University of Wisconsin
A Rain Garden Year
Pupils become plants in an interpretive play that depicts what happens throughout the seasons in a rain garden. As you narrate, students bloom, flower, and go to seed accordingly. The lesson is first in a series of lessons written for...
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Virginia Rocks and Minerals
Students explore, via a CD-ROM, the Virginia's five geological regions and discover the rocks and minerals located in each. In stone kits, they examine samples of rocks and minerals and answer questions about them. After discovering the...
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Parts of an Ecosystem
Fourth graders study the Great Salt lake and the ecosystem that encompasses it. They study the relationship between an individual of a species, a population of that species, a community that includes that population, and the...
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Tornadoes
Young scholars examine the characteristics of a tornado. They practice using new vocabulary and participate in a question and answer session. They use the internet to gather more specific information.
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Barrier Islands
Third graders explore how barrier islands work. In this erosion lesson, 3rd graders create barrier islands in stream tables and simulate wave action to see how it affects their island.
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It's Rainin', It's Pouring
Students take a quick examine part of the water cycle, and the combined gas laws. The lesson lead them through the conditions necessary for cloud formation and allow them to create clouds in three different hands-on activities.
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Let's Take a Rock Apart!
Students examine a crushed rock and sort the minerals they find in that rock by color and other properties.
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Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones
Students begin their examination of the climate zones found around the world. Using a software program, they identify the relationship between the vegetation, climate and temperatures of the different zones. They also plot coordinates...
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Gettysburg Rocks Recycle to Win
Eighth graders use a geologic cross section to study the rock cycle of the Gettysburg battlefield. In this rock cycle lesson, 8th graders connect the rock cycle and continental rifting.
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Make It Rain!
Students complete an experiment. In this precipitation lesson, students complete an activity where they make rain in a jar.
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Planting Seeds Around the World
First graders discuss the book The Lorax and research what living things need. In this environmental lesson, 1st graders investigate how humans affect the growth of plants. Students conduct an experiment with sunflowers.
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Impact Craters: Holes in the Ground!
Students simulate crater formation through a lab activity. In this space science lesson, students calculate how much energy is transferred during meteorite impact. They identify different factors affecting the size and depth of craters...
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Write Picture Captions
Students notice and investigate a large range of devices for presenting texts-captions. Students write original captions for several audiences. Students write a fictional news story based around a certain caption.
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Rock Cycle Review
In this rock cycle worksheet, learners review major concepts related to rock formation by answering 15 multiple choice questions and matching 15 terms to their definitions. Students identify 7 rocks as metamorphic, sedimentary, or...
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Influential Scientists Vocabulary Quiz
For this science vocabulary worksheet, students match the names of 19 science professionals with the definition. Example: Ichthyologist (studies fish).
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Sunspots
Students examine what a sunspot is and how it is produced. In this sun instructional activity students locate and measure sunspots then view them through a camera.
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Daily and Seasonal Cycles
First graders identify the sun as a source of heat and light. They identify features of houses that help keep use sheltered and comfortable throughout daily and seasonal cycles. Students are told that summer is the best season to...
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Mystery Minerals
Students minerals and how they form. They investigate the classification of minerals according to physical properties. Students watch a video about mineral characteristics. In groups, students participate in hands-on activities and...
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Spring Has Sprung
Spring lesson plan ideas can allow students and teachers a chance to use the outdoors as a classroom and a source of study topics.
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Natural Features of Our Community
Second graders read about and discuss natural features of communities. They listen to a guest speaker, such as a park ranger to expand their knowledge of natural features. They go on a field trip, if possible, to a local zoo or...
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Animals, Soil, Trees
Fourth graders describe the various kinds of soils and how plants and animals are affected by them. They describe the baic needs of plants, scoring at least a 3 or 4 on a 4-point rubic. Students are able to predict and/or infer what...
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Solar Car Series: During what part of the day can t most Sun power be collected?
Students participate in an outdoor activity in which they make direct but safe observations of the Sun. Students use a solar cell and voltmeter apparatus to collect data on the amount of DC voltage produced by the solar cell during a...
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Food Webs in the Barnegat Bay
Students investigate the food webs in the Barnegat Bay. For this organisms lesson, students use a graphic organizer to illustrate the types of consumers in the bay. Students use reference books to continue to research the animals found...
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Elements of Physics: Motion, Force and Gravity
Young scholars research about different human space explorations conducted by NASA. In this physical science instructional activity, students discuss why space exploration is important. They write a paper about their thoughts on...