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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air and Water in the Environment

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students demonstrate an awareness of air as a substance that surrounds us and takes up space, and whose movement we feel as wind. They predict and describe how local weather conditions affect living things, including themselves.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocks, Minerals, and Erosion

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students identify and describe rocks that contain records of the earth's history and explain how they were formed. They formulate questions about and identify needs and problems related to objects and events in the environment, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change Course

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students explain the impact of glacial melting to global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students design an experiment to investigate the effect of salinity change to melting glaciers. They share their results to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's In Our Backyard?

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders investigate the importance of an ecosystem by studying their own backyards.  In this environmental activity, 8th graders examine a schoolyard or backyard by marking quadrants and recording any animal or plant findings on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Galaxies Galore, Games and More

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students practice skills used in scientific investigation while studying the three main types of galaxies. Students identify Earth as part of Milky Way galaxy, the parts of galaxies, and the types of galaxies, as well as classify...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Daily and Seasonal Cycles

For Teachers 1st
First graders use their observations to describe daily and seasonal cycles. through a demonstration using a suspended ball and flashlight, they determine the time of day in various locations. Next, 1st graders participate in a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Weather Classroom - Atmosphere

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Meteorology learners explore the weight of air, layers of the atmosphere, and air pressure action through a series of discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on group activities. Enough discussion prompts, background information, student...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You Ain't Nothin' But a Rock Hound

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Here is an excellent activity on rocks! In it, learners explore the world of rocks through the use of video, hands-on activities, and cooperative projects. This outstanding plan is chock full of terrific activities, websites, streamed...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sky Show

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in a discussion of the sky and colors. They watch a demonstration of how colors can change. They examine the issue of if weather should be a part of their coursework.
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Lesson Plan
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PHET

Planet Designer: Retro Planet Red

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What does the atmosphere on Mars look like? This fourth lesson in the series of five is designed for high schoolers. Scholars apply previous knowledge to add atmosphere to Mars in an online simulation. This comprehensive lesson includes...
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Lesson Plan
US Environmental Protection Agency

Carbon Through the Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Meteorologists view an animated video by the Environmental Protection Agency to learn how the carbon cycle works, and then move into groups to analyze and graph actual data of the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration from Hawaii's...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Stellar Fingerprints and Doppler Red Shifts

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Young scientists observe the spectra of elements and compare that to the Doppler effect. Hook scholars from the beginning all the way to the extension activities in this 5E-format lesson. 
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Dark Matter NASA Conference

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Young scholars calculate the escape velocity of planets in our solar system and use that knowledge to calculate the escape velocity for NGC 2300 group. They then suggest reasons for the escape velocity to be higher than possible given...
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Lesson Plan
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NASA

The Discovery of Jupiter Radio Waves

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Lead your class on a journey to the planet Jupiter and provide them with fun facts in the process. Learners explore radio waves emitted by Jupiter to further understand how this data helps our daily lives. They conclude by discussing...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measurement: Stream Flow & Stadium Capacity

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study the scientific fields and how information can be monitored and recorded.  For this scientific inquiry lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation and complete a hands on activity. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather Forecasting: From Then to Now

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders review the history of weather forecasting. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders identify the different tools used in forecasting weather. They explain why it's important to know the weather.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hero Or Zero?

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students investigate science and technology by reading a children's book.  In this reading comprehension instructional activity, students read the story Archibald Frisby and discuss the ways we use science and technology in everyday...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat Up the Floating Plates

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders research the connection between the convection currents within the mantle of the earth and the moving of Earth's plates. A connection to lessons at previous grade levels on the rock cycle and important background...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jell-O-Shakin

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students design a tower made of jell-o. In this science lesson, students investigate what it takes to build a jell-o building that will not fall when shaken. They discuss what causes earthquakes and how it is controlled.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electromagnetic Energy and Its Spectrum

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Your older elementary young scholars investigate electromagnetic energy and the electromagnetic spectrum. They will observe 7 items represented in the electromagnetic spectrum and make a poster of all the things the items have in common....
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Lesson Plan
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University of Colorado

Using Spectral Data to Explore Saturn and Titan

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Saturn's rings are made of dust, ice, and solid chunks of material. Individuals use spectrographs in this final installment of 22 lessons to determine the atmospheric elements. They analyze spectrums from Titan's atmosphere and Saturn's...
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Lesson Plan
PHET

Features of the Sun

For Teachers 6th - 8th
There are so many things to discover about the sun! Pupils discuss their knowledge of the sun, explore its features, apply their knowledge by labeling photographs, and then reflect on their learning by working in groups to draw and label...
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Lesson Plan
PHET

The Dynamic Nature of the Sun

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
In this second lesson of the series, pupils learn to observe similarities and differences in photos of the sun and record them in a Venn diagram. Then, small groups practice the same skill on unique images before presenting their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Tibetan Plateau

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students 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.