California Academy of Science
California's Climate
The United States is a large country with many different climates. Graph and analyze temperature and rainfall data for Sacramento and Washington DC as you teach your class about the characteristics of Mediterranean climates. Discuss the...
Curated OER
Go To The Head of the Cloud
Students pretend they are water droplets traveling through the water cycle. Using their text, they discover the steps in the cycle and the different paths water can take. They write a report about their journey through the water cycle...
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Turtle Shell Craft
Have your class learn about turtles and adaptation using this lesson. Learners discuss turtles, the unique design of their shells, and the ways they have adapted to their surroundings. Then, they make a paper bag model to simulate a...
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Are You One of Us?
Students compare and contrast insects and arthropods, identifying characteristics of each. In groups, they sort pictures of arthropods into the five different classes of arthropods. They also sort pictures into insect and non-insect piles.
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Iron Fertilization - Pumping Iron
The theory that adding iron to ocean water may increase phytoplankton ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is examined. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute is monitoring conditions off the California coast to...
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Global Warming - The Heat is On: Global Climate Change Revisited
After listening to your lecture on climate change, young scientists access NOAA's database listing Mauna Loa's carbon dioxide data. They graph the monthly means and then compare their graphs to NOAA's. This is a concise plan that could...
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Air Pollution
Students seek solutions to environmental problems. They discover how to conserve and protect natural resources. They examine the role of acid rain on plants and discover how to filter pollutants.
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Aquatic Exotics
Pupils identify and describe the aquatic exotic species found in Illinois. Using the internet, they research the species origins and discover their effects on native species in the area. They discuss how appropriate it is to introduce...
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Water
Third graders study different bodies of water and how they fit into the water cycle. They explain that materials exist in different states (solid, liquid and gas) and change from one to another, that there are systems, order, and...
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Rock River Watershed
Learners discover what a watershed is and which one they live in. Using the internet, they research why watersheds are important to an ecosystem and how to keep them from getting polluted. They use a map to locate various items within a...
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Photosynthesis
Pupils are introduced to the process of photosynthesis. In groups, they test the effects of the lack of sunlight on plant leaves and compare the results with their hypothesis. They note the characteristics that plants and animals share...
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Protecting the Environment
Young scholars explain what biodegradable materials are and list examples of them. They design, with online partners' feedback and input, a product made of biodegradable materials and develop a marketing campaign to best sell their product.
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Solid Waste Recycling
Students plan a "no garbage" lunch and hold a classroom contest to sort grabage into what can and what can't be recycled. They assess the importance of reducing the amount of garbage in the environment and set up a book recycling program.
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To Rot or Not!
Young scholars discover that composting helps reduce landfill waste and is good for the soil. They explore the techniques of composting through a variety of media, art activities and hands-on experience.
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9th Grade
Ninth graders discuss the principal source of energy entering the marine ecosystem. They name some of the autotrophs at the Maui Ocean Center. Students name some of the heterotrophs at Maui Ocean Center. They are taught that plants are...
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Which Falls Faster?
Second graders study force and what it does. In this motion lesson students complete a demonstration on force and gravity and share their ideas.
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Energy and Energy Conversion
Third graders investigate different energy conversions through hands-on activities. In this energy instructional activity, 3rd graders move through four stations and conduct experiments illustrating energy conversions. Wave energy,...
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Harvesting Water from Fog
Students analyze the water issues of Cape Verde in the Peace Corp lesson. In this water resources lesson, students analyze the concept of water being harvested from fog. Students explore the Peace Corps project site by watching...
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Splish-Splash: Daily Use of Water
Learners explore the daily use of water in Kenya and Ghana. In this Peace Corps lesson, students compare similarities and differences between water use by people in Kenya and Ghana and their own communities as...
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Weather and Water in Ghana
Students research the rainy and dry season to investigate Africa's weather. In this African weather lesson, students use the given websites to research the rainy and dry seasons of Ghana in Africa. Students then read stories about life...
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Galapagos - Discover the Diversity
Pretend you are exploring a newly discovered species of fish in the Galapagos. Your budding marine biologists access FishBase Database's list of marine/brackish fishes and choose one to research. The link through this website does not...
California Academy of Science
Energy: A Day in My Life
If only we could harness the energy of fifth graders, our energy problems would be over! The class discusses where different forms of energy come from and how we use them. They complete a chart of the activities that they do daily...
Mary Pope Osborne, Classroom Adventures Program
Mummies in the Morning Egyptian pyramids, hieroglyphics
Visit the Magic Treehouse and take your class on a trip through time with a reading of the children's book Mummies in the Morning. Using the story to spark an investigation into Egyptian culture, this literature unit engages...
Teach Engineering
Introduction to Water Chemistry
What are the issues surrounding water quality? Viewers of this short presentation gain information about the importance of clean water, the lack of fresh water, water contamination, and ways that engineers treat water.