Curated OER
Scale Model of the Solar System
Young scientists gain a better understanding of space, the solar system and its vastness by creating a scale model. Students first need to calculate the distance between each of the nine planets according to the size of their scale. This...
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Changing Planet: Withering Plants - Stressing Over Lost Water
Expectant earth scientists examine the bottom side of a leaf and learn the role of the stomata. They consider the gas exchange that occurs through these structures and relate how the climate is changing to its impact on food crops. This...
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To Renew, or Not to Renew
Learners explore the various types of renewable energy. After reading articles, they discover the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy. They also explore the challenges to switch over to using more and more renewable energy...
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Fossil Fuel and the Ticking Clock
Students study energy sources to learn about fossil fuels and environmental concerns. In this energy sources lesson, students watch demonstrations for various energy examples. Students find hidden pennies, make a bar graph on their data,...
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Renewing Our Position
Students engage in a lesson in order to analyze the energy needs of the United States and cover the possible future needs depending on the growth of technology. They cover the alternative energy sources and make presentations of the...
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Coal: More Than Meets the Eye!
Students participate in a hands-on simulation to help them explain that coal resources are deposited unevenly between the earth's surface and under the ground.
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A Cosmic Cafeteria
Students indentify and differentiate between transit and surface food systems. Students measure energy that is released by various foods. Students compare and contrast cooking with solar energy on earth and what they might have learned...
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Rock Eaters of the Gulf of Alaska
Learners compare and contrast the processes of photosynthesis and chemosynthesis. They identify and describe sources of energy used by various organisms for chemosynthesis.
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Planet X
Pupils select a wide variety of presentation methods to compare Planet X and Earth. Students share these with their classmates. Pupils select other methods to present their ideas about a livable planet for human life forms. Students...
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Is It Hot in the Light?
Third graders make observations about the temperature of items in direct sunlight. In groups, they discuss why asphalt, brick and cement are warmer than items surrounding them. To end the lesson, they examine how heat transfers energy...
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The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
Students investigate the global importance of the African and Asian countries that export petroleum. They access the OPEC website and research this organization. They answer questions and write an essay about alternative energy sources.
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Season's Greetings
Students explore Earth's seasons using an interactive website. In this earth science lesson, students watch video segments and explain Earth's seasonal milestones. They discuss the factors that causes seasonal changes.
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Introducing The Gulf Stream
Sixth graders research the average temperatures of different places on Earth. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders explain how the sun's heat cause ocean movement. They discuss how temperature change affects the weather we experience.
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Making Connections, Linking Population and the Environment
Students find out that all habitats have a carrying capacity. They explore how the world's human population has grown markedly in the 20th century, and that humans impact environmental health. Students investigate that people can and...
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The Earth, Sun, Moon, And Stars
Fifth graders explore the solar system. In this solar system unit, 5th graders investigate numerous projects while rotating through learning centers. Students write about space and construct a space shuttle model. Students practice map...
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Global Change- Earth as Home
Students create their own environment. In this environmental protection lesson, students pretend they are the owners of a tropical island. They create jobs for the citizens and develop the island as a model environment.
Carnegie Mellon University
Marcellus Shale: Who Pays?
After viewing short clips of unfortunate events, your class will consider two sides of a homeowner's court case, and then learn about the Marcellus shale deposit beneath the state of Pennsylvania and the hydraulic fracturing process. In...
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Orbits Worksheet #2
Brief, but beneficial, this resource draws space scientists into the orbit of a moon around its planet. Assignees answer five multiple choice style questions using a diagram of the planet, the moon's orbit, its focal points, and the...
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How Does Earth Move?
In this earth movement worksheet, students will fill in the blank of 4 statements relating to how the Earth spins on its axis and how it moves around the sun.
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Earth Day-Conservation Walk/Ride
Students explore the relationship between conservation of our resources and the use of other modes of transportation (walking, biking and roller blading). They show respect for their environment by picking up garbage in the area. They...
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Bad Algae!
Students explore algal blooms. In this ecosystem and health instructional activity, students define and describe harmful algal blooms, then discuss ways in which the impact of these algal blooms could be reduced. Students...
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'Round and 'Round it Goes!
Students discuss and interpret background knowledge on poster copy given on the water cycle. Students complete the included activity sheets using the poster as a reference in small groups. Students identify and name where water can be...
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The Tropopause
In this tropopause activity, students read about the temperature of the air in the tropopause or the layer of the atmosphere closest to the Earth. They answer four critical thinking questions about this layer and the energy changes that...
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The Atmosphere
For this atmosphere worksheet, middle schoolers complete 20 fill in the blank questions about energy concepts, different types of winds, and air pollution.