This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on a manned mission to the planet Mars, and how characteristics of this planet are challenging our existing technology. Students research the problems of sending a manned mission and then design a vehicle for travel on Mars surface. It includes objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, ... Full description.

In this lesson, students will observe the amount of water in an open container vs a closed container over time. This lesson is the second in a three-part series that addresses a concept that is central to the understanding of the water cycle: that water is able to take many forms but is still water. In this second lesson, students will focus on the concept that water can go back and forth from one ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on large earthquakes hitting populated areas. Students learn about basic earthquake features such as seismic waves and how different places are affected differently by earthquakes. Then groups create a proposal for city government to prepare the city for a large earthquake. It includes objectives, materials, ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades K-5. It focuses on basic information about the weather and how different weather maps depict conditions. Included are objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, evaluation ideas, suggested readings, and vocabulary. There are videos available to order which complement this lesson, and links to teaching ... Full description.

In this lesson students investigate climate change in the Arctic Ocean to discover the potential impact of observed reduction in sea ice in the Arctic Ocean on ocean life. As a result of this activity, they will be able to identify the three biological realms of the Arctic Ocean and describe the relationships between these realms. They will graphically analyze data on sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean, ... Full description.

This lesson is designed to introduce the greenhouse effect, the energy balance, and the various factors that affect the energy balance. Students will learn that albedo (reflectivity) is the ratio of the outgoing solar radiation reflected by an object to the incoming solar radiation incident upon it, and alterations in the greenhouse effect include a process by which significant changes in the chemistry ... Full description.

In this lesson about speciation and its role in evolution, different subspecies of a California salamander are placed on a grid map of California according to where samples were collected. Discussion focuses on patterns of their distribution, their likely evolutionary relationships, and probable sequence of formation from the original form (speciation). Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. This lesson focuses on sedimentary rocks and how they are formed. Students review the rock cycle and three rock types: igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. They then write children's books about sedimentary rocks to explain the process to a younger audience. Included are objectives, materials, procedures, discussion ... Full description.

This lesson includes a historical review, starting with the existence of the horizon at sea, proceeding to various studies of the Earth's size and shape, and leading to the attempt by Columbus to reach India by sailing westward. Students will understand the concept of the horizon at sea as evidence that the Earth is round, calculate the size of the Earth using Eratosthenes' methods, and the origin ... Full description.

Increasingly, scientists are discovering ways to predict and prevent loss of life associated with earthquakes. This lesson will help students to understand earthquakes. The first portion consists of an online investigation in which students read news stories about recent earthquakes and their effects. Then, they perform an activity in which seismic waves (P and S waves) are simulated using a slinky ... Full description.