Polar Trec
Sea Ice Impact
The arctic seas contain currents that are both warm (with high salinity) and cold (relatively fresh water) that circulate throughout the year. Through discussion, a lab, and a web quest, participants explore the impacts of melting and...
Curated OER
Updrafts in Action
Students examine how wind can suspend rain and hail in clouds. They focus on safety precautions they can take to protect them from the hazards of thunderstorms.
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Tornado Chasers
Students explore how tornadoes are the most violent storms on earth. Raging at speeds of up to 300 miles per hour, their awesome winds can flip cars through the air like leaves, snap trees like matchsticks, and reduce entire towns to...
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Sustainable Southern Belize: Coral Health Lesson Plan
Fifth graders investigate coral reefs and the dangers they face by labeling and drawing. In this oceanography lesson plan, 5th graders view a PowerPoint presentation of photographs of coral reefs in Belize. Students investigate and...
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Biomes: Extreme Climate
Middle schoolers create a web connecting global warming, the Arctic, and wold climate. They write a paragraph explaining the role of the Arctic in world climate.
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Wind Surge: Interactive On-line Mac and PC
Students examine the influence of the end wall. They find a basin size and wind speed such that a given wall height is overtopped. Then, increase the wall elevation until overtopping stops. Students explain the difference in results.
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Brine Shrimp And Ph Levels
Third graders investigate the different ph levels found in water that is tested using simple measurements. The water samples are taken from a local body of water. The ph levels are used to help indicate areas where shrimp can thrive in...
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Defining Drought
Students examine the hydrologic impacts of drought. Humans can change the course of the water cycle, to some extent, to meet their needs, but can they do so without imposing risks on the plants and animals?
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Nothing to Sneeze At
Students explore allergic reactions; they then synthesize their knowledge by creating informational pamphlets that help new allergy patients research the nature of allergies.
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The Wind & Sun: Powerful Alternatives
Young scholars examine the power that is possible from the sun through an interactive program. They also analyze how energy turns into different forms in different parts of the human body. They finally explore how wind is created and how...
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Pollute Locally, Spread It Globally
Students examine the rate of pollution throughout the world through an interactive program. They define air quality and the air quality index. They examine fuel economy and its impact on the Earth and renewable and nonrenewable resources.
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Cruising the Mantle
Young scholars explore the plate boundaries of the earth. Through the use of video, internet and hands-on activities, students examine the types of plate boundaries. They create a model to illustrate the movement and interaction of the...
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Dissecting Owl Pellets
Students explore owl pellets. In this animal science lesson, students use owl pellet dissection kits to dissect one owl pellet. Students use a magnifying glass to identify the foods that the owl ate.
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Clouds
Students discover how clouds form. They use the internet to read about the formation of clouds. They work together in groups to create their own clouds. They identify and label the four cloud types.
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Swing and Sway
Middle schoolers research the destructive force of the wind. In this science lesson, students design and build a wind resistant structure. They explain why they chose a particular design and present their structure in class.
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Science: Hurricanes As Heat Engines
Students conduct Internet research to track the path of Hurricane Rita. They record the sea surface temperature of the Gulf of Mexico during and after the hurricane and draw conclusions about how hurricanes extract heat energy from the...
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Climate Change and the EU
Sixth graders investigate solutions for a cleaner environment. In this environmental protection lesson plan, 6th graders discuss and list the key issues surrounding the environment. Students read and take notes on climate change,...
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Water Quality Monitoring
Students comprehend the four parameters of water quality. They perform tests for salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and clarity or turbidity. Students comprehend why scientists and environmental managers monitor water uality and aquatic...
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Map-Making Basics
Students study maps. In this geography and art lesson, students create their own map of the classroom.
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Icebergs Ahead!
Students experiment with density of ice, and examine how density affects how icebergs float in water.
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Nature's Air Conditioner
Students observe the process of transpiration in leaves. They measure how much water a leaf gives off in a 24-hour period, calculate the volume, and answer discussion questions.
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Junior High School Lesson Plan
Students play a board game in order to review the details from a travel essay. In this board game lesson plan, students listen the a story about a trip, ask questions regarding it, and review the story by playing the board game on the...
Climate Literacy
Clean: A Global Issue: The Impacts of Climate Change
This is lesson five of a 9-lesson module. Activity explores the effects of climate change on different parts of the Earth system and on human well-being: polar regions, coral reefs, disease vectors, extreme weather, and biodiversity.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Design Solutions Engage, Explore
Third graders illustrate and write out notes for a plan (or several plans) to mitigate the effects of a local weather hazard.