Curated OER
What Are Erosion and Sediments?
Students create experiments in class based on the erosion of Earth. In this erosion lesson, students perform a lab in class replicating the effects of erosion. Students finally draw their own conclusions based on the research performed.
Polar Trec
Is There Salt in a Glacier?
What can conductivity tell us about a glacier? Groups analyze glacial melt to determine salt content through an analysis of the pH and conductivity measurements of two samples. Groups then determine the source of the salts.
Polar Trec
Who Will Melt First?
If the Greenland ice sheet melted, sea levels would rise by about 20 ft; if the Antarctic ice sheet melted, sea levels would rise by 200 ft. Scholars explore ice melting through the analysis of different ice samples, clean and dirty ice....
Curated OER
Discovering Fossils
Students explore fossils. In this fossils geology lesson, students use tools to reveal embedded "fossils" (made with plaster of Paris by the teacher-instructions included), then describe and illustrate their findings.
NOAA
Ocean Zones
How can organisms light up in water? Bioluminescence is light produced in a chemical reaction that can occur in an organism's body. First, learners determine what happens to light/color as you move into the deep ocean. In groups, they...
Curated OER
How Does Vegetation Decrease Erosion?
In this erosion worksheet, students will compare what happens to soil when water flows over soil with no vegetation and soil with vegetation. Then, students will complete four short answer questions.
Curated OER
Sediment Tubes
Young scholars observe how different density soils and rocks behave in wind and in water. They make predictions and careful observations as they explore sediment transport and sediment rates in streams and rivers.
Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Nannofossils Reveal Seafloor Spreading Truth
Spread the word about seafloor spreading! Junior geologists prove Albert Wegener right in an activity that combines data analysis and deep ocean exploration. Learners analyze and graph fossil sample data taken from sites along the...
National Park Service
Erosion
A set of PowerPoint slides supports a lecture or class review of weathering and erosion. Viewers learn the definition of each and examine various photos for evidence. Erosion is further depicted as caused by wind, water, and ice....
Polar Trec
Do Microorganisms Live in Antarctica?
Can microorganisms live in the dry, cold climate of Antarctica? Young scientists view a research project measuring microorganisms in the Taylor Glacier. They record the findings from dirty ice, clean ice, boots, sediment, and more. Then...
Curated OER
Water Pollution
Here is a fine lesson for fifth graders that will give them an idea of the variety of impacts that human-introduced pollutants have on the environment. After an initial class discussion and teacher-led demonstration, pupils brainstorm...
NOAA
How Do We Know?: Make Additional Weather Sensors; Set Up a Home Weather Station
Viewers learn about three different weather measurement tools in installment five of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They build weather vanes to collect data on wind speed, barometers to determine air pressure, and rain...
Curated OER
Landforms of Illinois
Fifth and sixth graders are introduced to the primary landforms of Illinois and discover how they were created. Landform cards are made for each pupil. They use the twenty-questions format until they have identified each one. Then,...
Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Measure for Measure
How does your class measure up? Young scientists create a scale drawing of the JOIDES Resolution in a collaborative activity. The lesson incorporates mathematical principles with deep-sea exploration to focus on enhancing measurement...
Curated OER
Relative Ages of Rocks
In this rocks worksheet, students review how sediments are layered over time and how the relative ages of rocks are determined. This worksheet has 1 matching and 11 multiple choice questions.
Curated OER
Modeling Oil and Gas Reservoirs
Students investigate energy by researching how oil reservoirs work. In this fossil fuels lesson plan, students conduct an experiment using a half full bottle of water, corn oil and oxygen, recording their data as the elements are mixed...
Curated OER
Wellington Fault Field Trip
Students take a field trip to Harcourt Park in California to view the results of river erosion and an active fault line. In this science lesson plan, students go to different parts of the park to discuss the results.
Curated OER
Water Pollution Graphing Activity
Young scholars describe and identify the link between land use activities within a watershed and water quality. They evaluate the quality of a "water sample" ( a bag of skittles), graph their results, and form a hypothesis about the land...
Curated OER
Dissolved Oxygen Activity
Students explore why dissolved oxygen must be present for aquatic life to survive. They explain what dissolved means. Students discuss what dissolved oxygen is. They watch as the teacher lights two candles and place a jar over one of...
Curated OER
work in pairs for the activities of this lesson which include researching and identifying butterflies, writing, and a brief oral presentation.
Students explore the concepts of rdioactive decay and dating. They generate a radioactive decay table, use their data to plot a decay graph, develop the concept of half-life, and then use the graph to find the age of a mummified seal in...
Curated OER
Biocomplexity Lab Activity: Measuring Turbidity
Middle schoolers measure turbidity and comprehend the effects of turbidity on aquatic life. They explain what a lake looks like after a heavy rainfall. Students comprehend that turbidity is a measure of the relative clarity of water.
Curated OER
Biocomplexity Lab Activity: Measuring Water pH
Students test unknown solutions for pH levels to determine which organism can live in each environment. They name three substances that they think are acids. Students determine a solution is an acid or base. They define the term pH.
Curated OER
Biocomplexity Lab Activity: Density and Buoyancy of
Students investigate how the density of water changes the buoyancy of
water. Students create a hypothesis about what will happen when placing the
egg into the water.Students can research online different bodies of water (The Red Sea, The...
Curated OER
Water Filtration
As an example of nature's water filtering system, young ecologists conduct an experiment in the lab. They construct a funnel out of a plastic bottle, fill it with specified layers of materials that simulate layers of soil, then run muddy...