Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Go with the Flow

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How does nature's hierarchy relate to our local human environment? Answer this question, along with others, as the class visually depicts the natural hierarchy provided by nature. Pupils discuss each piece of the pyramid and its energy...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycle

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders explore ways water moves through various reservoirs on Earth, examine how human activities change water cycle, investigate substances present in water that indicate human activity, and discuss how understanding water cycle...
Lesson Plan
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NOAA

Ocean Acidification

For Teachers 9th - 12th
If tap water is more acidic than ocean water, why are we so concerned about ocean acidification? The third installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on carbon dioxide levels in...
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Historical Climate Cycles

For Students 7th - 9th Standards
Scientists use ice core samples to obtain temperatures of the earth from 400,000 years ago! The third of five lessons instructs pupils to interpret historical climate data to see changes over time. In part I, participants interpret...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changes in Nature

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders identify the chemical and physical changes in the water cycle, carbon cycle, and the effects of weathering. They analyze the periodic table, and observe how vinegar reacts with limestone in a chemical reaction that causes...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Biological Carbon Cycle

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students learn about the biological carbon cycle. In this carbon cycle instructional activity, students access the web site and mouse over the diagrams to follow the carbon cycle. They read about what happens to humans and plants during...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Resources for Teaching about Biogeochemical Cycles

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students study the different cycles and Earth's systems.  In this investigative instructional activity students study the nitrogen and carbon cycles, play a game pertaining to it and also participate in a class activity. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Ocean Acidification - the Chemistry is Less than Basic!

For Teachers 7th - 10th
A video and laboratory investigation are highlights to this lesson on acidification of ocean water due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. Using bromothymol blue (BTB) as an indicator, pupils analyze the amount of carbon dioxide...
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Historical Climate Cycles

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
What better way to make predictions about future weather and climate patterns than with actual climate data from the past? Young climatologists analyze data from 400,000 to 10,000 years ago to determine if climate has changed over...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Alternative Energy

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students discover the different alternative fuel sources. In this biology lesson, students identify the different stages of the carbon cycle. They explain the pros and cons of using alternative energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Nitrogen Cycle

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate the nitrogen cycle and examine the concepts of decomposition and nitrification. Students participate in a class discussion about the creation of waste and ammonia compounds, then using nitrogen cycle cut-outs...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How to weigh a tree

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners pick a tree they see everyday. They measure the tree's circumference and estimate its height using similar triangles. Students are introduced to Computational Science. They use computers and calculators to compute values...
Lesson Plan
UAF Geophysical Institute

Carbon Footprint

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Your young environmentalists can calculate their carbon footprint and discuss ways to reduce it with a worksheet about climate change. After reading a handout about what impact one's carbon footprint can have on the environment, kids...
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Drawing Diatoms like Ernst Haeckel

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Why do scientists rely on drawings rather than just photographs of their research studies? The lesson introduces drawings of microscopic organisms and the importance of accuracy. Young artists draw organisms and learn why focus and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Regents High School Examination: Physical Setting Earth Science 2008

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Throughout this earth science exam, high-school geologists complete a series of multiple choice and short answer questions about the solar system, atmosphere, and earth system. This is an amazing test, as are all of the exams developed...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairie In A Bottle

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders observe images of prairie ecosystems and discuss the needs of living things. They create a prairie habitat in a closed jar to observe the water cycle and plant growth.
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Historical Climate Cycles

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Ice core samples give scientists access to climates of old—those from more than 800,000 years ago. Through an analysis of various temperature graphs from ice cores, tree rings, and weather stations, scholars compare historical climates...
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Are Global CO2 Levels Changing?

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
According to the Mauna Loa observatory, carbon dioxide levels increased by 3 ppm in our atmosphere between 2015–2016. Individuals analyze carbon dioxide data from around the world and then share this with a home group in lesson...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Biomass Balancing Act

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students conduct research and prepare and share a fact sheet for biomass energy. They witness a demonstration illustrating the presence of carbon dioxide and design an experiment to investigate carbon neutrality.
Lesson Plan
Nuffield Foundation

Microbes Ate My Homework

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Now you have a new excuse not to do your homework. A long-term experiment has learners explore cellulose-digesting enzymes. They simulate how paper breaks down in a compost bin. There's no need to blame your dog for eating your homework...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Transforming Water Into Acid ... And Back

For Teachers 5th - 11th
Greenhouse gases affect marine wildlife in life-threatening ways. Through experimentation, your classes explore the acidification of water from the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. As they introduce carbon dioxide to water, a pH...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Global Warming - The Heat is On: Global Climate Change Revisited

For Teachers 6th - 8th
After listening to your lecture on climate change, young scientists access NOAA's database listing Mauna Loa's carbon dioxide data. They graph the monthly means and then compare their graphs to NOAA's. This is a concise plan that could...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weathering

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore weathering and how the water cycle plays a part in weathering. In this weathering lesson, 2nd graders put gravel and sugar cubes in a jar and shake, simulating weathering. Students use the scientific method to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Living Environment

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars explore the cycles of an ecosystem.  In this environmental science lesson, students work in groups to research the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle, or the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle. Young scholars prepare a...

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