Curated OER
Reasons for the Seasons
Sixth graders conduct and analyze a survey that explores public perceptions about the reasons for seasonal change. They measure the changing length of days, observe shadows and discuss how the Earth's axis of rotation affects the seasons.
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Pangaea Puzzle
Students explore plate tectonics and the formations of the Earth's surface and why maps are distorted. In this Earth's surface lesson students complete a lab and answer questions.
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What Makes you Hot?
Students manipulate different variables in a model and make inferences about the temperature on Earth. In this heat lesson students calculate the blackbody radiation of an object at a certain temperature.
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The Heat is On
Young scholars investigate climate change. In this current events lesson plan, students research the listed Web sites that include information about the effects of greenhouse gases on the Earth. Young scholars discuss how to combat the...
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Effects of the Sun on Our Planet (Grades 2-4)
Students observe how the sun's rays can cause evaporation and discuss its role in the weather cycle. They discover what the sun's energy brings to plants. They examine how different types of technology can enhance the amount of solar...
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Elders Predict Snow
Students interview Native Indians to learn their ways for predicting and measuring snowfall. In this weather measurement lesson, students invite a Native Elder to their classroom to tell them about how they predicted weather. Students...
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Let's Think About Day and Night
Students explore day and night and the relationships between the Earth, the sun and the moon. They discuss the ways in which the sun and moon help us. They watch a short video that helps illustrate these concepts.
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The Little Ice Age
In this Little Ice Age worksheet, students read about changes in weather and temperature resulting in changes in rain fall and glacier movement. Students answer three critical thinking questions about the Little Ice Age that occurred as...
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Clear Day, Cloudy Day; Weather, Cloud Types and Formations
Students explore the formation of clouds and different cloud types. Students simulate a cloud formation within a bottle.
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Soil Investigations
Students examine the basics about soil. In this soil lesson students describe the physical properties of soil and explain what soil profile is.
University of Southern California
Wave Erosion Lab
Using a stream table, erosion enthusiasts examine how the density of sediment and how the slope of land contribute to the amount moved by waves. You will not be able to use this entire resource as is; there are teachers' names and...
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What Is El Niño?
Students access information at remote sites using telecommunications, identify impacts by reviewing past El Ni??o events, make and use scale drawings, maps, and maps symbols to find locations and describe relationships.
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Rock of Ages
Learners are given a classification table and samples from their location. They locate their samples on the classification table using the characteristics used in rock identification.
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Sun's Impact On Earth's Temperature
Learners view NASA images and movies of Venus, Earth, and Mars to deduce weather patterns and manipulate computer models to test competing hypotheses. They manipulate computer models to investigate the influence of solar distance and...
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Eyewitnesses to Change
Students explore recent changes in the Artic's climate that have been observed by Artic residents. They watch videos, take notes and create a concept map. They also look at historical weather data from a specific Artic community. The...
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Weather and Climate
Students identify the words plain and climate and discuss what would happen if it never rained. Students identify and interpret the weather in Poland and create a web illustrating various weather patterns. Students write a 4-line poem...
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Tsunami
Young scholars examine what causes tsunamis and why they all behave differently. In this tsunami lesson students complete a group activity after viewing a video.
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I Can See and Feel the Change in the Seasons
Students use their senses to investigate the changes in the seasons. They discuss how the Earth moves around the sun and its tilt. They practice using new vocabulary and examining the different seasons.
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Tracking Current "Earth" Events
Eighth graders utilize Internet research skills, and practice their communication skills by presenting their research to the clas. They actively consider the types of hazards for humans associated with Natural Disaters and ways that...
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Climatic Changes
In this weather activity, students read an excerpt describing the climate and extinction. Then they explain what the climate was like during the Age of Dinosaurs. Students also determine some factors that affected the climate during this...
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How Can We Locate Specific Places On Earth?
Second graders discover how to use longitude and latitude to locate specific sites on Earth. They compare old and new ways of locating specific places, and discover how latitude and longitude coordinates are used to locate places on Earth.
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Exploring Animal Habitats: Winter Changes
Students explore animals during the winter months. They discuss the changes that animals make during winter in order to survive. Students discuss migration, hibernation, and staying active during winter months. Students create various...
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Earth's Weather
Seventh graders learn how solar radiation, latitude, and other factors affect weather. They break into six groups and are assigned a topic to research and to present their findings orally.
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Weather Where We Are
Students investigate the reports of local weather. They identify types of weather data and correlate it to the conditions. Using the data students draw a picture of the current weather. They conduct the same investigation for all four...