Curated OER
Recent Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions
Students study the recent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In this recent earthquakes lesson students complete an activity while working in groups.
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Looking into Surface Albedo
Students demonstrate how the color of materials on Earth affect the amount of solar energy that is absorbed. In this solar energy lesson students complete a lab to explore how the color of materials on the Earth's surface impacts...
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How Big is Your Footprint?
Students create awareness for ways in which the "Western" lifestyle negatively impacts the Earth. They create awareness for alternatives to our current ways of living, eating and traveling. Students are challenged to talk with their...
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Geologic Time Scale
Students recreate and comprehend the geologic time scale. They discuss how long humans have been around on Earth. Students are shown the geologic time scale and its different parts. They work in groups to recreate the time scale.
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What Makes you Hot?
High schoolers manipulate different variables in a model and make inferences about the temperature on Earth. In this heat lesson students calculate the blackbody radiation of an object at a certain temperature.
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Human Footprint
Students study facts about humans and how they are impacting the Earth. In this investigative lesson students help map peoples footprints over the Earth's surface and evaluate these factors.
University of Arizona
The Exotic Vacation
Students explain the concepts and vocabulary of Earth's rotation. They plan imaginary vacations based on the seasons in different locations. This is a very creative lesson plan, which students enjoy.
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Bringing the Solar System Down to Earth
Students develop a scaled down model of the solar system. In small groups, they calculate the scaled-down diameters of the planets and the sun, the scaled-down distance of the planets from the sun, complete two charts, and create a...
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Activity Plan Mixed Ages: Sunny Science
Students develop problem-solving, observation, and critical-thinking skills. For this early childhood lesson, students explore the topic of the sun as they notice shadows and light.
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Plate Tectonics: Movin' and Shakin'
Students are introduced to the causes of plate movements and the hazards they present. They plot the location of 50 earthquakes and 50 volcanic eruptions on a map and explore the relationships between plate tectonics, earthquakes, and...
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Environmental Health Hazards and Children
Students are introduced to the environmental hazards their community is facing. In groups, they develop a list of the ways humans have changed the Earth and how these changes have lead to environmental hazards. They record their...
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Lesson 5: Technology: Conveniences and Consequences
Young scholars identify positive and negative impacts of technology. In this technological advancements lesson, students consider how toxic pollution affects the Earth and its inhabitants. Young scholars participate in 3 activities that...
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Polar Energy
Students define and read an article on polar energy. For this polar energy lesson, students answer questions about the article. Students participate in activities related to isotopes, half-life and radiocarbon. Students...
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Earth History Part II
Eighth graders hypothesize what caused the break up of continents. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders study about the events that took place during Mesozoic and Cenozoic Era. They reconstruct a supercontinent and report their...
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Arbor Day Across the United States
Students perform research about hardiness zones used to guide planting. They read a hardiness zone color-key map and create their own color-key maps to show when different states celebrate Arbor Day.
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Life Cycle of the Plant - The Pumpkin
First graders access prior knowledge about pumpkins and read the story Pumpkin, Pumpkin. They will sequence the life cycle of the pumpkin through the use of picture cards and then sing a song about the life cycle of the pumpkin and plant...
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Learning from Light: The Big Bang
Students explore what astronomers are able to examine our galaxy and universe by examining light. They explore in this sub-unit the formation of the universe, commonly called "The Big Bang," and it follows studying from the Light: The...
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Adding the Moon: Using a Playground Model to Explore the Movement of the Sun, Earth, and Moon
Students experience the rotation of the Earth and the Moon, and the revolution of the Moon around the Earth using a playground model.
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Orientation of the Earth in Space
Students hypothesize the location of the sun in the sky at diferent times of day and at different latitudes. They perform several experiments to provide evidence for their hypothesis. Experiments including observing the sun's position at...
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Soil Science Study
Students complete an activity by looking and gathering data on plants and soils.
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Use Google Maps to Teach Math
Capture the engagement of young mathematicians with this upper-elementary math lesson on measuring time and distance. Using Google Maps, students first measure and compare the distance and time it takes to travel between different...
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Why Do We Have Night?
Young scholars engage in a fun, creative way to discover how the Earth moves. This lesson helps students explain why there is day and night. It can also create curiosity to further study the solar system and eclipses!
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Phase to Phase with the Moon
Fourth graders study the Moon phases. The lesson includes hands-on activities as well as web-based activities. They use models of the Moon and a lamp to study each of the phases of the Moon, and test their knowlege of the Moon on a web...
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Seasons
Students investigate the reason for seasons on Earth during three activities. They construct a model of the Earth and Sun to identify patterns in the changes of the angle of light on the Earth's surface. Then they conduct a heat...