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Measuring Permeability of Soil, Sand and Gravel
Students investigate the different materials in their environment. In this geology lesson plan, students collaborate in groups to examine the differences in sand, soil and gravel. Students utilize a magnifying glass or microscope and...
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Groundwater Movement
Students study groundwater movement beneath the surface of the Earth. In this agriculture activity, students experiment with how water moves through rock materials such as sand, gravel, and clay.
National Park Service
Rock Ranking
Junior geologists sort rocks and soil. They separate a sample of river gravel by size, shape, color, and other characteristics. To include Common Core standards, you could have little ones graph the number of particles in each sample.
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Investigating Porosity and Permeability
Student describe porosity and permeability in sand, gravel, clay and potting soil. They experiment using different materials to discover the different porous substances and the permeability of the same substances. Students place data on...
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Foul Water Lab
Students use field practices to clean foul water, they comprehend the differences in solution and solutes. They work in groups and discuss the lab instructions. Students start with oil-water separation technique. They complete a...
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Soil Properties
Students explore the porosity of soil. In this soil lesson, students conduct an experiment which shows the porosity of different types of soil. They use sand, silt, and clay to see how soil particles are more or less aerated and thus...
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Porosity and Permeability
Students examine the concepts of porosity and permeability. They conduct experiments to determine the porosity and permeability of gravel, sand, and clay. After performing the experiments they collect and graph data, comparing the...
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Water Pollution
Fifth graders study the impact of human activity on water quality and on the ecosystems of Earth. After a discussion on the various ways that water can be polluted, groups of youngsters get together to figure out the best way to clean a...
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Land and People: Cape Cod Activity 1
Young scholars make a model aquifer to study the uniqueness of Cape Cod's ground-water system. Using the model., they determine how easily contamination spreads in the aquifer system by completing and recording three activities. Using...
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Water Pollution
Here is a fine lesson for fifth graders that will give them an idea of the variety of impacts that human-introduced pollutants have on the environment. After an initial class discussion and teacher-led demonstration, pupils brainstorm...
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Can Young Children Distinguish Between Living and Non-living Things?
What does it mean to be living? Help your young scientists identify living and non-living things as a result of their learning through discovery. Observation of and interaction with a set of natural phenomena in their community will make...
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Rocks and Minerals
Review the difference between rocks and minerals using this resource. Learners identify and investigate the physical properties of these objects. They create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast types of rocks. This is a motivating way...
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Earth's History
Seventh graders study the law of superposition by creating models of fossils in layers of rock. They examine how fossils are usually found in sedimentary rock which leads to the study of geologic history in those rocks.
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Structure of the Earth
Eighth graders explain the difference between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. They identify the stages in the rock cycle. They discover the origin of rocks as well.
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Erosion: Changing the Face of Earth
Fourth graders explore how the landscape of the planet can be changed by different elements of wind, water, ice and chemicals through hands-on activities. They examine pictures of areas around town and discuss anything they think is out...
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Soil's Secret
Students examine two types of soils in their area. They identify its texture and permeability to determine its origin. They share their results with the class.
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Thirstin's Groundwater Movement Activity
Students examine how ground water flows through different materials. In groups, they identify the different types of rocks in various aquifers. To end the lesson, they pretend to be water as others pretend to be rocks and try to make...
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Water Filtration Competition
Learners design water filtration systems. They draw sketches and write paragraphs about their systems. After presenting their systems to the class, each group then builds their system and determines its effectiveness for purifying...
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Volume of Gas
Eighth graders investigate the effect of temperature on the volume of a gas in a closed container. They measure the height of the water in their beaker/container, conduct their experiment, and create a graph to illustrate their data.
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Creeping Sheets of Ice
Students conduct scientific investigation in which they observe glacial
effects on landscape, develop and explain their own theories of how glaciers change land, and demonstrate understanding and explain basic motion and force principles.
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Erosion: Slip Sliding Away
Fourth graders investigate the causes of erosion. Through several demonstrations including one using sugar cubes and warm water, they observe the effects of erosion. In groups, 4th graders conduct similar experiments and record their...
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Digging the Earth's Crust
Students investigate the Earth's crust. In this geology lesson plan, students identify the materials made up of the Earth's crust and investigate the different kinds of soil.
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Sedimentation Lab Activity
Students predict how sediments in a water column will settle. In this earth science lesson, students examine the layers of sedimentation. Students are given sediments to place into a column of water and observe how they settle....
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Particle Size and Oil Production
Students investigate how permeable different materials are. In this physics lesson, students determine what affects permeability and how permeability relates to oil production.