Lesson Plan
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Climate And the Greenhouse Effect

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students demonstrate the greenhouse effect. They recognize that relatively small changes to our environment can stimulate significant climate changes. They determine that the "scientific method" is a process of testing hypotheses and...
Lesson Plan
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The Greenhouse Effect in a Jar

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore climate change by participating in a physical science experiment. In this greenhouse effect lesson, students discuss the impact global warming has on our environment and how it works. Students utilize a glass jar,...
Lesson Plan
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Greenhouse Effect

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students investigate the greenhouse effect. In this environmental lesson, students investigate why the greenhouse effect changes the climate through an experiment. Students use vinegar to simulate how acid damages the environment.
Lesson Plan
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The Water Cycle and Global Warming

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students study the flow of water in the environment.  In this water cycle lesson students evaluate the consequences of changes in the water cycle using data. 
Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan: Global Warming

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the concept of global warming. In this climate change instructional activity, students explore the provided links to PBS NOW sources and research the greenhouse effect and the effects of global warming. Students...
Lesson Plan
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Weathering and Erosion

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders take a look at the effects of weathering and other geologic activities found in the environments in which they live. Along with a guided geologic walk outside of campus, there is also an effective in-class demonstration of...
Lesson Plan
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Looking into Earth with GIS

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students work with data from a seismic wave model in a freely available GIS (geographic information system) program, ArcVoyager SE. Using a GIS, they examine maps and produce graphs to explore variations in seismic wave velocities at...
Lesson Plan
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It's About Time

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students create their own timeline. In this social science instructional activity, students write the important events that happened in their lives on their timeline and then compare their timeline to Earth's timeline.
Lesson Plan
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Our Ever Changing Earth

For Teachers 1st
First graders discover plate tectonics. They observe the forces of erosion. They observe the forces of weathering. They state three ways the earth changes. They record observations and make conclusions about their observations.
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Season's Greetings

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore Earth's seasons using an interactive website. In this earth science lesson plan, students watch video segments and explain Earth's seasonal milestones. They discuss the factors that causes seasonal changes.
Lesson Plan
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Earthquakes

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students observe the melting of ice. In this phase change instructional activity, students observe ice as it melts. They discuss the process and create a Venn diagram comparing water and ice.
Lesson Plan
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The Sun's habitable Zone

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the average surface temperature of planets. They use the Planet Temperature Calculator to find the average temperature. Students explore how the distance from the sun affects the Earth's average surface temperature. They...
Lesson Plan
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Structure of the Earth

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders define atmosphere and hydrosphere, explore through experimentation how the atmosphere was formed, and describe the layers of the Earth's atmosphere and their distances.
Lesson Plan
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Tracking Current "Earth" Events

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders utilize Internet research skills, and practice their communication skills by presenting their research to the clas. They actively consider the types of hazards for humans associated with Natural Disaters and ways that...
Lesson Plan
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Energy and the Environment: What Can We Do?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students consider the impacts of global warming and brainstorm ways to help decrease their contribution to the problem.  In this climate change lesson, students are exposed to facts concerning global warming and think of ways to...
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What are the Challenges?

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
Students discuss energy. In this energy challenges lesson plan, students read about greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. Comprehension questions from the reading are provided. 
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Historical Geography Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are told that Geography is the science that deals with the differentiation of the surface of the earth due to the influence of things like population, vegetation, geology, and land use. They explore the Geography Basics page. ...
Lesson Plan
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How Can We Locate Specific Places On Earth?

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders discover how to use longitude and latitude to locate specific sites on Earth. They compare old and new ways of locating specific places, and discover how latitude and longitude coordinates are used to locate places on Earth.
Lesson Plan
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Mapping Population Changes In The United States

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students create a choropleth map to illustrate the population growth rate of the United States. They explore how to construct a choropleth map, and discuss the impact of population changes for the future.
Lesson Plan
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Population Change in Vermont, 1990-2000

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners improve their mapping skills and knowledge about population distribution and change in Vermont at the county level. They are divided into groups of two or four. Each group is given two county base maps and the population...
Lesson Plan
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Breaking Up is Hard To Do

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students study the geographical issues related to the conflict in the Caucasus while identifying and discussing other key issues. They investigate methods of conflict resolution while analyzing both sides of the conflict including those...
Lesson Plan
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Seasons

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners investigate the reason for seasons on Earth during three activities. They construct a model of the Earth and Sun to identify patterns in the changes of the angle of light on the Earth's surface. Then they conduct a heat...
Worksheet
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The Tropopause

For Students 8th - 10th
For this tropopause worksheet, students read about the temperature of the air in the tropopause or the layer of the atmosphere closest to the Earth. They answer four critical thinking questions about this layer and the energy changes...
Lesson Plan
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The Effects of Meteor Impacts

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students investigate meteor impacts on the Earth's surface by using different size balls and charting their impacts, given their diameter and mass.