Teaching Resources

Dive-in to our student-centered and teacher approved classroom activities, curriculum units, picture books, special collections, and more.

Classroom activities

Classroom Activities

Peruse our collection of more than a hundred K-12 lessons about the science of our planet.

Four teachers sitting around a table are recording data about an experiment with a lamp shining on two bottles filled partially with sand and water. Thermometers are inserted in each bottle.

Curriculum Units

Multi-day sequences of activities developed by SciEd educators through grant-funded collaborations.

Supercell storm over Vrana Lake.

Learning Zone

Visit this hub for short articles, interactives, images, and videos to help you learn how the Earth works.

Students working on a project

Digital Teaching Boxes

Building a unit about weather or other Earth science topics? Our digital teaching boxes are a collection of online learning resources gathered from trusted sources to help you get started. 

View Digital Teaching Boxes

Learning with Data

A special collection of activities built around real-world data exploration.

A photo of a sunset at the beach. In the foreground is a glass sphere that is inverting the scenery and creating an interesting visual.

Using Data Visualization Tools to Investigate Earth System Variability

This training module provides examples of how to use data visualizations with your middle and high school students.

A map of ocean observing stations in the Pacific northwest.

Observing the Ocean

A collection of activities to learn how we observe the ocean. Use ocean data to explore coastal hazards, ecosystem changes, and food from the ocean.

A map of the world showing the different concentrations of dust circulating in the atmosphere. The brighter colors indicate higher levels are can be seen across and off the coast of northern African, India, and China.

DUST PIRE: Exploring Atmospheric Dust

UCAR Center for Science Education collaborated with scientists from several U.S. universities, led by a team from the University of Rochester, to develop educational resources for science centers, museums, and science festivals that tell the story of atmospheric dust and how it affects Earth system variability. 

Science and Literacy

Storybooks and activities that bring together science and literacy.

Elementary GLOBE Books

Elementary GLOBE Books

Storybooks, coloring pages, and activities for grades K-4 to study Earth system science as part of the GLOBE Program. 

Zika Zine

Read the Zika Zine

Flip through the pages of this digital comic book to discover what Aedes mosquitoes need to live, and discover how to keep safe from the Zika virus they carry.

Illustrations of the animals in the "Using Satellites to Learn About Animals" activities.

Using Satellites to Learn About Animals

A collection of educational activities (and a comic book!) about using satellites to track hard-to-study animals from space.

 

 

Other Learning Resources

Science learning through the lens of art, atmospheric science, and more.

Infusing Science and Art

Infusing Science with the Arts

Explore STEAM education resources such as stories, online galleries, and activities to bridge art and science in your classroom.

Atmospheric Science Literacy Framework

Atmospheric Science Literacy Framework

The Atmospheric Science Literacy Framework provides guidance about key topics to include when teaching about weather and atmospheric science.

Silhouette of seven children holding hands

Resources for Remote Learning

A collection of learning resources from UCAR to support remote learning and families learning at home about weather, air quality, space weather, and other Earth science topics.