Curated OER
Winter and Summer Storms Scenarios
Fourth graders discover the patterns that create summer and winter storms. Working in groups, they create model storms for summer and winter. Students discuss the reasons why summer storms and winter storms are different and explain...
EngageNY
Mid-Unit Assessment: Text-Dependent Short-Answer Quiz—The Effects of Natural Disasters
Readers complete a mid-unit assessment by reading the text How Do Hurricanes Form? They answer text-dependent questions about hurricanes with short answer and sequencing. Learners then participate in a read aloud and text chunking...
Curated OER
Everyone Knows It's Windy
Students create an anemometer, an instrument that measures wind speed.
Curated OER
Wind and The Airline
Fifth graders attempt to solve a problem related to an airline accident. The accident appears to be weather related. They analyze and research the effects of wind and turbulence in order to prevent future accidents.
Curated OER
Why Predict?
Twelfth graders examine the process of predicting. They observe a fine art transparency, discuss their predictions about the artwork, identify the types of predictions made during a weather broadcast, and evaluate headlines from...
Curated OER
Fahrenheit vs Celsius
Students make a thermometer and write a paragraph about how they did it.
Curated OER
Air Pressure is Powerful
Students construct a barometer and collect data on the changes in air pressure. They work is small groups using plastic tubing, corks, and green food coloring. They then use a formula to convert inches of mercury to barometric pressure...
Curated OER
Hunt For Supertwister
Learners identify the best time of year and place to position spotters for possible tornado outbreaks. They research tornado formations, spotting, and safety. Students present their information using a poster, a mock-up of a newspaper,...
Curated OER
Deep Convective Clouds
Young scholars observe clouds. In this deep convective clouds lesson, students analyze cloud data recorded over one month and draw conclusions based on results. Young scholars predict "Thunderstorm Season" and prepare to defend their...
Kenan Fellows
Terrarium in a Bottle: Modeling the Atmosphere, Greenhouse Effect, and Water Cycle
You've heard of farm to table ... but what about farm in classroom? Junior agriculturalists embark upon a two-week journey into the science of growing things. Based upon the classic terrarium in a two-liter experiment, the lesson plan...
Curated OER
Meteorology
Students research and produce an oral history that reflects the importance of meterologists in the lives of people in their community.
Curated OER
Interplanetary Travel Guide
In groups of six, middle school space scientists create an imaginative travel brochure for attracting visitors to the planet Mars. Information must include surface features and atmospheric conditions. Although time-consuming, this is a...
Curated OER
Sunlight and Warm Air
Learners examine the different ways heat can be felt. In this radiation and conduction lesson, students recognize that the sun radiates heat. Learners conduct three experiments to find how the sun warms the Earth and how that heat is...
Curated OER
Mount Everest
Students brainstorm about what different professions roles are and what skills they obtain. For this critical thinking lesson, students discuss reasons of why different people would want and need to climb Mount Everest.
Curated OER
Teaching about Heat Budgets of Lakes
Students investigate how much energy is stored in lake water as latent heat, calculate how much latent heat is exchanged with the atmosphere, and consider the effects of heat gain and heat loss on the surrounding environment.
Curated OER
Geography: Water, Water Everywhere
Students discuss flooding and its causes. They view a Powerpoint presentation about floods and prevention methods. After creating a model with clay and pans, they investigate river behavior in various terrains with different amounts of...
Curated OER
Wind
Students build an anemometer and measure wind speed. In this wind speed lesson, students build an anemometer using the student instruction sheet. Students visit the Alaska windspeed website and look up the wind speed forecast. Students...
Curated OER
Arctic Microclimates
Students identify, measure, and average micro-climatic temperatures in a particular region. They draw a small-scale map of an area to be sampled (classroom, playground, park, backyard) and identify potential locations for...
Curated OER
Twisters
Students differentiate between the terms 'tornado watch' and 'tornado warning' and simulate the conditions that produce tornadoes. They read "Night of the Twisters" by Ivy Ruckman and conduct an experiment using two-liter plastic...
Curated OER
Exploring Probability
Fifth graders work in small groups of five or six to conduct a series of investigations. While recording the results using pencils on individual tally worksheets rotating to different stations and comparing results with the other...
Curated OER
Wind
Young scholars complete activities to study wind intensity. In this wind study lesson, students discuss wind speed and direction. Young scholars then build a kite and windsock to help them study wind intensity. Students learn to use a...
Curated OER
Cloud Painting
Students explore clouds and abstract thinking through painting. This lesson uses higher thinking skills and encourages self expression.
Curated OER
Wish You Were Here - Research Conditions on Mars
Learners research conditions on Mars, then create a travel brochure or presentation to attract tourists. They work in cooperative groups. Each member is assigned a different role and contribute specific information to the group's brochure.