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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sun and Temperatures

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students consider the relationship of temperature to environmental conditions and then apply their knowledge to a practical event. The task assesses students' knowledge and application of that knowledge to an additional situation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Warm and Toasty

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students are introduced to the concepts of specific heat and heat capacity. In groups, they design an experiment to test these two topics on various fabrics. They compare and contrast the amount of heat loss on the different materials...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aging of Trees

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine tree rings to determine its age.  In this tree ring lesson, students examine core tree samples, identify the tree rings, and then determine its age. Students complete a worksheet, deciding which of the two core sample is...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interdisciplinary Task: Weather

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students design a chart to use to record the weather for five days. They then build an anemometer to record wind speed and discover why they are used for this purpose.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clouds and the Weather

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders analyze the relationship of clouds and local weather. Students also observe and record cloud data and weather conditions daily as they research different cloud types. The data is analyzed looking for trends in daily...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tropical Atlantic Aerosols

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young scholars analyze NASA data from the Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer. In this NASA data lesson, students access an assigned website to examine information from the MISR on the Terra Satellite. They determine how desert dust...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Asteroids

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine a potential asteroid impact site. They describe evidence and theories for extinction events.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Save the Bay!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore environmental protection by creating a presentation in class. In this Chesapeake Bay lesson, students discuss the current threats from human beings towards the delicate balance of life near the bay. Students identify the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weathering and Erosion: Some Ways the Hydrosphere Affects the Geosphere

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explain the causes of erosion, describe the effects of erosion, and devise a method of preventing erosion. They model the before-and-after-effects of erosion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Ups and Downs of Weight and Mass

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore the concept of mass, and how it differs from weight. They also calculate their weight change as they ride up and down on an elevator. They record the changes in their weight as the elevator moves graph the collected data.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air and Water in the Environment

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders participate in a three part lesson in which they identify and describe forms of moisture in the environment. Part one of the lesson involves the three stages of the water cycle, part two focuses on creating humidity by...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where in the World is Carbon Dixoide?

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students conduct experiments designed to detect the presence of CO2 by using a BTB that changes color (blue to yellow) in the presence of CO2. First, students experiment with the CO2 from combining vinegar and baking soda. In part two,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquake Depth

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research and locate earthquake epicenters on a map using latitude and longitude. They determine if the depth of an earthquake has any relationship to the distance from a plate boundary.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mystery Mollusc

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the different regions of our oceans by researching the Internet.  In this oceanography lesson, students discover the different jobs related to ocean research and examine their roles by reading related websites. ...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Demonstrating Erosion in Action

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Young scholars easure and record volume of water, then measure and record mass of soil. They explain the effects of the following in controlling erosion: Contouring, cover crop, strip cropping, reforestation, inter-seeding.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Planets Terra Firma

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the theories of the creation of the universe and examine the properties of celestial bodies. They analyze the relationship between the sun, Earth and the other planets.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Volcanic Wrath

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students observe volcanic action using an internet Web site of satellite photographs. Stuents create a portfolio of observable features.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Does the Water Around Our School Go?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Pupils in groups, map quadrants of the area around the school and make predictions about the direction of waterflow and zones of accumulation that will occur when it rains. Then when it does rain they check to see if their prediction...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bridges

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders use model-building to help comprehend the forces and phenomena at work in the world around them. They describe gravity as a universal force that pulls everything toward the center of the earth. Students distinguish between...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Search for Ice and Snow

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students use satellite images to locate areas of ice and snow on the globe. They create a table showing the information they gathered. They present their information to the class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sky Show

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Young scholars use lecture and research to answer the question: Why is the sky blue? students research a variety of other sky phenomena, chart their observations and participate in experiments.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners study solar energy.  For this renewable energy lesson students complete several lab activities using different controls and variables. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constellations

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners explore constellations. They read trade books about constellations and write notes including their locations, origins, and names. They research and report on one constellation in the Northern Hemisphere and share their report...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measurement of the Depth of the Ocean

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students comprehend the physical properties of pressure and Boyle's Law by designing a depth gauge. They construct a capillary depth gauge and calculate the calibrated depth marks of the capillary tube. They determine the margin of error...