Curated OER
Changing Planet: The Warming of Our Large Lakes - Reasons for Concern
Another A+ lesson on the impact of climate change comes to you from the National Earth Science Teachers Association. For this installment, learners model the stratification of water in lakes due to temperature differences. The lab also...
LABScI
Acoustics: The Sound Lab
If the delay between a sound and its echo is less than 1/10th of a second, the human ear can’t distinguish it. Through the use of a Slinky, rubber band guitar, and straws, scholars explore where sound comes from and how it travels. Whole...
LABScI
Viscosity: The Fluid Lab
There's more to fluids than meet the eye—they include gases, liquids, and polymers, too! Scholars complete three hands-on activities exploring different properties of fluids. They explore viscosity by measuring the resistance, or...
LABScI
Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table of Elements: The Secret Agent Lab
Food always gets attention! Model atomic structure using fruit loops to represent the subatomic particles. After building models, scholars create ionic bonds using their models. Finally, they use these concepts to create a periodic table.
Curated OER
Air Pressure
Learners participate in a series of demonstrations about Bernoulli's principle. They explain how air pressure varies with air speed. They write a detailed lab report about the activity. This is a great way to explore this concept.
CK-12 Foundation
Seasons: Shadow Lengths
Before iPhones and calendars, how did humans determine the seasons of the year? Middle school scientists discover how to use shadows to determine the time of year in an enlightening interactive. Pupils manipulate the sun and examine the...
Curated OER
The Chemistry of Refining Crude Oil
Consider our energy sources: wood, coal, oil, uranium. Learners compare the pollution to energy produced for each. They practice fractional distillation of an alcohol/water mixture to simulate the process of refining crude oil....
Curated OER
Sun and Earth
Students explore the sun, its structure, how big it is and how far away it is. For this solar system lesson students complete a lab activity on dew point and weather.
SRI International
Nanofiltration
How can everyone in the world have access to clean drinking water? Throughout the lesson, learners read about and listen to how water is filtered, what the filtration process removes, and the best ways to filter. They explore the...
Kenan Fellows
Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – Soil
Do great gardeners really have green thumbs—or just really great soil? Environmental scholars discover what makes Earth's soil and soil quality so important through research and experimentation. Learners also develop an understanding of...
Curated OER
Mineral Identification Lab
In this earth science worksheet, students find the values used to identify 18 different types of minerals for this hands on measurement lab.
Curated OER
Water Cycle
Students identify the different stages in the water cycle. In this earth science lesson, students calculate the residence time of water in oceans using a mathematical formula. They explain how this cycle regulates the Earth's climate.
Curated OER
Earthquake Experiments
Students discuss the effects of earthquakes. In this earth science lesson, students create earthquake models and earthquake-proof buildings. They construct their own seismograph.
Curated OER
Hurricanes
Students perform various experiments to explore hurricanes. In this earth science lesson, students explain how they form. They identify the structure of a hurricane.
Curated OER
Tsunami
Students explore tsunami through various hands-on activities. In this earth science lesson, students explain how they are formed. They create tsunami and earthquake models in the lab to observe how they are generated.
Curated OER
Solar System and Planets
Students identify the main components of the solar system. In this earth science instructional activity, students order the planets according to their distances from the Sun. They differentiate planets from dwarf planets.
Curated OER
Using the Synoptic Code for the Prediction of Water
Students construct a thermoscreen for the experiment. In this earth science lesson, students make observations and interpret them using synoptic codes. They predict the weather based on gathered information.
Curated OER
Primary Energy Sources Pros and Cons
Students explore the different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. For this earth science lesson, students discuss the pros and cons of each type. They conduct a variety of experiments on renewable energy.
Curated OER
A Model Solar System
If Earth is modeled by a grapefruit, what planet could be represented by a golf ball? This activity uses everyday and not-so-everyday objects to create a model of the Solar System.
Curated OER
Exploring Density with Salt and Fresh Water: Part 5
This particular lesson was written by the National Earth Science Teachers Association, but density is a concept that you can teach at the beginning of the school year in your life, physical, or earth science classes. It would be fun to...
Curated OER
Thermal Expansion and Sea Level Rise
Placing a thermometer and a glass tube into a flask of cold water and sealing it, you can expose it to heat and very visually demonstrate thermal expansion to your earth science class. Follow it with a discussion about how the increasing...
Pingry School
Replacement of Hydrogen by a Metal
As the most abundant element on the earth, hydrogen requires no replacement. Yet scholars learn to replace hydrogen with a metal to liberate the hydrogen gas. A simple procedure and data table include the necessary information and...
Curated OER
Create a Cloud in a Bottle
Meteorology or earth science classes reach for the sky with this lesson plan! You will need to purchase a Fizz Keeper® device and temperature strip for each lab group if you want them to perform this as an activity rather than you doing...
Curated OER
Carbon Dioxide - Sources and Sinks
Where does all of the carbon dioxide come from that is supposedly leading to climate change? Earth science pupils test animal, plant, and fossil fuels as sources in this investigation. Using an indicator, BTB, they are able to detect the...