Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Deep History of Life on Earth
Take it all the way back! Young scientists discover the changes that took place from the time Earth became solid to present day through an interesting interactive. The resource guides users through key events that have shaped our world...
Curated OER
Dinosaur Detectives
Students examine amphibian evolution by comparing fossils with a modern-day skeleton. They experience the scientific thought process of drawing conclusions from limited paleontological data. Student groups align the figures with the...
Curated OER
Solar Kit Lesson #7 - Positioning Solar Panels I: Explorations with Tracking
In this first part of a two-part lesson, learners track and record the sun's azimuth using a solar panel. They graph and analyze the data to identify relationships among the time of day, the altitude and azimuth of the sun, and the...
American Museum of Natural History
Identification Adventure
Put all the pieces together. After a skeleton is put together, pupils play the scientist to determine the type of animal they have by using a classification tree to narrow down the identity. After each decision, they gain advice from an...
American Museum of Natural History
Be an Energy Saver
Small conservation steps can have large impacts. Individuals access an online checklist and rate themselves on their conservation practices. They reflect on current practices and learn about new ways to contribute and how to do better....
Curated OER
Dinosaur Traces
Students identify and interpret the type of evidence found at a typical dinosaur dig and mimic a paleontologist by taking crayon rubbings of simulated bone impressions. After the rubbings are taken, the students reconstruct the complete...
Curated OER
Exploring Alternative Energy Sources
Young scholars research the amount and kinds of energy that are produced and consumed in the United States, including the limitations of this kind of consumption. They research and create a display to teach classmates about a specific...
Curated OER
Soil, the Forgotten Resource
Students discuss soil understanding that is is often overlooked as a natural resource. In this science activity, students recognize that we depend on it for energy in the form of foods. Students experiment with six boxes of soil to help...
It's About Time
The Changing Geography of Your Community
Lead your class in exploring their local communities as well as the general environment. As they determine continental distributions by investigating minerals, rocks, and fossils located in their local region, pupils construct...
NASA
Climate Change Inquiry Lab
With global temperatures on the rise faster than ever recorded, the effects of a heating planet could be devastating. Allow learners to discover just what the world is in store for if the warming continues through a series of videos, a...
Curated OER
Acid Rain
Simulated acid rain, a dilute sulfuric acid solution, needs to be prepared for this demonstration. After a condensed lecture on acid rain, you will apply the solution to a sample of granite and a sample of limestone. Your young...
Curated OER
The Greenhouse Effect
Why does it get so hot inside of our cars in the summertime? The greenhouse effect! Lab groups experiment to see what happens to an ice cube enclosed in a jar and placed in sunlight as compared to an ice cube outside of the jar. They...
Curated OER
What Contains Carbon?
Students explore elements by analyzing everyday objects and materials in class. In this carbon lesson, students define several vocabulary terms such as carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon, and carbonate. Students view a group of items,...
Curated OER
Studying Fossils
Students hypothesize dinosaur size and speed by looking at dinosaur track way or by measuring a dinosaur models water displacement. In addition, techniques to help students become familiar with the ways paleontologists study fossils can...
Curated OER
Can You Dig It?
Young scholars investigate a fossil site and diagram a site map. They role play as paleontologists.
Curated OER
A Day in the Life of a Coal Miner (1910)
Students compare and contrast fossil fuels and bio-fuels. They brainstorm what mining might look like in the future. Students view the film "A Day in the Life of a Coalminer." They discuss fossil fuels and the methods of extraction....
Curated OER
Be a Paleontologist
Learners search for fossils in a simulated archeology site and explore how paleontologists mark out a dig site.
Curated OER
Making Tracks
Fifth graders examine the fossil footprints of two and four legged dinosaurs. Using this information, they try to determine how the dinosaurs lived their lives. They use their own walking pattern to compare it to the dinosaurs and...
Curated OER
Natural Records of Change: Working with Indirect Evidence of Past Climates
Young scholars take part in a dice game to better explain the differences between direct and indirect evidence. They apply this knowledge to how scientists have used both types of evidence to determine how climate has changed over time.
Curated OER
Modeling Oil and Gas Reservoirs
High schoolers 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...
Curated OER
We Really Dig Archeology and Palentology
Sixth graders examine the differences between archeology and paleontology. Using the internet, they explore the tools and techniques used in each field. They must use the correct tools to uncover and record the objects they find. They...
Curated OER
Do You See What I See?
Students engage in a instructional activity that differentiates between right and wrong types of observations. In order to conduct the experiment they are provided with leaves and nameless objects with different designs. The two are...
Curated OER
Digging Into Science: Excavation Procedure
In this excavation procedure instructional activity, learners determine the roles of group members for an excavation of a sample box containing buried bones. They complete 9 short answer questions before beginning the excavation.
Curated OER
Digging Into Science Lesson Plans
In this biology learning exercise, students identify and write the various species that are still present today. Then they define evolution using three words. Students also describe what a fossil is and give some examples related to a...