Curated OER
Climate Patterns across the United States
Young scholars articulate differences between climate and weather using examples in a written statement. Using climate data from across the country, they describe climate patterns for various parts of the United States on a map. Students...
Curated OER
Tanker Spills
Learners predict the flow of an oil spill and depict it on a map. They explain the predicted route of the oil spill using knowledge of ocean currents in a short presentation to their peers.
Curated OER
Rain Shadows and Sea Breezes
Students plot the average rainfall for a variety of cities in the United States. Using the map, they work together to determine patterns on which toxicants are transported through the air. They determine the impacts of various weather...
Curated OER
An Invisible Pull
Fifth graders explain why objects thrown upward falls back to Earth. For this earth science lesson, 5th graders identify the forces acting on objects. They discuss why planets do not float in space.
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Conserving Energy Resources
Seventh graders research on energy conversion. After they have researched several types of energy resources, teams of two to four create posters which depict how these resources can be conserved.
Curated OER
Many Happy Returns
Young scholars compare the journey of Lewis and Clark with the space flight of Apollo 11. Students sequence events using a timeline. Young scholars write a persuasive essay trying to persuade the people of the US to support space...
Curated OER
Rock Cycle
Third graders identify various types of landforms of the United States. They discuss earth movements that produce geologic structures and landforms and define cycle as it relates to rocks and soil. They demonstrate the processes forming...
Curated OER
Acid Rain
Students 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 on...
Curated OER
Cooling With Sunshades
High schoolers conduct research in order to find the effects of properties exposed to heat and how they change temperature. They consider the effect of sunlight upon objects that are placed outside with the help of an experiment. They...
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Measurement: Stream Flow & Stadium Capacity
Eighth graders study the scientific fields and how information can be monitored and recorded. In this scientific inquiry activity students view a PowerPoint presentation and complete a hands on activity.
Curated OER
The Ocean Floor
Fifth graders discuss the process of sedimentation and the continental drift theory. They locate major structures on the ocean floor and they identify life forms at each level of the ocean.
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Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
Students become familiar with coal as an energy source and how it is mined. In this coal lesson, students research the effects of coal mining on the environment. Students discuss the various problems associated with coal mining....
Curated OER
Weather Forecasting: From Then to Now
Eighth graders review the history of weather forecasting. For this earth science lesson, 8th graders identify the different tools used in forecasting weather. They explain why it's important to know the weather.
Curated OER
Earthquake Epicenters and Magnitudes
Learners work on a virtual earthquake to increase their understanding of seismograms, earthquake epicenters, Richter Magnitude and triangulation when finding the epicenter of an earthquake.
Curated OER
Ecology And the Conservation of Natural Resources
Students study Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and how the continents were connected in one large land mass called Pangaea. They examine plate tectonics and the theory that the earth's surface is composed of large moving...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle
Second graders use the program HyperStudio to draw and describe the water cycle. In this science and technology lesson, 2nd graders will first become familiar with the water cycle by exploring books and websites in the classroom. Next,...
Curated OER
What's Your Favorite Season?
Students explore earth science by creating illustrations in class. For this four seasons lesson, students identify the four different types of weather that take place during the year and read the books Harvest Year and Snow Comes to the...
Curated OER
Great Blobs of Jelly!
Students explain how zoo-plankton have an impact on the global process. In this ocean zoo-plankton lesson students calculate carbon flux and plankton densities.
Curated OER
Frozen Film
Students discover how light reflects off surfaces. In this hands-on demonstration, students examine how variations in color are produced by light interference.
Curated OER
Create a Cloud in a Bottle
Pupils investigate the conditions needed for cloud formation and explore how pressure and temperature effect cloud formation. In this atmospheric pressure lesson students complete a lab on cloud formation.
Curated OER
Let the North Star Tell You Where You Are
Students create an astrolabe and locate the North Star in the night sky. They determine the latitude of the North Star, and calculate an average latitude based on class results.
Curated OER
Discovering Planet X
Students investigate the movements of the planet Pluto. Students participate in a hands-on activity to record data similar to the movements of the planet Pluto. Students compare their data to that found on a website.
Curated OER
Air and Water in the Environment
Second graders participate in a three part lesson in which they identify and describe forms of moisture in the environment. Part one of the lesson involves the three stages of the water cycle, part two focuses on creating humidity by...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Tornadoes
Students research tornadoes. For this weather lesson, students construct a KWL chart on tornadoes and view the video National Geographic-Tornadoes. Students discuss the facts they learned from the film and complete the KWL chart.