Curated OER
What Is Energy? Short Demos
Students engage in three short, hands-on, in-class demos which expand students' understand of energy. First, using peanuts and heat, students see how the human body burns food to make energy. Then, they create paper snake mobiles to...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Causes and Effects of Climate Change
Wrap-up a unit on global climate change with a lesson that examines the causes and effects of climate change. Learners fill out a chart that represents what they think causes climate change—natural and human-based—and what they think...
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Ocean Influences on Climate Lesson Plan
Students brainstorm about the geographical factors that contribute to climate. They examine the impact of ocean currents on coastal temperatures.
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Strange Winter Weather Affects Nature, People
Students react to a series of statements about the weather, then read a news article about the affect of unusual winter weather on people and animals. In this meteorology and current events lesson, the teacher introduces an article with...
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Will Smog be a Problem at the Olympic Games?
Students locate China on a world map, then read a news article about pollution in Beijing. For this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion about smog and a vocabulary activity, then students read the...
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Introducing The Gulf Stream
Sixth graders research the average temperatures of different places on Earth. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders explain how the sun's heat cause ocean movement. They discuss how temperature change affects the weather we experience.
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Atmospheric Processes -- Convection
Students work together to discover how temperature changes can affect the density of water and air. They make predictions on what they believe is going to occur. They answer questions to complete the activity.
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Weather Characteristics
Students identify characteristics of weather and seasons, describe the current weather, identify the current season, and locate the current temperature at www.weatherchannel.com. They also depict the current forecast using Math Keys...
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Moisture Advection
Students analyze meteorological data and arrive at conclusions using animations of dewpoint temperatures and winds. They view an animation and determine the preferred location(s), if any, for the advection of moisture into the state....
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Review For Weather Quiz 2
In this science worksheet, students look at the information carefully in preparation for a formal assessment. The focus is upon defining different aspects of air masses.
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Convection in a Pan
Students explore convection. In this lesson on heat and energy, students investigate how heat moves in convection currents. They use their finding to better understand how convection currents effect the movement of tectonic plates.
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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...
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Weather Observations
Students record the weather using an outdoor thermometer. In this weather instructional activity, students compare their recordings to that on the weather map online. Students explain the differences of each weather reading. Students...
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Weather and Oceans: Uneven Heating of the Earth
Students investigate what causes the heat on Earth. In this Earth heating instructional activity, students experiment with different heat sources and determine where the Earth gathers the most heat. Students explore vocabulary words...
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Can The Radon Problem Be Fixed?
Students participate in lab activities in which they examine the radon level in homes. They demonstrate through convection currents how radon moves through a home based on temperature. They predict what they believe will occur during the...
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Who Lives with Mallard?
Students color a picture of the habitat featuring mallard and other creatures, some of whom might be camouflaged or half-hidden. They discuss other forms of animal adaptation.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Causes and Effects of Climate Change
It's time for your class to literally show what they know! Pupils illustrate what they learned about the causes and effects of climate change by filling out a graphic organizer to complete the 5-part series of lessons. They discuss them...
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Three Methods of Heat Transfer
Learners participate in a variety of experiments designed to illustrate types of heat transfer including conduction, convection and radiation. They complete worksheets as an assessment of the experiments.
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Reading Weather Maps
Fourth graders the symbols that are used on weather maps. They develop five day forecasts based on information they gather from weather maps in the newspaper and on the Internet.
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Weathering the Weather
Students investigate global warming through initial discussion of recent findings regarding weather patterns. They act as city planning 'committees' concerned with how the trends in global warming affect the agriculture and industries.
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Ozone Pollution: Smog Alert
Students examine factors the create smog. In this pollution lesson students complete an activity about ozone.
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Windy Weather
Make wind detectors with paper plates, ribbon, and streamers. Go for walks over an extended period of time to observe and record the effect of the wind on the detectors and other observable objects (leaves, grass, etc.).
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Cold Fronts
Students determine its' direction of movement, and list at least five weather conditions associated with the specific front, given animations of several atmospheric variables during a cold front passage. They list at least three weather...
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Weather Predictions
Students record weather data and create a five day forecast. Students investigate the roles of meteorologists and identify symbols used on a weather map. After gathering weather data for a week, students will create a five day forecast...