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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Box Cooker

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore solar power. For this solar power lesson, students build simple solar cookers after they study convection, conduction, and radiation. Students transfer their knowledge of how the solar cooker works to climate changes on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water, Water Everywhere

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore water. In this water cycle lesson, students conduct a scientific investigation that requires build a terrarium models of the earth. Students record their observations of the changes regarding water in the terrarium.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Radiation Comparison Before and After 9-11

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Using the NASA website, class members try to determine if changes could be detected in cloud cover, temperature, and/or radiation measurements due to the lack of contrails that resulted from the halt in air traffic after the attacks of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's Time to Make Time!

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore the evolution of time measurement, and explain the relationship of sunrise/sunset to length of daylight. They collect data and calculations to determine length of daylight during a given day.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics Boundaries

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students discover how to create a model of tectonic plates and study the interactions of these plates as they slowly move on the asthenosphere. They see and experience what happens at each type of plate boundary and why there are certain...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Charting Seasonal Changes

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students research the Earth's patterns of rotation and revolution, create a chart and graph of these patterns and use them to explain the causes of night and day and summer and winter.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploration Yesterday and Today

For Teachers K - 4th
Learners compare and contrast the voyages of early explorers with the space explorations of the present day. After reading the biographies of Benjamin Banneker and Timothy Livengood, students create a Venn Diagram comparing and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water and Ice: Part 1

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students observe the state changes in water. In this matter lesson, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. Students explore how water can change from a solid to a liquid then back again. They journal their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students watch a video about plate tectonics. in this Earth Science lesson, students watch a video clip from Bill Nye about Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics. They make a slight crack in a hard boiled egg and manipulate the egg to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossils and Geologic Time

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the development of the geologic time scale. They examine the major time periods in earth's history. Students discuss the role fossils play in helping us understand history.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tides of Change

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use the Internet to gather information on tides and then use this information to determine the period of revolution of the moon around the earth (part 1) and the relative pull of the sun and the moon on the tides (part 2).
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Are we alone? Do aliens exist?

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students discuss the existence of aliens in the universe. In this alien lesson, students discuss the answers to the questions: What are the chances that aliens exist in the universe? and What are the chances that aliens have visited earth?
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Greenhouse Effect

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students investigate the greenhouse effect. In this environmental lesson, students investigate why the greenhouse effect changes the climate through an experiment. Students use vinegar to simulate how acid damages the environment.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make a Shadow Clock

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students make shadow clocks. In this earth science lesson, students follow the provided steps to make shadow clocks out of the provided pattern and tagboard. A game, a song, a craft, and a recipe are all included with the lesson.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Dancing in the Water?

For Teachers K - 6th
Students learn about watershed, as well as the different forms and uses of water. In this water forms lesson, students brainstorm water sources and uses. Students read the book Water Dance and discuss water examples. Students complete a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Industry and the Environment

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students study industrial processes and greenhouse emissions. In this research lesson students choose a manufactured product, research the life cycle of the product, and present it in a PowerPoint presentation.
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Lesson Plan
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Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Space Travel Guide

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Looking to take a trip? Why not go to space? Here, scholars take on the role as travel agent to create a guide to their favorite planet including travel tips and sightseeing recommendations. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the rotation of the Earth and observe the shapes of constellations. After discussing how the Earth moves. volunteers use a flashlight and globe to model the movement of the sun-Earth system. Using Digitalis technology,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building a Permanent Human Presence in Space

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students tudy space and what it takes to be an explorer.  In this space explorer lesson students examine the characteristics of explorers and create an exploration log. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquakes

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students observe the melting of ice. In this phase change lesson, students observe ice as it melts. They discuss the process and create a Venn diagram comparing water and ice.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Cycle

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Young scholars access prior knowledge of the water cycle by completing a KWL. In this water cycle activity, students follow the movement of water through the water cycle.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You Need How Much Food When? Where?

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders explore how human activities shape the earth's surface.  In this awareness lesson, 9th graders create pictographs showing the relations of food, people, land, and resources. Students complete worksheet.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oral History

For Teachers K - 4th
Students interview a Native Elder to learn about oral history and cold weather. In this weather lesson, students ask an Elder about the coldest day they remember in their community and complete two worksheets for the topic.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Apple: Bare to Pick

For Teachers K - 4th
Students investigate the seasons of the apple tree. In tree seasons lesson, students use a sun model and a globe to study the tilt of the Earth to create the seasons. Students discuss the tilt and the seasons. Students discuss...