Curated OER
Dig Into Ireland
Students explore environments and wildlife of Ireland to find out how they were formed, and how they helped form Irish culture. Students research online to determine connections between present elements in Irish culture and wildlife and...
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Rock Cycles, Crayon Cycles
Students examine the rock cycle and the path that rocks go through to rearranged in different ways. They define key vocabulary terms, then in small groups conduct a variety of experiments using crayon shavings as simulated rocks and...
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Seasonal Cloud Cover Variations
Students, in groups, access data from the NASA website Live Access Server regarding seasonal cloud coverage and the type of clouds that make up the coverage. They graph the data and make correlations between types, seasons and percentages.
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Earthquakes And Fault Lines
Students discuss major causes of earthquakes and identify famous fault lines, access and map information about ten largest earthquakes in world from 1989 to 1998, and theorize about location of these earthquakes as they relate to Earth's...
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The Carbon Cycle
In this carbon cycle worksheet, students will read about the carbon cycle and study a diagram showing what creates carbon dioxide and what uses carbon dioxide. Students will then complete 4 short answer questions.
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How can deep-water corals be used to determine long-term patterns of climate change?
Students explore the concept of paleoclimatological proxies. In this paleoclimatological proxies lesson, students explain isotope ratios in deep water coral samples. Students write a paragraph about global climate change as it effects...
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The Great MPA Debate
Students study the 'Marine Protected Areas' process. In this ocean activity students work in groups, conduct research and present it to the class.
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Climate Analysis Using Planktonic Foraminifera
Students manipulate scientific data, plot the data and then interpret their results. They should recognize that the climate likely continue to change in the future. This activity ties in well with a discussion on current climate change.
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Timeline of Tijuana Estuary Populations
Pupils examine the various populations that have made their home in the Tijuana Estuary. In groups, they read an article and note the name of each population, facts and what tools they used in a journal. They use colored notecards to...
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Science: What Happens to Create the Lode?
Students understand how mineral deposits are formed and why they are not evenly dispersed. They create and describe three different precipitates from four solutions simulating mineral ore deposit formation in sedimentary rock.
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Science: Down Home Dinosaurs
young scholars participate in hands-on activities to discover the different types of fossils. Using teacher-provided materials, they make models of cast and trace fossils. After writing essays describing how traces are formed, students...
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Sediment Sleuths
Students classify sediments based on their physical characteristics, such as size, shape and color. They identify and describe rocks and minerals that are common to their region of the state.
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Mighty Minerals
Young scholars investigate the physical and chemical characteristics of minerals. They make a list of the uses of minerals found in Illinois. They write a report individually based on their observations.
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The Big Burp: Where's the Proof.
High schoolers explore the Cambrian explosion and Paleocene extinction events. In this climate change instructional activity, students read articles to link evidence they find to extinction and climate change. Links to the articles are...
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Mission Impossible! Are We Alone in the Universe, or Are We Just One of Its Citizens?
Students examine NASA strategy for scientifically studying any celestial body. They brainstorm about all previous space explorations and missions they can recall, and propose an expedition plan to become space explorers of the future.
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Water Pollution Hot-Spots
Students complete internet research in small groups to identify types of water pollution, spotlight water pollution hot-spots, and design a plan for water prevention.
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Bhutan, the Last Shangri-La: Sandwich Squash: How the Himalayas Were Formed
Students create and record a model of mountain formation. They identify major mountain building formations. Students understand how the Himalaya Mountains were formed, why they are located near Bhutan, and why they are becoming larger.
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Impact Craters
Students investigate the factors affecting the size of a crater. In this space science lesson plan, students collect data from the activity and graph them. They explain how velocity of impact relate to crater size.
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Earthquakes
Students observe the melting of ice. In this phase change lesson, students observe ice as it melts. They discuss the process and create a Venn diagram comparing water and ice.
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The Big Burp:A Bad Day in the Paleocene
Students describe the overall events that occurred during the Paleocene extinction event as well as the processes that are believed to result in global warming after group research. They infer how a global warming event could have...
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Pass the Plate
Students define constructive forces. They describe how landforms are created as a result of constructive forces. Students recognize active volcano areas in the United States. They demonstrate an understanding of Panagea.
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How Does Your Magma Grow?
Students identify the three types of plate boundaries and the Earth's tectonic plates system. They examine how the Galapagos Islands were formed and hydrothermal vents.
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The Moving Continents from Pangaea to the Future
Eighth graders examine how the movements of the Earth contribute to fossil distribution. In this fossils lesson students make maps of the placement of the continents.
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Animals of the Fire Ice
Students study ice worms and describe how they interact with other species. In this methane hydrate lesson students study ice worms and hydrate shrimp to learn their behavior and can participate in an optional activity.