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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Migration Mania

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the migratory patterns of four different animals. Reasons for the migration and migratory distances are investigated in this lesson plan.
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Organizer
Curated OER

Hurricane Winds: A Spatial Hierarchy of Processes at Different Scales

For Students 6th - 8th
In this earth science lesson, middle schoolers study a satellite image of hurricane Isabel and write answers to 5 questions that follow. They match predictions to the map locations.
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Lesson Plan
W.K. Kellogg Biological Station

Succession: Patterns in the Field and in Seeds

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Have you been wondering how to use that natural trail at or near your school? This activity gets kids outside with a purpose: learn about ecological succession through field observations and collecting seed and soil samples. The resource...
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Lesson Plan
Rainforest Alliance

Climate Educator Guide

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Climate change is a hot topic in the news. Class members examine carbon dioxide data to analyze trends of our atmospheric makeup over time. They also discuss climate and climate change, and determine how these changes are affecting life...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Round and Round

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners interpret data from a three-dimensional array of current monitors to determine an overall pattern of water circulation. They hypothesize what effect an observed water circulation pattern might have on seamount fauna. A very...
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Lesson Plan
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Science 4 Inquiry

Phases of the Moon

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The moon takes just over 27 days to orbit around Earth. Young scientists position themselves as the earth as they rotate around the sun and hold the moon. This allows them to observe the patterns and phases of the moon.
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Lesson Plan
Centers for Ocean Sciences

Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy: Principle 1

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Is your current lesson plan for salt and freshwater literacy leaving you high and dry? If so, dive into part one of a seven-part series that explores the physical features of Earth's salt and freshwater sources. Junior hydrologists...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Historical Climate Cycles

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
What better way to make predictions about future weather and climate patterns than with actual climate data from the past? Young climatologists analyze data from 400,000 to 10,000 years ago to determine if climate has changed over time....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Best of the Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students visit a site which provides images to be analyzed. Notes are taken and planets are named based on observed features and observations. Using peer review, they try to determine the identity of the planets. They are free to browse...
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Unit Plan
Intel

Starquest

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Almost every ancient culture observed the stars and saw pictures in the patterns. Studying stars allowed them to guide travelers, determine when to plant crops, when to harvest food, and the stories surrounding the images include some of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Floods and Flash Floods

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Junior geologists, hydrologists, or meteorologists simulate what happens during the flooding of a river and demonstrate factors that contribute to flash flooding. This outstanding resource provides a vocabulary list, online resources,...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Precipitation

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Here is a fabulous collection of lessons for your emerging meteorologists! In them, learners will utilize satellite data to determine distribution of rainfall, research global rainfall patterns, and utilize their knowledge to propose new...
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Lesson Plan
University of Colorado

Are All Asteroids' Surfaces the Same Age?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Did you know scientists can tell the age of an asteroid by looking closely at its craters? This final lesson of a six-part series focuses on two asteroids, Gaspra and Ida, in order to demonstrate the concept of dating asteroids. Scholars...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Data Literacy Cube: Global Atmospheric Temperature Anomaly Data

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Evaluate global temperature anomalies using real-world data from NASA! Climatologists analyze a data set using a literacy cube and differentiated question sheets. Team members evaluate global temperature anomaly data with basic...
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

By Air, Land, or Sea: The Formation and Location of Our Natural Resources

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Coal forms from the ancient remains of plants that were alive on Earth before the dinosaurs! Scholars use their t-charts from the previous lesson plan over resources and research to determine if their information is correct. Through...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

What’s the Problem with Isotropy?

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Some patterns are so small, we can't see them without the help of technology. The same is true for cosmic microwave background radiation. During this activity and discussion, scholars examine both anisotropic and isotropic items and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sundials: Keeping Time Like Native Americans

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students explore the use of sundials. They observe the shadows cast by the sun and record the times at various points throughout the day. They create sundials and record the location of the shadows and the time of day. They view a...
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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

Planetary Place Value

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Third graders explore place value to the ten thousands place. This incredibly thorough, 24-page instructional activity has learners construct, order, and compare numbers to 9,999. This three-day instructional activity includes reteaching...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Tibetan Plateau

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners discuss the characteristics of the biosphere, with a focus on the Tibetan Plateau. They participate in a question and answer period discussing biomes and climate patterns. They compare and contrast different ecosystems.
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Watching in 3D

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Bring the ocean floor to life! Earth science scholars discover the process of deep sea mapping in the third installment in a series of five lessons about ocean exploration. The teacher's guide includes helpful resources, worksheets, and...
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Lesson Plan
PHET

CME Plotting

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young scientists build on their previous knowledge and apply it to coronal mass ejections. By plotting the path of two different coronal mass ejections, they develop an understanding of why most don't collide with Earth.
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Historical Climate Cycles

For Students 7th - 9th Standards
Scientists use ice core samples to obtain temperatures of the earth from 400,000 years ago! The third of five lessons instructs pupils to interpret historical climate data to see changes over time. In part I, participants interpret...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycle

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Identify and interpret the earth's different water sources. Third and fourth graders describe and demonstrate the process of the water cycle, make a model of its two main parts, and predict and infer to answer questions about the model.