Space Awareness
Oceans as a Heat Reservoir
Oceans absorb half of the carbon dioxide and 80 percent of the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Scholars learn how and why the oceans store heat more effectively than land and how they help mitigate global warming. Pupils...
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Connect the Spheres: Earth Systems Interactions
Is everything really connected? Take your class on a walk outside, where they will make observations and write them down on a worksheet. Once they are back in the classroom, learners will work to determine if and how things like birds,...
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Water in Earth's Hydrosphere
Environmentalists test stream water for temperature, pH, and turbidity. Each group shares their information and then the class makes an overall evaluation of the water quality. A slide show sets the backdrop for the teaching portion and...
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Target Earth
Space scientists use water displacement to determine the mass of a cubic centimeter mini meteorite, and then use it as a small-scale representative of an asteroid. They figure out the orbital velocity of an asteroid. Then they use a...
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The Earth's Atmosphere and Temperature
Students describe and compare the layers of the atmosphere. They explain how to measure the temperature of the atmosphere and discover what causes the atmosphere to heat up in some places more than in others.
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Our Poetic Planet - Writing Poems about the Earth
As a way to combine language arts and science, try this lesson on writing cloud poetry. Begin by showing a PowerPoint presentation and images of cloud types. Take meteorology masters outdoors to explore the sky using the provided "Cloud...
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Changing Planet: Infectious Diseases Classroom Activity
Here is a different approach: emerging epidemiologists first go home to interview family on the topic of infectious disease. Then they come to class and view a video and PowerPoint that explore how climate change may increase the...
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Don't Let the Earth Down
Writing a persuasive argument starts with a clear thesis. Using this resource, your class will write a persuasive paper on a conservation issue. They will then transform their argument into a 30-second public service announcement. If...
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Don't Let the Earth Down
Although recycling is definitely beneficial, reducing our waste and conserving our natural resources should really be the focus of environmentalists. Encourage the future generation to create a public service announcement about a...
Population Connection
Lessons From the Lorax
Is progress progressing too fast? So believes the Lorax, the eponymous character from Dr. Seuss's The Lorax. Young environmental science students read the book and debate the arguments of the Lorax and the Once-ler regarding the value of...
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The Planets in our Solar System
Young scholars learn the order and key characteristics of each planet in our solar system. In this solar system lesson, students work in groups to characterize each planet on an index card. They use their index cards to put the planets...
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The Solar System
In this science worksheet, pupils learn the names of the 9 planets in our solar system (Pluto is still included here) and locate them in a word search. Students answer 9 questions about the planets--their positions and attributes.
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Solar System
Second graders create planet mobiles in order to reinforce concepts such as planet size, position in relation to the sun, and planet names.
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Not So Lost in Space
Students investigate how engineers navigate satellites in orbit around the Earth and on their way to other planets in the solar system. They study vocabulary words and participate in studying a satellite by learning about times and...
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The Sun's habitable Zone
High schoolers explore the average surface temperature of planets. They use the Planet Temperature Calculator to find the average temperature. Students explore how the distance from the sun affects the Earth's average surface...
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Planetary Weather
Young scholars study the weather on other planets in our solar system. In this planetary weather lesson students create a display of the different weather conditions on the other planets.
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The Solar System
Students explore planets of the solar system, write reports, and create dioramas.
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The State of the Planet
Students address four different environmental topics (water issues, the threat of food shortages, human population growth, and global warming) as they watch a film and discuss the future of the earth. In groups, they complete various...
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TE Activity: Space Shelter
Students simulate that they need to develop a new home on a different planet. They design a shelter that will ensure their survival after researching the characteristics of the other planet. They write an essay about their home design.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Planetary Cereal Project
Sixth graders decorate an empty cereal box with information and games showing their comprehension of factual information about an assigned planet. This is a nice, creative lesson about the solar system.
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Crashed On the Moon
Young scholars compare/contrast the environments of our moon and earth, and examine examples of how these differences would affect their daily activities on our moon. They develop lists of emergency supplies to bring if their spaceship...
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The Best of the Solar System (Grades 4-7)
Students explore planetary research and become familiar with the planets and their characteristics. They compare and contrasts planets and moons.
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The Best of the Solar System (Grades 6-8)
Learners are introduced to planetary research and become familiar with the planets and their features. They view images of the planets, and fill in an information chart which is imbedded in this plan.
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Scale Model of the Solar System
Students work in groups of 4-6 for the experiment/activity part of this exercise. Students know that earth is the third planet from the sun in a system that includes the moon, the sun, eight other planets and their moons, and smaller...