What goes up when rain comes down? An umbrella! Activity eight in the series of 12 explores weather and climate. In pairs, participants analyze maps, watch a short video, create a weather forecast, and complete a reading to determine the...

Elementary ecologists pretend to be migratory hummingbirds. They fly between wintering and nesting grounds, trying to reach a habitat haven. In a musical-chair fashion, some birds will miss out, and are removed from the game. To further...

Calories are not tiny creatures that sew your clothes tighter every night, but what are they? A science lesson, presented at multiple levels, has learners experiment with heat, heat transfer, and graph the function over time....

Seamounts in the Coral and Tasman Seas are home to more than 850 different species. Groups explore hydrothermal vents, researching the organisms found there and their energy source. They also learn about seamounts, exploring their unique...

You know global warming is real when your squirrel feeder is full of popped corn instead of kernels! Activity two in a series of five allows learners to explore climate change through the eyes of another. After briefly analyzing their...

When studying artifacts, especially tools, how do archaeologists determine what the devices were used for? In what ways might researchers' previous experiences influence their perception of an artifact? An article about researchers'...

Young learners research and present information about a chosen subject to their peers, parents, instructors, and community. This lesson plan has a strong research and public speaking component, and would be ideal for your higher level...

Where does the water we use come from? To understand the concept of a watershed, class members study the water cycle and then engage in an activity that simulates a watershed.

OSHA confirms that rules governing worker safety at nuclear power plants ranks higher than worker safety in offices. Scholars must consider safety, cost, alternatives, and other factors before recommending whether a town should build a...

Thirty percent of energy used by schools is used inefficiently! Part two in the series of 12 has groups perform energy audits of their schools as part of the Cool Schools Challenge. Each group is assigned a specific room, performs the...

Students examine Paricutin eruptions. In this science lesson, students locate Paricutin on a map and take a virtual tour of volcanoes around the world. Students email questions to a geologist and create a news report on the original...

Students read a story about "Gummywolf," stopping periodically to answer questions about the progression of the story. Next, they create a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast "Gummywolf" to "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Students...

Students explore water located near where they live. In this map skills maritime lesson, students use Google Maps to find their school and the body of water closest to them. Students research the body of water and answer questions about it.

Junior geologists examine topographic maps online and learn how to read them. they answer seven associated follow-up questions. This lesson plan is only a general outline and does not provide the details or the websites that you...

Students examine contour maps and bathymetry maps and discover how to interpret a contour map of the East Pacific Rise. Students look at a map as a class and answer questions together before working independently on a map of the East...

Students study geographical maps and their functions.  In this geography lesson plan students work in groups to build a map to scale.

Students explore the importance of the dry forest. In this science lesson, students discuss the history of dry forests and changes that have occurred due to human interaction. Students create a map showing the historical range of the dry...

Learners analyze the concept of urbanization by planning the placement of some of the major urban/suburban features that make up most cities. They arrange the cultural features to benefit the people who live there, and maintain respect...

Pupils create models of chromosomes using clay, coins, beads, or marbles. They complete a worksheet regarding their crossover frequencies they created with their chromosomes and gene models. They read an essay on sex chromosomes and...

Students explore the topic of public conservation. In this Florida panthers activity, students read a scenario about the endangered panther and collaborate to plan a way to protect the panther population. Students also participate in a...

Students use the Live Access Server (LAS) to form maps and a numerical text file of snow cover for each continent on a particular date and analyze the data for each map, corresponding text file to determine an estimate of snow cover for...

An online reading and interactive game bring the path of a carbon molecule to life for your earth science explorers! As an assessment, learners can map out or write about their experience in the carbon cycle. Thoroughly written...

In May of 1981, the Winter Park Sinkhole in Florida first appeared and is now referred to as Lake Rose. Scholars learn about the causes of sinkholes through an inquiry project. Then, they analyze recent data and draw conclusions to...

Here is a unique twist for your lesson on hurricanes. After examining extreme weather news headlines, your storm chasers view a PowerPoint about hurricanes and then zoom in on Hurricane Irene. They map a timeline of her trek up the East...