Curated OER
Fabulous Funnels
Students explore what tornados are, how they are created and measured, and what their effects are on communities. They keep a journal of their activities and explorations as part of an ongoing process of learning.
Curated OER
Harvest the Wind
Wind is a natural resource available around the world. Help your pupils appreciate the power and importance of wind by researching wind farms, making pinwheels, and designing windmills.
Curated OER
Writing the Wind
Students make a windmill. In this wind lesson, students learn background information about the windmill, complete an activity where they create a windmill, discuss using wind as a natural resource and brainstorm other inventions...
Discovery Education
Sonar & Echolocation
A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...
Curated OER
Fitness Walking Class
The Fitness Walking Class unit is well-organized, and you could use the skeleton of this unit to organize your own Fitness Walking Class. Use pedometers to keep track of steps, write in journals, and get other people to walk with you....
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics Day 3 Sea Floor Spreading: Evidence for Continental Drift
Learners are introduced to Sea Floor Spreading and how it provides evidence for Hess's and Deitz's theory of Continental Drift. They use paleomagnetic data to calculate the rate of Sea Floor Spreading.
Curated OER
Radiation Comparison Before and After 9-11
Using the NASA website, class members try to determine if changes could be detected in cloud cover, temperature, and/or radiation measurements due to the lack of contrails that resulted from the halt in air traffic after the attacks...
Curated OER
Sea Water Mixing and Sinking
Middle schoolers investigate the role of temperature and salinity in determining seawater density. They use a Temperature-Salinity Diagram to examine the effects of mixing on density.
Curated OER
Setting the Story: Techniques for Creating a Realistic Setting
“It was a dark and stormy night.” Thus begins the 1830's novel Paul Clifford and, of course, all of Snoopy’s novels! Encourage young writers to craft settings for their stories that go beyond Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s often-mocked phrase...
Curated OER
Differences Between Ground and Air Temperatures
Young scholars examine the differences between air temperature and ground temperature. In this investigative lesson students find NASA data on the Internet and use it to create a graph.
Curated OER
The Sky and the Dichotomous Key
Pupils use a dichotomous key to distinguish between different types of clouds
Curated OER
Town Growth and Immigration
Fourth graders describe how Michigan has changed and stayed the same over time. They explain reasons why people settled/settle in Michigan, then explain the role of geography on the settlement of Michigan.
Curated OER
Seasons and Cloud Cover, Are They Related?
Students use NASA satellite data to see cloud cover over Africa. In this seasons lesson students access data and import it into Excel.
Curated OER
Prewriting
As a class, 7th graders observe examples of brainstorming and then complete brainstorming worksheets themselves. They compose and describe planning strategies. Prior to writing an essay, they identify the purpose and the audience.
Curated OER
The Rainforests
Students visit various rainforest websites and answer questions about the rainforest in Spanish. They create an oral and visual presentation on the rainforests, urging conservation of the rainforests.
Curated OER
Analysis of Atmospheric Conditions for a High Mountain Retreat
Students examine the relationship between altitude, atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity at a particular location. They practice science and math in real world applications. They write reports detailing their scientific...
Curated OER
High Mountain Retreat
Students explore and analyze atmospheric conditions for a high mountain retreat. They examine the relationship between altitude, atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity at a particular location. In addition, they write reports...
Curated OER
Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones
Students begin their examination of the climate zones found around the world. Using a software program, they identify the relationship between the vegetation, climate and temperatures of the different zones. They also plot coordinates...
Curated OER
Exploring the Night Sky: Summer
Learners explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.
Curated OER
Arizona
Students engage in a series of lessons about Arizona. They perform experiments and participate in activities across the curriculum. They perform research on websites imbedded in this plan to complete a variety of tasks.
Curated OER
Great Lakes Ecology
Eighth graders identify the Great Lakes, and describe the habitat of life of a loon. They are able to point to and explain one of the major river systems that enters the Great Lakes with a focus on the Clinton River and the food webs...
Curated OER
Scientist Tracking Network
Young scholars correlate surface radiation with mean surface temperature of several geographic regions. They observe how these parameters change with latitude and construct an understanding of the relationship of solar radiation to...
Curated OER
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Young scholars explore erosion. Through multi-media and hands-on activities, students identify the effects of wave erosion and hurricanes on a barrier island. Young scholars watch a video and create a cause and effect chart of their...
Curated OER
The Iditarod Adventure
Young scholars use the internet to follow the Alaskan Iditarod race as well as perform research. This project-based activity will result in students creating many desktop publishing documents.