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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landforms in a Tub

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders use common household items to build landforms and simulate weathering and erosion.
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

The Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Discover the change of the seasons by modeling the Earth-Sun system. Learners model the orbit of the Earth around the sun and explore how and why the patterns of winter and summer occur.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America's Favorite Landmarks

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students research using Google Earth a variety of websites to explore America's most prominent and famous buildings. They then compare and contrast architectural styles and write a position paper defending or arguing against their chosen...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonic Cycle

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore the Earth's movements by completing worksheets. In this plate tectonics lesson plan, students define such natural disasters as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and mudslides and discuss their connections to plate...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Capturing the Sun's Warmth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the variety of ways to use solar energy. They investigate the thermal energy storage capacities of different test materials to determine which to use in passive solar building design. They explain how passive solar...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How is a House Built?

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students identify the equipment and people needed to build a house. In this professions lesson, students construct a KWL chart on the topic of "Who builds a house?" Students read the book How a House is Built. Students add facts to the...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Radiation Shielding on Spacecraft

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Here is a terrific science lesson for your elementary schoolers. In it, learners analyze different materials to simulate space radiation shielding on spacecraft, then select the best material to use to build one. This is a classic...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating Earth's Materials

For Teachers 1st
First graders compare and contrast water from different sources. After collecting water from various sources, 1st graders create a list of observable properties of the water. Students then pour the water into a filter and observe the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stratigraphy -- Layers of Time in the Earth

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students are introduced to the process of stratification. Using the internet, they read about the Richard Beene archeological site near San Antonio. Using a map, they color code the different layers present at this site and answer...
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Lesson Plan
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center

Global Warming in a Jar

For Teachers 4th - 8th
This well-organized lab activity introduces earth science pupils to the greenhouse effect. They will set up two experiments to monitor temperatures in an open jar, a closed jar, and a closed jar containing water. Ideally, you would have...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cooking with the Sun

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore using energy from the sun for heating and cooking as they build and compare the performance of four solar cooker designs. This excellent two-day lesson has groups of students build and test a variety of solar cookers....
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Filtration Investigation

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Scholars build a simple filtration system to remove impurities from muddy water and rate the filtered water to a grade of clarity scale. The focus is on teamwork and problem solving. This instructional activity would be effective in your...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Soil Testing

For Students 5th - 8th
Earth science learners experiment with the water-holding properties of sand, pebbles, and clay. They apply their findings to the building of a well. This activity is engaging and tactile, and it demonstrates the importance of considering...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ping!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Using "mystery bathymetry" shoeboxes, young explorers simulate sonar action to map out the topography of an un-viewable landscape. This classic activity helps physical oceanography learners understand how sonar works. It would be...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Watershed Works: Unit 2

For Teachers 5th - 8th
The second of a three-unit lesson plan, this focuses on how human-made structures affect watersheds. Using watershed models that were built during the first unit, junior geologists now place buildings, dams, or levees into the models and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Performing Well Under Pressure

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Learners study the physical properties of minerals and illustrate their functions.  In this mineral lesson students construct models of some minerals.
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Activity
Exploratorium

Resonant Rings

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Physical or earth scientists construct this clever contraption to demonstrate how size effects frequency. Several paper rings of various sizes are taped onto a board and shaken to create vibrations. The resonant frequencies are easily...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Class, Our Earth day

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars understand the importance of participating in recycling and clean-up efforts in the community. For this recycling lesson, students respond to questions after reading "The Wartville Wizard" by Don Madden. Young scholars...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Buildings Have Lives, Too: Disasters and Their Effect on People

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students research natural disasters and their lasting effect on both people and the environment. In this environmental science lesson, students complete a group project on a natural disaster of their choosing. Students examine multiple...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

This House is Made of Mud: Exploring the Shapes in Our Lives

For Teachers K - 1st
Students study about our dependence on the earth's resources for materials. They practice their knowledge of geometric shapes by recognizing them in the context of the story.
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Lesson Plan
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Purdue University

Design of an Earthen Dam for a Lafayette Neighborhood

For Teachers 3rd
How do dams support bodies of water? Scholars engage in a hands-on STEM activity where they design, build, and test dams to learn about bodies of water and how humans use natural resources. They learn how criteria and constraints affect...
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Activity
Consortium for Ocean Leadership

Measure for Measure

For Teachers 5th - 8th
How does your class measure up? Young scientists create a scale drawing of the JOIDES Resolution in a collaborative activity. The lesson incorporates mathematical principles with deep-sea exploration to focus on enhancing measurement...
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Lesson Plan
Carnegie Mellon University

Introduction to Climate

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Begin a full lesson on climate change by demonstrating how carbon dioxide gas contributes to increased temperatures. Be aware that pressure inside the antacid-containing bottle in Activity 2 may cause the lid to fly off; keep viewers at...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Minerals

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students discuss rocks and other earth materials made up of minerals. They identify minerals by means of their more obvious physical properties such as hardness, luster, color, streak, cleavage and fracture. They arrange a given set of...

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