Curated OER
Carve That Mountain
Learners investigate major landforms (e.g., mountains, rivers, plains, hills, oceans and plateaus). They build a three-dimensional model of a landscape depicting several of these landforms. Once they have built their model, they act as...
Curated OER
Estuary and Watershed
High schoolers investigate the San Francisco Bay Estuarine Research Reserve and watershed. In this estuary and watershed lesson plan, students complete 4 activities to better understand estuarine systems. They include studying the San...
Curated OER
How Pollution Disrupts Our Natural Environment
Learners conduct experiments to illustrate global warming. In this air pollution lesson plan, students first examine how a layer of greenhouse gasses might impact the earth's atmospheric temperature, then evaluate how the layer of...
Curated OER
Water Everywhere: Is There Enough to Drink?
Learners examine water supply issues caused by population growth and land use. They read and discuss an article, develop a water usage trivia game, write a news article, illustrate a desalination process, and research aquifer systems.
Curated OER
Dangers Of Radiation Exposure
Students investigate the effects of radiation exposure and how it can effect objects on earth and space. They conduct research using a variety of resources and use the information to create a project that is reflective of good research...
Curated OER
Geologic Timelines
Learners create a timeline of geologic events of the Phanerozoic Eon. In this geologic timeline lesson, students view a handout that shows a timeline of the Earth's history. They create their own timeline of the Phanerozoic Eon with...
Curated OER
Design a Reef!
Middle schoolers explore coral reef ecosystems. In this ecosystems science lesson plan, students research coral reef ecosystems to determine the major functions the participating organisms must perform. Middle schoolers construct a...
Curated OER
Tectonic Plates, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes
Challenge geography classes to locate the major volcanoes and earthquake faults on a world map. In groups, they identify the pattern made and examine the relationship between the locations of the faults and volcanoes and tectonic plates....
Curated OER
Carbon Monoxide and Population Density
Tenth graders investigate the carbon monoxide level at a fixed latitude to determine if there is a relationship to population density. They download data sets and generate a graph, and find locations using the Earth's coordinate system....
Curated OER
The Gifts of the Nile
Get your class thinking about the geography that shaped the Egyptian landscape and culture. They compare ancient climate zones and geogrpahical fetures, locate evidence of plate tectonics, take and quiz, and write a short essay. The...
Curated OER
Hurricanes
Upper elementary meteorologists take a glance at what a hurricane is and how it is formed. Because this does not get into the differences in air pressure that drive the associated winds, it may not be useful for older learners. The...
Curated OER
Nataraj Shiva as Lord of the Dance
Students considers the piece of artwork entitled, The Nataraj, Lord Shiva and Lord of the Dance to visualize several of the most important ideas of Hinduism.
Curated OER
Unit 2: Global to Local: Understanding My Place in the Hydrosphere
What does the ground around your home have to do with water pollution? Young ecologists learn about their local watershed and create their own cause-and-effect models of the hydrosphere.
McGraw Hill
Arthropods
Are spiders related to crabs? Study the order of arthropods with a reading selection about animal diversity. It provides details about each class within the order, as well as vivid pictures and explanatory charts.
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 1
How do scientists provide evidence to support the theories they put forth? What clues do they put together to create these theories? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation class members engage in a series of...
Space Awareness
Continental Climate and Oceanic Climate
There's nothing better than a cool breeze blowing in from the ocean. Scholars explore how water affects change in temperature using a hands-on experiment on climate. They use measurement tools to compare the continental and oceanic...
K12 Reader
Water Carves the Land
What affect do bodies of water have on the world around us? Kids can find out by reading this passage. After reading, they answer five questions related to the text.
Carnegie Mellon University
Renewables Workshop
Youngsters examine resource maps to find out which states are using solar and wind power and discuss as a class various other renewable energy sources. They use a provided data table to record pros and cons to each technology, build and...
Space Awareness
The Climate in Numbers and Graphs
Weather versus climate: weather relates to short time periods while climate averages the weather of a period of many years. Scholars learn about average temperature and precipitation in various climate zones and then apply statistics...
Curated OER
Acid Rain
Young scholars use real-time weather maps to determine the likelihood of acid rainfall in a region. Students apply their understanding of interaction between weather systems, land and air pollution, to address acid rain and the effects...
Curated OER
The Blizzard of 1993
Students read and interpret the information from a barograph from a major winter storm. This task assesses students' abilities to interpret and analyze graphs, construct data tables and graphs, generalize, infer, apply knowledge of...
Curated OER
Movement of Air
In this movement of air worksheet, students identify and describe the purpose for convection and how it effects Earth. Then they describe what thermals are and why they occur in hot and cold air movements. Students also explain why...
Curated OER
What's Up? Astronomy Curriculum
Students study astronomy. In preparation for a field trip to a planetarium, students discuss the stars, planets, and light. They explore the importance of the north star and constellations. The Digitarium system is used to assist the...