PHET
Planet Designer: What’s Trending Hot?
Excite scholars to design their own planet in this first of five lessons. The instructional activity starts with a pre-activity assessment, a complete lesson plan that is easy to implement, and a post-activity assessment that would look...
PHET
Planet Designer: Kelvin Climb
It's time to get those creative juices flowing! This second instructional activity in a series of five continues allowing pupils to design their own planets. It the same format as the first, but, this time, allows students to alter...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Infectious Diseases Classroom Activity
Here is a different approach: emerging epidemiologists first go home to interview family on the topic of infectious disease. Then they come to class and view a video and PowerPoint that explore how climate change may increase the...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: The Warming of Our Large Lakes - Reasons for Concern
Another A+ instructional activity on the impact of climate change comes to you from the National Earth Science Teachers Association. In this installment, learners model the stratification of water in lakes due to temperature differences....
Redefining Progress
Have and Have-Not
Is there a correlation between a country's wealth and the extent of its ecological footprint? What exactly constitutes an ecological footprint, and how does one country stack up against the rest? This is a unique instructional activity...
Curated OER
Planets for Sale
Student develop their technology skills. In this solar system instructional activity, 3rd graders create a movie featuring planets that they research. Students use flip video cameras to film commercials to market their planets.
ESL Kid Stuff
Our World
There's a beautiful world all around us! Learn about the features of our planet with a series of activities designed for English learners. Kids sing, dance, and read about nature with fun lessons and interactive play.
Michigan Sea Grant
Water Quantity
It may be tricky for a young mind to conceptualize that less than 1% of all water on earth is useable for humans to drink. Simulating the amount of fresh water available on earth by removing measured amounts of water from a five-gallon...
Curated OER
The Discovery Of The Solar System
Young scholars study the heliocentric theory of Copernicus, the ideas behind it and the explanations which it displaced. A discussion of retrograde motion of planets helps students explain the logic underlying the ideas of both Ptolemy...
Curated OER
The Milky Way and Beyond
Students consider the scale of the Milky Way Galaxy. In this Milky Way lesson plan, students hypothesize the length of time necessary to cross the Milky Way.
Curated OER
The Water Cycle - Family Page
Learners discuss the steps of the water cycle. They create their own model of the water cycle. They complete the Family Page at the end of the lesson.
Curated OER
NASA Plans Moon Base
Students react to statements about the moon, then read a news article about NASA's plans to build a permanent base on the moon. For this space science and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and a...
Curated OER
"101 Amazing Earth Facts" Game
Students read for comprehension, work cooperatively to learn "101 Amazing Earth Facts," and compete as teams in a Jeopardy-like game.
Curated OER
CO2 and You
Students study the scientific evidence about carbon dioxide emissions. They learn to calculate the amount of energy used by different appliances. They complete a worksheet which analyzes the amount of energy that their home uses.
Curated OER
Sand Travels
Students examine how sand is formed by erosion and that it can be moved by streams, rivers, and ocean currents in this unit of lessons. They study waves and currents, and structures that change how sand moves by creating story charts,...
Green Learning
Build Your Own Solar Oven
This is not exactly a lesson plan, but rather a six-page document detailing how to build a solar oven. A bit of background information, materials list, diagrams and photos, and clearly-written procedures are all included. There are no...
Curated OER
I Have a Metaphor
Learners locate the literary devices used in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. In this figurative language lesson plan, young scholars first distinguish between similes, metaphors, analogies, personification, etc....
National First Ladies' Library
E.T. Phones Home: The History of the Telephone
Students create illustrated timelines of the telephone's history. In groups, they research 25-year sections beginning in 1876. Once each group has completed their portion of the timeline, they are all assembled to create one banner.
Curated OER
Cargo Activity Practice
Students examine the cargo load that is needed during the simulation of a space rescue mission. They brainstorm in order to think of possible things needed onboard in storage. Then students create an inventory list that includes water...
Curated OER
NOT WASTING
Young scholars brainstorm and analyze creative ways to not waste materials and recycle more as an individual. The theory and importance of conservation is also stressed within this activity. In addition, silent sitting is exercised,...
Curated OER
The Discovery of the Solar System
Pupils study the ideas behind the heliocentric theory of Copernicus. They examine about retrograde motion of the planets as they move around the sun. They study astronomers who include Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Galileo.
Curated OER
Kepler and his Laws
Students examine Kepler's Laws. They confirm Kepler's 3rd law by comparing orbital periods and mean distances for all major planets and study conic sections, qualitatively.
Curated OER
Kepler And His Laws
Students engage in an overview of the story of Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, and of Kepler's laws. Each of Kepler's laws be studied separately in more detail in later lessons. They examine Kepler's 3rd law.
Curated OER
In the Eye of the Storms
Tenth graders study the major hurricanes of the Atlantic Ocean. In this weather lesson, 10th graders read an article and answer various questions. Students discuss their findings with their classmates.