Curated OER
Solar System Differentiation
Students explore the solar system. In this solar system science instructional activity, students choose 3 out of 12 centers to visit, each of which contains an activity related to the planets. The station activities are designed to...
Curated OER
Planet of the Apes
The "Planet of the Apes" is becoming a staple in many high school classrooms and provides a way to explore a variety of topics.
Curated OER
Lights Light Up My Life
Middle schoolers conduct an investigation. For this energy conservation lesson, students observe and make predictions about fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs. Working in groups, middle schoolers conduct an investigation to...
Curated OER
I Can Preserve My Planet
Students explore renewable and nonrenewable resources. In this ocean preservation lesson, students use KWL charts to understand ways the ocean is important to our daily lives. Students create a poster or wirte a letter to someone...
Curated OER
Ocean Life Lesson Plans
Students learn about life in the ocean with lessons that connect science, art, and environmental topics.
Baylor College
Modeling Earth's Atmosphere
Life on Earth is made possible by the unique composition of its atmosphere. Working collaboratively, a scale model is created as young scientists learn about the different layers of gas that surround the planet. Cards are included that...
Captain Planet Foundation
Sense of Place
Explore the five senses with a kindergarten lesson on gardening. After taking a walk through the class garden, kids note what they see, hear, feel, taste, and smell, and then decide what is living in the garden versus what is not living....
Curated OER
The Sun-Earth Connection
Third graders research about the location of different planets from the sun. For this earth science lesson, 3rd graders discuss the weather in their place and identify common weather terminologies. They explain how tornadoes form and...
Curated OER
Water, Weather, and the World
Students in a special education classroom examine the role of weather and water in their lives. Each day, they add a symbol for the weather outside and identify the proper activities for the weather on that day. In groups, they...
Curated OER
Discover the Planets
Third graders research the planets. In this science activity, 3rd graders create PowerPoint presentations over a planet. Students present their findings.
Curated OER
My Angle on Cooling: Effects of Distance and Inclination
Students discuss what heat is and how it travels. They discover that one way to cool an object in the presence of a heat source is to increase the distance from it or change the angle at which it is faced.
Curated OER
Planting Trees to Help the Planet
Students react to a series of statements about trees, then read a news article about the planned planning of millions of trees to celebrate Arbor Day. In this planting trees lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Calculating Your Ecological Footprint
You can lower your ecological footprint by recycling! Lesson four in this series of five has individuals, through the use of a computer, calculate their ecological footprints. Through discussions and analysis they determine how many...
Curated OER
Variables Affecting Earth's Albedo
Students study the variables that affect the Earth's albedo. In this environmental data analysis lesson plan students interpret and graph information and calculate changes.
Curated OER
Who Pays for My Favorite Television Program?
Ninth graders analyze media messages. In this media messages lesson, 9th graders identify techniques in television commercials that appeal to the senses and emotions. Students analyze the elements in example ads. Students keep journals...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Personal Choices and the Planet
How big is your footprint? Activity three culminates the series by having groups complete carbon footprint audits with people in their schools and/or around the districts. Groups then gather their data, create a presentation including...
Curated OER
Space Circles
Fifth graders calculate the diameters and radius of planets as a book is read to them. In this diameter and radius lesson plan, 5th graders read the book Space Circles and calculate the measurements based on the information in this book.
Curated OER
Solar System Cryptogram
For this solar system cryptogram worksheet, students reveal the names of the planets as they use their problem solving skills to complete the letter code and the word puzzle.
Curated OER
Solar System Scramble
In this solar system word scramble worksheet, students unscramble 8 sets of letters to reveal the names of 8 planets. Students use their answers to answer 1 coded question.
Curated OER
Frequent Assessments Guide Teaching: Part One
What assessment strategies work best for you? I use multiple checks for understanding to make sure my kids are building knowledge, not reinforcing mistakes.
Curated OER
Space Exploration to Find Habitable Planets
Learners explore space science by reviewing scientific vocabulary terms. For this planet identification lesson, students identify the nine planets in our solar system and discuss which ones could potentially harbor life at some point....
Curated OER
You Scratch my Back, I'll Scratch Yours
Students explore the concept of interdependence. In this integrated interdependence lesson, students interpret graphs and charts that require them to analyze the relationship between Mexico and the United States. Students also...
Curated OER
Energy and Me: What is My Responsibility?
Students investigate energy and their impact on the environment. In this environmental lesson plan, students will conduct a series of three activities that will help in their understanding of energy and how we use it.
Curated OER
Comparing Graphs of Temperature and Radiation
Middle schoolers study plots and use a Live Access Server to generate plots. In this temperature lesson students examine the process of incoming and outgoing radiation.