In this activity students investigate cloud opacity, including transparent, translucent, and opaque cloud characteristics. The activity is a companion resource to an episode of the PBS series, SciGirls. The episode, titled "SkyGirls," featured NASA... (View More) female scientists and a citizen science projects for students. (View Less)

This lesson was developed to give participants an understanding of Earth's water cycle. In this one-hour long activity, students participate in a webquest to learn about the water cycle, and then build a mini-model of the water cycle to observe how... (View More) water moves through Earth's four systems. The activity uses the 5E instructional model and is part of the "Survivor Earth" series of one-hour lessons. (View Less)

Unit two of the "Carbon Connections: The Carbon Cycle and the Science of Climate" curriculum examines the role of carbon and the carbon cycle in current climate. Students discover how carbon in Earth's system is monitored and also investigate the... (View More) roles of photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and humans in the carbon cycle and climate. The unit contains five lessons entitled: Moving Carbon, Exploring Limits, The Breathing Biosphere, Carbon Cycling, and Earth Takes a Breath. Each of the five lessons includes focus questions, hands-on activities, virtual field trips, and interactive models. (View Less)

Designed as a five-lesson curriculum to introduce students to limnology, this program explores the structure, history and biology of lakes. Students analyze models, images, and a core sample from a lake case study before engineering a device for... (View More) collecting lake bottom sediment samples. The curriculum includes a guide, handouts, images, resources and a pre- and post-assessment. (View Less)

Unit one of the "Carbon Connections: The Carbon Cycle and the Science of Climate" curriculum introduces the role of carbon (as carbon dioxide) as an atmospheric indicator. Students examine the impact of geologic and climatic history on current... (View More) climate by using computer models, measurements and the geologic record of past climate indicators. The unit contains five lessons entitled: Carbon Fizz, Carbon from the Past, Carbon Forcing, Global Connections, and Core Connections. Each of the five lessons includes focus questions, hands-on activities, virtual field trips, and interactive models. (View Less)

Unit three of the "Carbon Connections: The Carbon Cycle and the Science of Climate" curriculum examines the role of carbon and the carbon cycle in future climate. Students discover how scientists determine Earth's average temperature and the role of... (View More) climate models in understanding the size of some forcings on temperature. Students are challenged to reduce their electrical energy usage and to critically evaluate claims about carbon and climate. The unit contains five lessons entitled: Your Temperature Connections, Testing Forcings, Future Forcings, It Starts at Home, and Climate Claims. Each of the five lessons includes focus questions, hands-on activities, virtual field trips, and interactive models. (View Less)

Each student will explore three activities that promote understanding of and respect for soil. They will generate responses to the following questions: "What makes up soil?" and "What lives in the soil?" Next the students will watch a demonstration... (View More) of how much soil there is on Earth that is available for human use. Last they will create their own soil connection sentences. Uses commonly-available or inexpensive materials (e.g., chart paper, markers, apple). This is the 3rd of 3 sets of learning activities that are companion activities to the Elementary GLOBE children's book, The Scoop on Soils. Includes a teacher implementation guide. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)

In these activities, students continue to explore the idea of interaction among Earth components as they identify processes in the Earth system and indicate how they illustrate an interaction between two of the Earth system components. Uses commonly... (View More) available materials (e.g., markers, colored pencils, blank wall chart paper, overhead transparency sheets). This is the 2nd of 3 sets of learning activities that are companion activities to the Elementary GLOBE children's book, All About Earth: Our World on Stage. Includes a teacher implementation guide. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)

In this activity, students create their own cumulus cloud out of white paper and mount it on blue paper. Students will also complete the Cloud Fun Student Activity Sheet that includes a description of the cloud and what the weather was like on the... (View More) day the cloud was observed. Uses commonly available or inexpensive materials (blank wall chart paper, newspaper, construction paper, glue, markers or pencils). This is the 1st of 3 sets of learning activities that are companion activities to the Elementary GLOBE children's book, Do You Know That Clouds Have Names? Includes a teacher implementation guide. (View Less)

Students will use various objects in the classroom to experiment with nonstandard measurement. They will make estimates and test them out. Then, working in pairs or small groups, students will use a ruler or a measuring tape to become familiar with... (View More) how to use these tools for standard linear measurement. Uses commonly available or inexpensive materials (metric ruler, plant seeds, soil, containers). This is the first of three sets of learning activities that are companion activities to the Elementary GLOBE children's book, Discoveries at Willow Creek. Includes a teacher implementation guide. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)