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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers differentiate weather and climate. In this earth science lesson, students compare weather and climate in different regions of the world. They interpret weather graphs and compare isotherm lines of northern and southern...
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Website
American Museum of Natural History

Climate Change

For Students 6th - 12th
It actually is possible to have too much of a good thing when it comes to climate change. A slide show lesson describes how burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change. Individuals read about the scientific process and the...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Coral and Chemistry

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Using cabbage juice as a pH indicator, future scientists explore the effect of increasing carbon dioxide on the pH of the ocean and relate it to the health of coral reefs. Ideal for an earth or environmental sciences course, this lesson...
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Lesson Plan
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NASA

Geographical Influences

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
"If global warming is real, why is it so cold?" Distinguishing the difference between weather and climate is important when it comes to understanding our planet. In these activities, young scientists look at the climate patterns in a...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Climate Change Around the World

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
It is unknown if cloud cover increases in response to carbon dioxide levels changing, helping climate change slow down, or if cloud cover decreases, allowing Earth to warm faster. Part four in the series of five lessons has classes...
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Lesson Plan
Florida International University

The Good, the Bad and the Nasty Tasting

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Examine the benefits of chemical defense mechanisms. Organisms in oceans use chemicals to ward off predators. Duplicate this adaptation using a hands-on experiment in which you ward off your predators (your pupils) with some bad-tasting...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate Change & Coral Activities

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners study how the ocean stabilizes our planet's climates and how global warming is becoming a threat to this fine balance.  In this climate change lesson plan, students identify that fossil fuel emissions are responsible for global...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate Change: Is there a Controversy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore climate changes. In this climate changes activity, students research what causes changes. Learners search the Internet, summarize reports they find and create a poster with the information.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate Change: Carbon Cycle

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore the carbon cycle. In this carbon cycle lesson, students discuss the four main reservoirs where carbon is stored and then discover the process through which each reservoir absorbs and releases CO2. This lesson includes a...
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Lesson Plan
US Environmental Protection Agency

Sea Level: On the Rise

For Teachers 6th - 10th
With the global temperature on the rise, the effects of climate change are starting to be seen. However, many people have a difficult time conceptualizing the long-term effects, such as sea levels rising. Given an easy and effective...
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

The Tide is High, but I’m Holding On… Using ICESat Data to Investigate Sea Level Rise

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Based on the rate of melting observed from 2003-2007 in Greenland, it would take less than 10 minutes to fill the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium. The 17th lesson in a series of 21 has scholars use the ICESat data to understand the ice mass...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Rising Ocean Temperatures - Rising Sea Levels

For Teachers 5th - 9th
As an anticipatory set, young environmental technicians watch a video about how ocean temperatures seem to be changing along with the global climate. They perform a laboratory demonstration with the purpose of observing what happens to...
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Lesson Plan
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center

Global Warming in a Jar

For Teachers 4th - 8th
This well-organized lab activity introduces earth science pupils to the greenhouse effect. They will set up two experiments to monitor temperatures in an open jar, a closed jar, and a closed jar containing water. Ideally, you would have...
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Why All The Wiggling on the Way Up?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Some of the CO2 emitted by burning fossil fuels is removed from the atmosphere by natural sinks, such as the ocean. The fifth engaging lesson in the series of 21 examines the CO2 data from three very different locations. It then makes a...
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Interactive
Scholastic

Study Jams! Earth's Oceans

For Students 4th - 8th
Enjoy beautiful images and ocean facts together with the slide show, then see how much you absorbed by taking the quiz. Some of the topics covered in the presentation include water pressure, sunlight in the ocean, the names and locations...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Climate Change Impacts

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Getting kids thinking about climate change now, will hopefully push them into action when they become adults. Young environmentalists discuss the evidence and causes of climate change seen in the state of California. They brainstorm ways...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Off Base

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How does carbon dioxide affect the world's oceans? The final installment in a series of six lessons has pupils research ocean acidification, then conduct an experiment to witness the delicate balance that exists in our seas. Materials...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Tropical Belt

For Teachers K - 4th Standards
Where in the world is the equator? Explore a world map with your class, coloring in oceans, continents, and rainforests while locating the three major lines of latitude: the equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn. Discuss how...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

To Boldly Go...

For Teachers 5th - 12th
When we think of ocean exploration, many of us have visions of sunken pirate ships full of treasure or mysterious creatures of the deep. What really motivates deep-sea investigation? The first in a series of diverse six-part lessons...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Ocean Circulation in the North Atlantic

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Swirling and churning, the waters of the North Atlantic play a vital role in Earth's climate! Discover the many factors that produce circulation using a multimedia lesson from PBS's Weather and Climate series for high schoolers. Scholars...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Fading Corals

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Show the six-minute video, "Changing Planet: Fading Corals," and then demonstrate how calcium carbonate forms a precipitate in the presence of carbon dioxide. Separate your scientists into small groups to gather information about coral...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Ocean Acidification - the Chemistry is Less than Basic!

For Teachers 7th - 10th
A video and laboratory investigation are highlights to this lesson on acidification of ocean water due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. Using bromothymol blue (BTB) as an indicator, pupils analyze the amount of carbon dioxide...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Stressed Out!

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Are our oceans really suffering due to the choices humans make? The sixth and final installment in the volume of activities challenges research groups to tackle one of six major topics that impact ocean health. After getting to the...
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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...