Interactive
US Geological Survey

The Water Cycle for Schools: Intermediate Ages

For Students 3rd - 5th
Water can travel from the highest mountain tops to the largest oceans. Using an interactive, young scientists trace the movement using an interactive online resource. They follow the water cycle by reading pop-up explanations on a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thunderstorms and Lightning

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students, in groups, investigate and demonstrate the science behind the development of lightning and thunderstorms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Call it "Macaroni"

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Who knew there were so many fun educational opportunities featuring pasta? Scholars read a brief informational text about the history of pasta (note that "macaroni" is spelled two different ways, so address this if kids are reading...
Lesson Plan
Consumers Energy

Circuits and the Flow of Electricity Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
I think I lost an electron. Are you sure? Yes, I'm positive! Starting with a hands-on demonstration and problem solving activity, young scientists define vocabulary related to circuitry and currents. Then they build their own circuits...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Severe Winter Weather

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students, in groups, investigate and demonstrate the science behind the development and characteristics of winter storms by creating a weather report.
Lesson Plan
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2
Curated OER

Fracking: Positive or Negative Impact?

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Your teenagers may have heard of fracking, but do they really know what it is? And could they debate the benefits and risks? Educate your environmental science class with a lesson about hydraulic fracturing, non-renewable energy...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students differentiate weather and climate. In this earth science lesson, students compare weather and climate in different regions of the world. They interpret weather graphs and compare isotherm lines of northern and southern hemisphere.
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Magnetic Mad Libs

For Students 6th - 8th
Examine the science behind computer communication. After defining the properties of magnets, learners simulate how a computer hard drive works by sending each other binary codes using the magnets. They use these communications to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pickles

For Teachers K - 1st
Young learners compare healthy foods to junk foods. They examine the growing process of a vegetable from a seed all the way to maturity. The book, The Magic School Bus in a Pickle is used. Some nice cross-curricular activities in math,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Radiation and You

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Internet research on nuclear radiation is conducted by young physicists. They discover how our understanding of radiation developed, define vocabulary terms, and explore how ozone protects us from the sun's harmful radiation. Several...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wildlife Study Comparison

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Environmental science classes read articles about two different scientific studies. One is about the effects of contraceptive chemicals on fertility, and the other is about how a pesticide may be reducing bone density in exposed...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Readings in Hudson River Natural History

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Reading and understanding informational text is a key element to understanding every discipline. Elementary learners read three different articles focused on various animals and habitats in the Hudson River. They answer comprehension...
Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Volcanoes: Sixth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 6th
Bring a set of pre-lab, lab, and post-lab lesson plans on volcanoes to your earth science unit. Sixth graders explore the three types of volcanoes found on Earth, plot the specific locations of these volcanoes on a map, and...
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Isotope Rummy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Thanks to this game, teaching isotopes will never be the same. Physical science scholars work their way toward understanding isotopes in an entertaining game. Pupils play rummy in groups while practicing good sportsmanship and creating...
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Renewable Resins and Composites

For Students 9th - 12th
Merge chemistry with environmental science to study biodegradable materials. An engaging activity allows learners to experiment with different resin concentrations and composites. Through experimental tests, scholars test their creations...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Horse of a Different Color

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Elementary schoolers explore the wide variety of horse coat colors and reproduce an existing color as well a create their own horse coat color. There are two fine worksheets embedded in this plan that learners use to crete these coat...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Waves

For Teachers 5th
Light waves and sound waves are the focus of this science lesson designed for 5th graders. Besides discovering how these waves travel, learners also discover the basic properties of waves, and analyze data tables and graphs. The...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning to Resist: Watercolor

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Consider wax resist drawings as a way to bridge art and science. Learners view, discuss, and practice drawing insects or animals using waxy crayons. They pay attention to the creature's features as they create images with watercolor and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Models of the Solar System

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students make several models of the solar system to learn the positions of the planets in the solar system as well as relative distances and sizes. Creation of these models will help them identify the planets by size, shape, color,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Origins: The Prehistoric Human Race

For Teachers 9th - 12th
When it comes to the origin of the human species young scholars are full of misconceptions. Clear up the hominid confusion with this evolutionary activity focused on assisting students in understanding prehistoric man and his family...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Robo-Lobster

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Introduce environmental science or engineering explorers to different forms of sampling. They read an article about "Robo-lobsters," lobsters being studied to help design robots that can used to sniff out pollution in ocean waters. The...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Volume, Mass, and Weight

For Teachers 5th
Study the difference between mass and weight. Your math group will compare the weight of an item to the amount of space that it uses. They'll then use conversion factors to find the difference between kilograms and pounds. Essential...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Just Drank George Washington's Water!

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Guide your learners through the water cycle with this lesson plan. Over the course of the lesson, they read two Magic School Bus books, discuss the water cycle, come up with water facts, complete a diagram of the water cycle, recognize...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Over and Through Information Sheet

For Students 9th - 12th
Eager earth scientists practice using vocabulary related to landforms and bodies of water. On the first page they categorize the terms and form sentences with them. Then, they test their knowledge with twenty-five multiple-choice...

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