Ozone layer and eukaryotes show up in the Proterozoic eon. Great oxygenation event (oxygen catastrophe). Created by Sal Khan.
Users can choose a time in geologic history, select the link, and see what the Earth looked liked in the far distant past. Each map features a brief written description of the events occurring at that time, and a link to additional information on the geologic era or period being shown. There are also maps that show what the Earth might look like in the future, 50, 100, and 150 million years from now.
Pangaea - the idea of Pangaea and some of the evidence behind it. Created by Sal Khan.
Students learn about parallax in this Moveable Museum unit, in which they use mathematical techniques related to parallax to calculate the height of an object. The eight-page PDF guide includes suggested general background readings for educators, activity notes, step-by-step directions, a Data Sheet and a Tangent Table, and an astrolabe template.
In this Digital Universe activity, students practice the scientific skills of observation, inference, and modeling and learn about scale, perspective, and distance by building a three-dimensional model of something they usually perceive as two-dimensional. The 11-page printable PDF activity includes illustrated step-by-step instructions for the following hands-on and computer-assisted activities:Introducing the Constellations, Making a Two-Dimensional Constellation Model, Introducing Parallax and Luminosity, Using Parallax and Luminosity, and Viewing Orion in Three Dimensions.
Parallax in Observing Stars. Created by Sal Khan.
Parsec Definition. Created by Sal Khan.
In this activity, students measure volume, mass, and calculate density for pennies of different ages as well as for a copper sample. They will answer questions about their measurements, and use internet resources to write paragraphs about the cause of the pattern they observed in their measurements of mass, and pose and answer a question about what they have discovered.
This module introduces D. Mendeleev's theories and the modern Periodic Table. Electron configuration as a function of table placement is discussed.
Since the first spacewalk, designers have attempted to create gloves that are comfortable, flexible under pressure, provide protection, and offer warmth.
Explore our nearest Planetary neighbors with Dr. Catherine Johnson as she demonstrates how she uses remote sensing to delve beneath the surface of the terrestrial Planets. (57 minutes)
Join Charles Kennel, the Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography in a fascinating review of how scientific understanding of the Aurora Borealis has developed, from the beginning of the scientific rEvolution to the modern space age. (49 minutes)
PhET provides fun, free, interactive, research-based science and mathematics simulations. We extensively test and evaluate each simulation to ensure educational effectiveness. These tests include student interviews and observation of simulation use in classrooms. The simulations are written in Java, Flash or HTML5, and can be run online or downloaded to your computer. All simulations are open source (see our source code). Multiple sponsors support the PhET project, enabling these resources to be free to all students and teachers.
SoftChalk lesson geared toward 3rd grade learners on the phases of the moon. Lesson developes student understanding of the relationship between the sun, earth, and the moon, and how together they cause the phenomena of the phases of the moon.
In this activity, students try to work their way out of a circular maze, thereby modeling the movement of a photon as it travels through the radiative zone of the sun. Classroom discussion after they complete the activity is focused on the Standard Solar Model and its importance in further scientific studies of the sun. This lesson was created as part of the 2016 NASA STEM Standards of Practice Project, a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
The online educational resource Physics For Everyone is the scaffolding for a 3 contact hour, 3 credit general education course that conveys the relevance, beauty, and power of physics as a foundation of science and technology in the public interest.
This slide deck provides the outline for the semester-long course. Each week’s lecture topics, with key points to be covered, are highlighted in two slides, which also list writing prompts, problem-solving exercises, and labs. Also, we have curated a list of high-quality online video resources that students (and instructors) should use to help them learn (and teach) physics ideas and concepts using demonstrations, animations, and humor. Many of those videos are parts of larger series and programs, created by some of the most skilled and popular online presenters in the world; that means some of their content is commercially sponsored, but all the content is free to students and instructors. Finally, we have envisioned this course so that students are assessed with a large set of low-stakes, just-in-time-type assignments and laboratory exercises.
This work has been generously supported by New America’s PIT-UN (Public Interest Technology University Network) challenge grant program, and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
An introduction to astronomy written with a historical perspective.
In this activity, students observe fluid motion and the formation of convection cells as a solution of soap and water is heated. This procedure can be performed as a demonstration by the teacher, or older students can conduct the experiment themselves. A list of materials, instructions, and a description of the convective process are included.
Students learn about pixels in this Moveable Museum unit, in which they decode a simple digital image from a string of numbers. The eight-page PDF guide includes suggested general background readings for educators, activity notes, step-by-step directions, and activity handouts. There are two versions of the activity, one for Grades K-3 and one for Grades 4-8 Version.
This is an activity about the way distance, reflectivity, and atmosphere affect the temperature of a planet. Learners will create a planet using a computer game and change features of the planet to increase or decrease the planet's temperature. This lesson is part of Project Spectra, a science and engineering education program focusing on how light is used to explore the Solar System.