In this problem-based learning module, students work in teams to examine a broad array of information related to water quality in Lower Wheeling Creek and the Wheeling Creek watersheds in Wheeling, West Virginia. This module is part of Exploring the Environment.

This is a series of seven brief activities about Jupiter's atmosphere and weather. Learners will look at Jupiter's distinct banded appearance, violent storms, and clouds of many different colors. The activities are part of Explore! Jupiter's Family Secrets, a series designed to engage children in space and planetary science in libraries and informal learning environments.

This is an activity about visual analysis. Learners will compare and contrast images of Earth and Mars and then experiment with lenses to understand more about the instruments used to make the pictures. This is activity 1 of 9 in Mars and Earth: Science Learning Activities for After School.

This is an activity about light. Learners will make their own spectroscopes from easily obtainable materials and use prisms to observe different types of white light sources to see the colors that form the visible light spectrum. This is Activity 2 of the Sun As a Star afterschool curriculum.

This is a lesson about Saturn. Learners will reflect on what they have learned by drawing everything they picture when they hear the words Saturn and Cassini, and add labels and captions to their drawing. Students look back at their first exercise (lesson 1) and compare the two. They end the lesson by sharing their work with a partner. This is lesson 10 of 12 in the Mission to Saturn Educators Guide, Reading Writing Rings, for grades 3-4.

This is a lesson about the Cassini mission to Saturn. Learners will create their Saturn Discovery Logs. They will use the Saturn Discovery Log to chronicle their journey of discovery about Saturn and Cassini through nonfiction writing. For their first log entry, students will draw what they picture when they hear the words "Saturn" and "Cassini," and add labels and captions to their drawings. Students will share their work with partners. This is lesson 1 of 12 in "Reading, Writing & Rings!" for grades 3-4.

This is an activity about what individuals already know about the Sun. Learners will brainstorm and share with the group their prior knowledge about the Sun. This is Activity 1 of the Sun As a Star afterschool curriculum.

This is a lesson about Saturn. Learners will draw and write to express their knowledge of Saturn. This is lesson 1 of 10 in "Reading, Writing & Rings!" for grades 1-2.

This is an activity about modeling and the scientific process. Learners will discuss the models they created in the previous three activities as models of forces that shape the surface of planets, and talk about the similarities and differences between models and real events. Then they brainstorm a list of questions and suggest ways scientists might find answers. This is activity 7 of 9 in Mars and Earth: Science Learning Activities for After School.

In this introductory lesson, students will learn the basics of the aurora through small group discussions, reflection and reading. The lesson includes teacher notes and instructions, student workshops and an online, animated story, and related teacher resources on aurora. This is lesson one of a collection of five activities that can be used individually or as a sequence; concludes with a KWL (Know/Want-to-know/Learned) assessment activity.

This is an activity about shadows and how the Sun's location affects the direction of a shadow. Learners will first identify what they already know about shadows and will be asked to share any questions they may have. Then students will be taken outside to observe and trace a classmates shadow. From this tracing, students will complete a worksheet by drawing their partner, his or her shadow, and the location of the Sun. Two to three hours later, this observation and tracing process will be repeated, allowing students to witness the movement of shadows as a result of the Earth's rotation. This activity requires a sunny day with plenty of outdoor space to trace the shadows of all students. This is Activity 4 of a larger resource entitled Eye on the Sky.

This is a lesson about characteristics necessary for life. Learners will identify the top candidates for life in the solar system by examining Habitability Cards, which discuss each planet and the six large moons in terms of water temperature, atmosphere, energy, and nutrients. A math extension is provided on the Inverse Square Law. Includes background reading for teachers, student activity guide, reflection questions, and blackline masters. This is activity 3 of 5 in the educators guide, Astrobiology in your Classroom: Life on Earth..and Elsewhere?

This is an activity about the shape of the Earth‰Ûªs orbit. Learners will first use elements of the orbit of Earth and Pluto and an apparatus using string, a pencil, and pushpins to accurately draw an ellipse, showing the nearly circular shape of the orbits of Earth and Pluto. They then measure real images of the Sun in each season, determining the apparent size of the Sun to see if it changes throughout the year. By determining the apparent size of each Sun image and by seeing the shape of Earth's orbit, learners will confront the misconception that seasons are caused by changing distance of the Earth from the Sun. Finally, learners reflect on the results of the Sun-Earth Survey, which is Activity 2 in this set. This is Activity 4 in the Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) guide titled Real Reasons for Seasons: Sun-Earth Connections. The resource guide is available for purchase from the Lawrence Hall of Science. This activity recommends use of an overhead projector.

This demonstration will show how increased temperatures will hasten the melting of ice in the environment, contributing to a rise in sea level and subsequent flooding of coastal areas. Materials required include 2 aquariums, plastic wrap, a clamp light with a 60 watt bulb, modeling clay, ice, pebbles and rocks, and a ruler. Teacher background information, student worksheets and a scoring rubric are included. This is Activity 3 of the learning module, Too Many Blankets, part of the lesson series, The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change.

This is an activity about image analysis. Learners will create a map of the room and discuss the perspectives shown in their drawings and how this relates to satelite images. Participants brainstorm a list of features that might be recognizable in satellite photos, search the Earth Images for these features, and place the images in categories depicting these features. This is activity 2 of 9 in Mars and Earth: Science Learning Activities for After School.

In this activity, a three-part questionnaire launches students on discussions about where objects in space are located, and when they formed. By physically manipulating images of objects in space, students represent their own mental models of space and time, which lays the foundation for thinking about the size and scale of the universe. This actvity can be used to assess students? understanding and introduce concepts before proceeding to other activities that follow this one. This activity is part of the "Cosmic Questions: Our Place in Space and Time" educators guide that developed to support the Cosmic Questions exhibit. This activity can be used in conjunction with, or independently of, the exhibit.

Learners will compare satellite images of Mars and Earth to look for similar features. Then they brainstorm a list of forces or events that could have caused some of these features to form on Mars. This is activity 3 of 9 in Mars and Earth: Science Learning Activities for After School.

This online game allows players to choose any location on Earth and impact it with a variety of different sized asteroids and comets. They can see how big the blast radius will be, and determine what size object it would take to wipe out their town. It is part of the Killer Asteroids Web Site. The site also features a background overview of the differences between asteroids and comets, information on different types of asteroids (rubble piles vs monoliths), a discussion of how at risk Earth really is to an asteroid or comet impact, and background information on light curves.

This resource introduces the concept of wind chill, the formula used to measure it and relates it to the causes of hypothermia. A simple experiment using a pie pan, sand, fan and a thermometer demonstrates this concept. The resource is from PUMAS - Practical Uses of Math and Science - a collection of brief examples created by scientists and engineers showing how math and science topics taught in K-12 classes have real world applications.

This is an activity about the motion of the Earth around the Sun. Learners will act out the motions of Earth as it orbits around the Sun over the course of one year, starting with modeling one day, then one year, and finally the months.