Fifth graders brainstorm processes or forces that cause Earth's surface to be changed.

Students explain the following processes: bacteria transformation, genetic recombination, and antibacterial breakdown of bacteria. They follow lab protocol and use the scientific method: to make predications, and to explain an unexpected...

Students study thermal energy and energy transfer to sea ice processes. In this energy transfer lesson plan, students make their own ice cream and discuss energy transfer and thermal energy. Students view a radiation overhead and its...

Help young scientists get to the bottom of the water cycle with this comprehensive earth science lesson plan. After first viewing and discussing presentations about the states of water and the water cycle, the class performs a...

Learn how ocean currents are vital to humans and marine life. The eighth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program, focuses on ocean currents and how they affect global climate. The...

What a great way to explore the scientific process! Learners conduct an experiment in which they use sugar and water to illustrate the concept of solutes and solvents. With this hands on approach, they are bound to remember what they...

Students make observations through 3-D visualizations. They explore scientific and geologic processes through the use of 3-D pictures.

Students discover how worms contribute to the balance of the environment. In this composting lesson, students study the composting and decomposition processes. Students then create habitats for worms that allow them to do their jobs.

The four cycles in Earth's biogeochemical system are covered in this worksheet. Science stars fill in the blanks or define vocabulary terms pertaining to the hydrologic, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous cycles. This resource provides a...

Students research about the processing of biodiesel fuels. In this energy lesson, students produce their own biodiesel using used and new vegetable oil. They discuss the environmental and economic benefits of using biodiesel.

A website links you to several water cycle worksheets geared toward an upper elementary or middle school level. Diagrams, word search, crossword, and fill-in-the-blank worksheets are available. As an added bonus, there are links to...

Clever! Earth science learners construct a model of a planet containing a magnetic core. The planet, Terrabagga, is made out of a paper grocery bag, magnets, a dead D battery, and rubber bands. Pictures of each step of the construction...

Microchips are a man-made wonder. Investigate the manufacturing wonder with a hands-on inquiry-based lesson. Scholars simulate the process of pattern transfer using photoresist. Their conclusion identifies how their process replicates...

Young learners compare healthy foods to junk foods. They examine the growing process of a vegetable from a seed all the way to maturity. The book, The Magic School Bus in a Pickle is used. Some nice cross-curricular activities in math,...

Students gain understanding of several of the biogeochemical processes in microbial mats. They acquire knowledge of the different roles of organisms in a microbial mat ecosystem. They understand how microbial mat ecosystems contributed...

Students examine potential contamination on the environment due to products and by-products of a new industrial process. Students conduct a lab that explores the economic differences between choices of pollution cleanup and prevention.

Students are able to draw a diagram of the light reactions and briefly describe what is occurring throughout the process. They are able to explain where each reactant/product in the photosynthesis equation comes from/goes during the...

Third graders create reports in the fashion of small books. They write brief descriptions for a variety of topics and answering a variety of questions. They create a picture book for their individual animals. They utilize basic computer...

The fifth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program defines dead zones and how they form. Pupils then examine data from the Gulf of Mexico to determine dead zone formation.

How do oceanographers make maps under water? Junior explorers discover the technologies and processes involved in creating bathymetric maps in part three of a five-part series designed for fifth- and sixth-grade pupils. The lesson...

Here is a nice, clean wrap-up lesson for your chemistry class when they are studying chemical reactions . They experiment with different oils to make soap. To make it more fun, they are to imagine that they are part of a soap testing...

Students investigate the linear dimension change of heated plastic film and relate the results to processing and service use of the materials. They calculate percent change in dimension as related to anisotropy and molecular reorientation.

Students experience a "hands-on" activity to get visual evidence of the physical nature of DNA and the process of DNA purification. They explore one method of chromosomal DNA isolation and DNA extraction.

Explore the water cycle with a hands-on earth science activity that prompts pupils to measure the amount of water normally transpired by plants. After they describe the flow of the water cycle and provide examples of how human...