Curated OER
Let's Take a Rock Apart
Students take a crushed rock and sort the remains of the rock minerals into different categories based on the different properties. In this sorting lesson plan, students learn what makes up a rock and how to sort something into categories.
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Does Santa Claus use the Coriolis Force to Travel East?
Students are given a visual demonstration of the Coriolis Force in the Northern Hemisphere. They are encouraged to find locations around the globe and try to predict what the weather circulation patterns might be like.
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Three Clouds Activity
Learners explore how clouds are produced through three different age-appropriate hands-on experiments.
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Blowin' In The Wind
Students predict and hypothesize the reasons for wind movement. After viewing a video, they describe the effects of a high and low pressure system and what makes the wind blow. In groups, they construct instruments that measure air...
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Solar System: Let's Take a Trip
Third graders consider outer space. For this introductory solar system lesson, 3rd graders complete a KWL chart and listen to the story The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System, by Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen. They will...
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Natural Disaster Blooms Taxonomy
Students complete activities that lead to greater understanding of the variety of natural disasters that occur all over the world.
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Rain, Rain, Go Away
Students conduct a number of experiments involving evaporation and condensation. They view and discuss a video about the water cycle and then design posters about the rain based on the book "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs".
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What Causes the Seasons?
Third graders investigate why the seasons occur throughout the year. They read a traditional wisdom story pertaining to the seasons. They create their own wisdom stories about the seasons and act them out for the class.
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Water Cycle Boogie
Students explore the water cycle. They learn the "Water Cycle Boogie." Students create hats to represent the different parts of the cycle and learn hand motions to go with the words of the song. Students practice singing the song and the...
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Phases of the Moon: Cooperative Learning
Third graders examine the phases of the moon. In this moon phase lesson, 3rd graders listen to a read aloud of The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn M. Branley and discuss the phases of the moon. They complete a moon phase calendar and...
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Water Table
Students predict from a rock sample whether a water well could be drilled in that type of rock. They predict what conditons would be necessary for the well to produce water.
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Green House Effect
Students read about the green house effect and how our environment is deteriorating and what we can do to help it. In this green house effect lesson plan, students conduct a home and school energy audit, and create a rap.
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Fahrenheit vs Celsius
Students construct a thermometer and convert Fahrenheit temperature into Celsius temperature. In small groups, they construct a thermometer, write a paragraph describing how to make a thermometer, and convert temperatures.
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Observing Fall Migrants
Pupils observe the migration of monarch butterflies. They collect data regarding the number of monarchs they see, the location, the butterflies' behavior, the temperature and the date and time. Then they send their data to a university...
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Ecology: Factors Influencing Animal Populations
Learners assess the factors affecting animal populations. Working in groups they define specific vocabulary terms and complete several activities from "Project Wild."
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Ecosystems and Climate
Students examine climatic effects on ecosystems. They plant tomatoes and observe the differences in plant growth with differences in light. They create picture collages of plants, animals, and insects found in each climate of the U.S.
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Water Cycle
Third graders observe the changes that occur in the water cycle after doing a water cycle demonstration in a plastic bag. In this water cycle lesson plan, 3rd graders reflect on what they see and identify the stages.
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Climate Change
Learners explore environmental care by researching the impact of human beings on our planet. In this climate change lesson plan, students utilize the Internet to read informational text about climate change and the effect it will have on...
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Rising Air
Students investigate the concept of rising air in the formation of clouds and precipitation. In this rising air instructional activity, students conduct an experiment with hot and cold water that shows how warm water rises due to thermal...
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The Sky Show
Students use lecture and research to answer the question: Why is the sky blue? students research a variety of other sky phenomena, chart their observations and participate in experiments.
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Water, Water Everywhere
Students estimate the amount of water that can be found in its various forms including oceans, lakes, glaciers, rivers, etc. They view a demonstration about water distribution and discuss flash flooding safety precautions.
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Global Climates and Seasons
Learners look at the differences that exist in all four seasons. The resources of animation are available to be used to illustrate scientific concepts in a media that is engaging to students.
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Facts, Feats and Folklore: Spiders
Students review and discuss a variety of sayings, folklore and superstitions about spiders. They discuss this information and choose either an interesting fact or appealing foklore tradition to illustrate.