Curated OER
Changing Planet: Adaptation of Species (Birds and Butterflies)
A video about the impact of climate change on butterfly populations and a PowerPoint about butterfly and bird adaptations warm science learners up for the activity to follow. Using a variety of tools that reprsent unique styles of bird...
Curated OER
Tour of the Solar System
Learners engage in science, math, and language activities as they do research on the components of the solar system. The class begins with some anticipatory activities and discussions before it is divided into small groups to conduct...
Curated OER
Finding Extra-Solar Planets
Students plot and analyze NASA data to determine the period of an invisible planet orbiting a wobbling star. They explore the motion of a two-body system around a center of mass to better explain how extra-solar planets are discovered.
University of Colorado
Great Red Spot Pinwheel
The great red spot on Jupiter is 12,400 miles long and 7,500 miles wide. In this sixth part of a 22-part series, individuals model the rotation of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. To round out the activity, they discuss their findings as a...
Curated OER
Planet Research and Brochure
Fourth graders design a brochure based on the planet that they researched. In this planets lesson plan, 4th graders include the data, important facts, and completed as a team.
Curated OER
How Much Would You Weigh On Distant Planets?
High schoolers study the effects of gravity on the planets of the Solar System. They view movies from the lunar Apollo missions, calculate their own weight on other planets, and propose what they might weigh on newly discovered planets...
Curated OER
Planting Trees to Help the Planet
Students react to a series of statements about trees, then read a news article about the planned planning of millions of trees to celebrate Arbor Day. In this planting trees lesson plan, the teacher introduces the article with a...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Infectious Diseases Classroom Activity
Here is a different approach: emerging epidemiologists first go home to interview family on the topic of infectious disease. Then they come to class and view a video and PowerPoint that explore how climate change may increase the...
Curated OER
Sun's Impact On Earth's Temperature
Students 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...
Science 4 Inquiry
Journey Through the Spheres of the Earth
Each of the Earth's spheres interacts with the other spheres in predictable ways. Young scientists explore these interactions through a hands-on activity, graphing, and watching a video. They summarize their knowledge in a video or...
Curated OER
Flight of the Future/Space Flight
Young scholars explore space science by viewing videos on YouTube. In this moon landing lesson, students view clips of Neil Armstrong taking his first step on the moon and discuss the space race between the U.S. and Russia. Young...
Curated OER
Science Fiction
Students complete compare and contrast activities for two stories about racism and tolerance in the science fiction genre. In this literary analysis lesson, students read a Ray Bradbury short story and Walter Mosley poem, watch a related...
Curated OER
Welcome to Flimibuff!!!
In this novel analysis lesson, young scholars read the short script about Lord of the Flies related activity. Students then complete a survival activity relating to the story.
Curated OER
Paper Bag Skits
Young scholars discover math measurements by creating a skit with classmates. In this geometry lesson, students utilize objects in a paper bag and index cards to create a short skit focusing on debate over the size of the objects....
Curated OER
Mars rovers' Next Stop: IMAX
Students read an article and discuss it. In this Mars rover lesson plan students complete an activity that allows them to see things through a different viewpoint.
Curated OER
Solar System Adventure
Students study the solar system and our galaxy, then write a science fiction story based on what they discover. They utilize worksheets and access websites imbedded in this plan to gain ideas for their stories.
Curated OER
Changing Faces: A Study of Solar and Planetary Rotation Rates
Students determine rotation rates of a variety of solar system objects using images and the Internet.
Curated OER
America's Involvement in World War I
Students investigate online websites on German U-boat naval warfare, conditions in the trenches and the effects of poisonous gases. They write three entries in a diary from different perspectives.
Curated OER
Stay Well Cards
Students use ice-cube brushes to paint pictures demonstrating ways that they can stay healthy.
Curated OER
Snowball Soap
Students demonstrate healthy hand-washing techniques. They mix water and soap flakes, and create snow soap sculptures.
Curated OER
Investigating the Dynamic Martian Polar Caps
Students download NASA Hubble Space Telescope images of the Martian polar ice caps in summer and winter, and measure and compare various images of the changing Martian and Earth polar ice caps.
Curated OER
Searching For Protoplanetary Disks
Students download NASA Hubble Space Telescope views of star-forming regions in nebulae and look for evidence of planetary systems forming beyond our own solar system. They hypothesize about mysterious objects in NASA HST images.
Curated OER
Aquatic Organisms
Students create a poster describing the five characteristics of a salt water organism compared to a fresh water organism.
Curated OER
The Aliens are Coming!
Students create an alien and write a descriptive paragraph about it using all five senses.