Science Matters
Slip Sliding Along
The San Andreas Fault is the largest earthquake-producing fault in California. In the seventh instructional activity in the 20 part series, pupils create maps of California, focusing on the San Andreas Fault system. The comparison...
Science Matters
Spaghetti Fault Model
Does increasing the pressure between two moving plates provide a stabilizing force or create more destruction? The hands-on instructional activity encourages exploration of strike-split fault models. The sixth instructional activity...
Science Matters
Finding the Epicenter
The epicenter is the point on the ground above the initial point of rupture. The 10th lesson in a series of 20 encourages scholars to learn to triangulate the epicenter of an earthquake based on the arrival times of p waves and s...
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program
Pardon Me, Your Modifier is Dangling
Lost! (or misplaced) a modifier. Last seen dangling at the end of a sentence! Reward offered! To underscore the humor, class members are each given a sample sentence to illustrate (A woman passed by, leading a Springer Spaniel, in a...
Curated OER
A Model of the Sea-floor
Students create a paper model to illustrate sea-floor spreading.
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics & Land Forms
Fourth graders discuss the different interactions of plates and the ways mountains are created. In this plate tectonics lesson plan students complete an activity in groups.
Curated OER
The Geology of a Snicker’s Bar: Tectonic Plates
Students explore the layers of the Earth using a Snicker's bar. In this science lesson, students identify the parts of the Snicker's bar and identify which layer of the Earth the parts of the candy bar would represent. Students discuss...
Curated OER
Geology Rocks
Students discuss information relating to Illinois geology. They examine top mineral resources in Illinois to find detailed information about geodes and where they can be found. Students complete geode lab to explore external structure of...
Curated OER
School Site Ecosystem
Fourth graders are introduced to the concept of ecosystem; specifically, the interrelationships among plants and animals within an ecosystem, and their relationships to the environment in which they live and interact.
Curated OER
Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics
In this plate tectonics worksheet, students use Graham crackers, frosting, water and a paper plate to simulate tectonic processes such as convergent, divergent and transforming plate boundaries.
Curated OER
Iceland
Fourth graders discover the country of Iceland. They investigate Iceland's history, culture, and geography using hands-on materials. They engage in a multi-day lesson. Each day focuses on a different aspect of Iceland. A most-impressive...
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Fifth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
After learning about P waves and S waves, fifth graders view the intensity of earthquakes by examining seismographs and images of earthquake damage. Young scientists then forecasting future quakes by analyzing data about...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
This unit focuses primarily on plate tectonics and plate boundaries surrounding continents. It contains pre- and post-lab sections that walk young geologists through plate movements in order to visualize what's going on inside Earth.
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
Beginning with a pre-lab, kindergarteners trace the letters in the word earthquake and discuss what happens in an earthquake. The lab portion allows young scientists realize that earthquakes trigger shaking of different intensities...
Curated OER
Building for the Big One
Students build and test structures that can best withstand earthquakes. They create their structures from playdough, cornstarch, grape-nuts and popsicle sticks and place their structures on a "shake table."
Curated OER
Map Skills
Do you need to practice map skills? Children with a range of abilities will complete a KWL chart about maps, practice important map vocabulary and then read a few pages from their textbook. They will use their vocabulary words and...
Curated OER
The Rain Forest of Costa Rica
Fifth graders examine and discuss the topography, climate, natural resources and artwork of Costa Rica. They develop a diagram of the layers of the rain forest, and design a tourist brochure or advertisement promoting Costa Rica's...
Curated OER
The Tell-Tale Plume
Students examine hydrothermal vents. In this ocean lesson, students identify changes in physical and chemical properties of sea water caused by hydrothermal vents.
Curated OER
Pollution Search
First graders identify forms of pollution and describe effects that various pollutants can have on people, wildlife, and plants; students describe relationships between various forms of pollution and human actions.
Curated OER
Slinky Lab- Simulating the Motion of Earthquake Waves
Sixth graders simulate primary and secondary waves. In this earthquakes waves lesson, 6th graders experiment using a slinky to gain understanding of how waves are created during an earthquake. Students record observations in drawings....
Curated OER
Energizing Resources
Seventh graders describe electrical energy and how it is produced. In this natural resource lesson, 7th graders explain the various ways of obtaining and using natural resources for energy and the environmental consequences. They will...
Curated OER
Minerals and the Products of Mining
Learners plot where minerals come from and have an awareness of how mineral use makes the world interdependent. They examine how to identify some sort of mineral products they use each day.
Curated OER
Ecology and Evolution
Students identify the different taxonomic classifications of organisms. In this biology lesson, students create their own organisms and make some changes according to environmental conditions. They present their work in class.
Curated OER
Cool Coral Reefs
Young scholars identify, color and label the continents of the world and the equator. They identify and produce water temperature between 74 and 78 degrees. They identify and discuss the term polyps and construct a colony of polyps.