Curated OER
Exploring Our Solar System #1
Students examine the different theories on how our solar system was formed. They discover the order of the nine planets. They also identify the surface features of each planet.
National Wildlife Federation
The Amazing Adventures of Carbon: How Carbon Cycles through the Earth
Here's a stat for your pupils: 18 percent of the human body is carbon! Part 10 in the series of 12 takes pairs on an adventure through the carbon cycle. After a class reading about carbon, pairs read and choose their own adventure...
US Geological Survey
The Water Cycle for Schools: Advanced Ages
Explore the water cycle in an interactive diagram of the process. The diagram shows how water is a moving system and constantly changing forms. The resourc includes vocabulary words that pupils click on in order to discover more about...
Chicago Botanic Garden
GEEBITT (Global Equilibrium Energy Balance Interactive TinkerToy)
Students use the GEEBITT excel model to explore how global average temperatures are affected by changes in our atmosphere in part two of this series of seven lessons. Working in groups, they discuss, analyze graphs, and enter data to...
Star Date
Modeling the Night Sky
Dramatize the stars and planets as they become a visual representation of the solar system in this activity. Young astronomers track and simulate various constellations as they orbit the Earth to learn the position and motion of objects...
Curated OER
Storm Clouds-- Fly over a Late Winter Storm onboard a NASA Earth Observing Satellite
Students study cloud data and weather maps to explore cloud activity. In this cloud data lesson plan students locate latitude and longitude coordinates and determine cloud cover percentages.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Albedo, Reflectivity, and Absorption
What is reflectivity, and what does it have to do with the Earth's climate? As reflectivity is measured by albedo, scientists can gather information on Earth's energy balances that relate to global warming or climate change. Budding...
PHET
Radiation Hazards in Space
Young scientists race from Earth to Mars and back, trying to complete mission objectives while avoiding radiation in this game for 2-4 players. To identify the winner, players must graph their mission points and radiation points at the...
Curated OER
Climate Shifts
Eight slides of information related to shifts in the climate make up this presentation. The vocabulary and concepts displayed are geared toward high school meteorology learners. Content is not cohesive from slide to slide, but the...
Curated OER
Gallery Walk Questions about Energy and Material Cycles
Students state the physical, chemical or biological processes associated with these environments: Pelagic ocean zone, California coat Cave, Indiana Barrier island beach, North Carolina Sand dune, Dunes National Park, Colorado Wetland and...
Curated OER
What Makes you Hot?
Students manipulate different variables in a model and make inferences about the temperature on Earth. In this heat lesson students calculate the blackbody radiation of an object at a certain temperature.
Curated OER
Pangaea Puzzle
Students explore plate tectonics and the formations of the Earth's surface and why maps are distorted. In this Earth's surface lesson students complete a lab and answer questions.
Curated OER
Topographic Connections: Earth's Surface Shapes Streams; Streams Sculpt the Earth
Students identify physical characteristics of developing streams and infer changes in the landscape by creating a river model.
NOAA
Ocean Currents
Go with the flow! The eighth installment in a 13-part series has earth science students dive in to the world's system of ocean currents. The interactive illustrates the different types and depths of currents, how wind and gravity...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Survey Methods
How many African elephants are on earth? How do scientists answer a question like that? An interactive resource explains a variety of survey methods and their advantages and disadvantages. It connects the need for a survey to...
Curated OER
Climate in the Western Regions
Learners examine the interactions of the Earth's systems and other objects in space. In this climate change lesson plan students study the pros and cons of different climates and what their preferences are.
Curated OER
Astronomy
Students complete a unit of lessons on our solar system, its stars, and astronomers. They record information in a space journal, design constellations, define key vocabulary, observe the phases of the moon, and create a group planet...
Curated OER
Structure of the Earth
Sixth graders define atmosphere and hydrosphere, explore through experimentation how the atmosphere was formed, and describe the layers of the Earth's atmosphere and their distances.
Curated OER
The Role of the Atmosphere and Greenhouse Effect in Determining the Surface Temperature of the Earth
Students complete research and solve problems that show the factors that determine the temperature of the earth's surface including the effect of greenhouse gases. They look at the relationships between solar energy, atmosphere, and how...
Curated OER
Space Science: Constellations and the Sun
Students review the zodiac signs and illustrate their movement using constellations on the wall and themselves to represent earth. Individually or in groups, they stand in the center of the room while a shadeless lamp is placed between...
Curated OER
Voyage to the Planets
Students examine the planets in the solar system. In this planetatry lesson students complete a project using a WebQuest program.
Curated OER
Endocrine Excitement!
Students are divided into a group of hormones and a group of receptors. The hormones have to find their matching receptors, and the pair, once matched, perform a given action. This activity helps students examine the specificity of...
Curated OER
Curious? Will You Be Eclipsed?
In this "Curious? Will you be eclipsed?" worksheet, 4th graders answer 4 questions interactively about eclipses, then check answers online.
Curated OER
Exploring the Planets
Sixth graders explore the planets through an interactive web site. In this astronomy based lesson, 6th graders compare planets, explore comets, and discover planet facts through a variety of activities provided by the Smithsonian Museum.