lesson Plan
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Earth's Energy Cycle: Albedo

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students complete all of the steps in the scientific inquiry process to study Earth's energy cycle; most specifically temperature and the effects of albedo (energy reflected back from Earth's surface) on temperature.
Lesson Plan
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Soapy Stress

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students investigate the three types of material stress related to rocks. They identify the three types of stress, conduct a simulation by breaking bars of soap using only their hands, and complete a worksheet.
Lesson Plan
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Remote Sensing

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the effects of global warming on specific organisms. They research the possible problems global warming is causing.
Lesson Plan
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Our Changing View of the Earth

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students explore the theory of Plate Tectonics. They participate in a simulation in which they re-enact the debate over Plate Tectonics vs. traditional beliefs of stationary continents that were widely accepted during the 1800's and...
Lesson Plan
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Creating a Pond Habitat

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students create a pond habitat inside and outside their classroom. In this pond lesson plan, students create a habitat with animals, water, and plants in order to create a proper pond habitat.
Worksheet
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Electrical Conduction in Semiconductors

For Students Higher Ed
In this electronics worksheet, students explore the properties of semiconductors to complete 17 short answer and problem solving questions.
Lesson Plan
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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...
Worksheet
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Why Earthquakes Occur

For Students 6th - 9th
In this earthquake instructional activity, students learn about why earthquakes occur. After reading the information, they answer the 12 questions in the packet. The answers are on the last page.
Lesson Plan
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Asteroids

For Teachers K - 12th
Students examine the different types of asteroids and how they enter the atmosphere.  In this space lesson students use mashed potatoes to create an asteroid they can eat.
Lesson Plan
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The Voyage Scale

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify how models are powerful tools of exploration and that the sizes of the planets and distances between the planets in the Solar System span a large range. They make a sign for each planet they have created in the lesson...
Lesson Plan
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What's Out There? Space Shuttle Exploration and Simulation

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students role-play the jobs of space shuttle astronauts, conduct experiments, and research space using the Internet and offline experiments. Student-astronauts hold a "press conference" to share their information with others in a...
Lesson Plan
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Making Good Decisions

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine the "Little Planet Times" and discuss how to solve the town's problem. For this literature/problem solving lesson, students record the opinion of each of the council members and role play their position. Students...