Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Layering the Soil

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students study and classify soil. For this soil science lesson, students classify soil by texture and size and study soil horizons. Students label the soil types with their specific soil horizon and learn about permafrost. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When I Heard the Learned Astronomer

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students recognize different purposes and methods of writing and to identify a writer's tone and point of view.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: You're in Hot Water

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars study different ways of using solar energy. They design a solar water heater and determine how much water it can heat in a set amount of time. They examine how the heaters work by solar radiation and convection.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Daily and Seasonal Cycles

For Teachers 1st
First graders identify the sun as a source of heat and light. They identify features of houses that help keep use sheltered and comfortable throughout daily and seasonal cycles. Students are told that summer is the best season to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Overview of Solar Radiation

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine the Stefan-Boltzmann Law. Students compute basic radiative "constants" of the sun-Earth-atomosphere system. They examine the wavelength of maximum radiation emission.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plotting Temperature and Altitude

For Teachers 10th - 12th
students convert the temperature readings from degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit. they predict and create a graph of what the graph of altitude (x-axis) versus temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (y-axis) might look like.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rechargeable Batteries

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore how rechargeable batteries work by conducting a series of experiments. In this physics instructional activity, students discuss the benefits of using rechargeable batteries over disposable ones. They build their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Microbial Influence on Earth's Systems

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners identify the different biogeochemical cycles on Earth. In this biology lesson, students observe microbes under a microscope. They compare and contrast respiration and photosynthesis.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Space Cadet's Laboratory: Using Electromagnetic Energy to Study Astronomy

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students build their own spectrophotometer to study light. In this physics lesson, students explain the dual nature of light. They calculate the angle of incidence and refraction using Snell's law equation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Drake Equation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use the Drake Equation to calculate the probability of sustaining life on various planets. Through the use of the equation, they determine whether intelligent and advanced civilizations can be developed on planets other than...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Heat Escape

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students observe a demonstration on the role of thermal conductivity in heat transfer.  In this thermal conductivity lesson, students design and conduct an experiment to compare the thermal conductivity of four substances....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students study solar energy.  For this renewable energy lesson students complete several lab activities using different controls and variables. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measuring the Speed of Light

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore physics by completing measurement problems in class. For this speed of light lesson, students discuss the importance of knowing the speed of light and how it affects many aspects of human life on Earth. Learners identify...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Unit 2 Sun & Stars

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students describe stellar objects using terms such as stars, planets, satellites, orbits and light. In this sun and stars unit, students research stellar objects through seven individual lessons discovering star characteristics, how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shining the Light on Skin

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate the relationships between certain environmental factors and levels of exposure to sunlight. The variables of location, time of year, and day, and the weather which affect the intensity of the sun are explored in this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cracking the Maya Code

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students analyze the meaning of Maya glyphs. In this Mayan communication lesson, students use Mayan symbols to calculate their birthdates according to Maya Long Count.
Lesson Plan
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1
Teach Engineering

Photosynthesis—Life's Primary Energy Source

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Wouldn't it be great if you could produce your own food? Scholars learn about the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in plants. They consider how to use photosynthesis as a model of an efficient system and how to apply...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Development of a Model: Analyzing Elemental Abundance

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How do scientists identify which elements originate from meteorites? Scholars learn about a sample of material found in a remote location, analyzing the sample to determine if it might be from Earth or not. They study elements, isotopes,...
Lesson Plan
1
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Chicago Botanic Garden

GEEBITT (Global Equilibrium Energy Balance Interactive TinkerToy)

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Students use the GEEBITT excel model to explore how global average temperatures are affected by changes in our atmosphere in part two of this series of seven lessons. Working in groups, they discuss, analyze graphs, and enter data to...
Lesson Plan
1
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PBS

Inspector Detector

For Teachers 4th - 8th
How do spacecraft detect magnetic fields? The fourth installment of a five-part unit has learners develop a device with magnets that allows for the detection of magnetic fields. They use a map of an imaginary planet to try out their...
Lesson Plan
1
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PBS

Invisible Force

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Investigate invisible forces. Young engineers design a setup that changes the direction of a steel ball using a magnetic force. The purpose of the setup is to model the gravitational pull of spacecraft by planetary bodies.
Lesson Plan
1
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PBS

Robo Arm

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Future engineers create robotic arms like those on rovers built by NASA in the second lesson of the series. They test their devices by attempting to pick up and move cups to a specified location.
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
Curated OER

The Climate Change Skeptic's Argument: Natural Solar Cycles or Human Activity?

For Teachers Higher Ed
Teachers explore patterns in sunspots and total solar irradiance to understand the counterpoint to the human effect of global warming. In this professional development tool, teachers work through a lesson plan on the sun's natural...

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