Curated OER
What are the Challenges?
Students discuss energy. In this energy challenges lesson, students read about greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. Comprehension questions from the reading are provided.
Curated OER
Fostering Geospatial Thinking: Space to Earth: Earth to Space (SEES)
Students locate and access data to help them with their science inquiry. In this geographical positioning activity students evaluate and compare data sets.
Curated OER
Resources for Teaching about Biogeochemical Cycles
Students study the different cycles and Earth's systems. In this investigative instructional activity students study the nitrogen and carbon cycles, play a game pertaining to it and also participate in a class activity.
Curated OER
What are Rocks and Minerals? How can they help us?
Sixth graders investigate the difference between rocks and minerals. They name the three kinds of rocks (sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic) and know the differences between them.
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Space Travel Guide
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.
Journey Through the Universe
Voyage of Discovery
Did you know that Pluto is smaller than the United States of America? It is difficult to conceptualize the size of planets and the distance between them, and the lesson plan addresses those exact issues. After a discussion, pupils create...
Journey Through the Universe
Impact Craters: A Look at the Past
The Galle crater on Mars is also known as the Happy Face crater because of its appearance. First, scholars use pebbles and flour to simulate craters and study their properties. They then apply this knowledge to help decipher the history...
Science Matters
Thermal Energy Flow in Materials
The sun sends the earth 35,000 times the amount of energy required by all of us on the entire planet, every day. The fourth activity in the 10-part series looks at how light energy from the sun transfers into thermal energy. Scholars...
National Wildlife Federation
Quantifying Land Changes Over Time in Areas of Deforestation and Urbanization
Is qualitative or quantitative research more convincing when it comes to climate change? In the eighth lesson during this 21-part series, scholars begin by performing a quantitative analysis of deforestation and urbanization. Then, they...
Curated OER
High School EcoHouse Curriculum
How has the level of carbon dioxide changed over recent years, and what is contributing it? Groups work together to research and present their findings in a creative way. Also built into the instructional activity is a visit to a...
Curated OER
What's in a Brain?
Bring the brain to life for your students with thought-provoking activities
Science Matters
Solar Energy
The solar energy industry in the United States added more jobs in 2015 than the oil and gas extraction and pipeline industries combined. With the field growing so rapidly, it's essential to understand what solar energy is and how it...
Curated OER
Images of Our Changing Earth
Middle schoolers identify and explain that remote sensing can detect changes on the Earth's surface that occur over time, and name at least three: urbanization, deforestation, and succession. They select a global change issue to...
Curated OER
Planets Worksheet
In this planets worksheet, students use Internet research to complete 5 pages about solar system facts. Students answer 25 essay questions and label a diagram of the solar system.
Curated OER
What Is a Watershed?
Students explore the concept of water pollution. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students discover what watersheds are and consider how to protect them.
Curated OER
Earth's Rotation
Students explore the Earth and its rotation. Volunteers model the sun-Earth system to demonstrate that the Earth rotates around the sun. In groups, students simulate "traveling" around the sun and discuss when it is night and day.
Curated OER
Facts and Myths about our Solar System
Sixth graders explore popular ideas about the Sun and Moon. In this space science lesson, 6th graders separate commonly accepted details about our solar system into facts and myths. Students research a particular idea and create comic...
Curated OER
What Happened To The Chesapeake Bay Filtering System?
In this Chesapeake Bay worksheet, learners read a dialogue between 2 people about what had happened to the Chesapeake Bay filtering system, and answer short answer questions about it. Students complete 4 questions.
Curated OER
Earth Science - Weather
Students build an understanding of the dynamics and composition of the atmosphere and its local and global processes influencing climate and air quality. They analyze air masses and the life cycle of weather systems.
Curated OER
Good Vibrations Remote Sensing data Collection: Thermal Emission Spectrometer
The Mars Global Surveyor spent two years creating a mineral map of the planet Mars using thermal emission spectrometry. To help young astronomers understand this remote sensing instrument, have them simulate how data is collected and...
Curated OER
Exploring Density with Salt and Fresh Water: Part 5
This particular lesson was written by the National Earth Science Teachers Association, but density is a concept that you can teach at the beginning of the school year in your life, physical, or earth science classes. It would be fun to...
Curated OER
Litter From Lunchtime
Students explore environmental care by participating in a litter identification activity. In this food trash lesson, students discuss the destruction litter causes in our environment and ways we can avoid littering ourselves. Students...
Rainforest Alliance
Climate Educator Guide
Climate change is a hot topic in the news. Class members examine carbon dioxide data to analyze trends of our atmospheric makeup over time. They also discuss climate and climate change, and determine how these changes are affecting life...
Curated OER
I Know Where You Are!
Students study what a GPS is and use it to challenge themselves and find positions on a map. In this investigative lesson students find various points on a map using a GPS system and answer questions on a worksheet.