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What on Earth is in the Earth?
Students explore the physical properties of sand, soil, and rocks and sort, classify, compare, and contrast the materials found in the soil. The differences between the living and non-living parts of the soil is discussed.
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Plate Tectonics: Fifth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Fifth graders continue their investigation of the plate tectonics cycle with an exploration of the movement of Earth's crust. During the lab, young geologists conduct an experiment to discover the result of different types of...
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Rocks, Minerals, and Erosion
Fourth graders describe the difference between minerals (composed of the same substance throughout) and rocks (composed of two or more minerals). They recognize that there are three classes of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
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Exploring Rocks
Students collect and examine rocks. They record information about the rocks they have collected in their notebooks. They compare and contrast different rocks and complete a class chart at the end of the lesson.
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I Spy
Second graders investigate the properties and uses of rocks. They sort magazine pictures into the categories of living and nonliving, play a game of I Spy for objects made of rock, and make rubbings of the rock items for their Rock...
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Crayon Rock Cycle
Students view rock samples and model the formation of rocks with crayons. In this rock cycle lesson, students view and describe the three types of rock: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. They model the formation of these rocks by...
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Sedimentary Rocks- Formation and Types
In this sedimentary rocks resource worksheet, students follow the guide for reading this informational text. They read about the formation of sedimentary rocks, and the three major types of sedimentary rocks.
Mascil Project
Chocolate Chip Mining
Canada mines more minerals than any other country in the world. Scholars with a sample must determine how to get the mineral out while preserving as much of the rock as possible. They analyze the data and compare methodology while...
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Erosion And the Cycling of Rocks And Minerals
Students investigate the concept of erosion by water in a problem solving activity. In small groups, they are assigned either sand, potting soil or rocks to construct a mountain that will hold up to a sprinkler can of water dripping on...
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Weathering and Wind
In this weathering and wind worksheet, students simulate the effects of weathering by wind using 2 canisters, 2 types of sandpaper and 2 sugar cubes. Students swirl the sugar cubes inside the canisters lined with fine and course...
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Minerals of The Earth's Crust
In this earth science activity, students find the vocabulary words related to minerals by unscrambling the letters. They also complete other word puzzles.
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Making Predictions
Students collect and classify items. In this making predictions lesson, students go outside and collect specimens of plants, insects and minerals. They classify each item and place them in a Venn Diagram. Students compare and contrast...
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Crinoids: Flowers f the Iowa Seas
Students study the rocks and fossils associated with the geologic landscape of Iowa. In this rocks and fossils lesson, students examine fossils that would be found in the Iowa landscape that show evidence of marine invertebrates such as...
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Field Research Project: Comparing the Parent Rock Material of the San Francisco Terranes With Local Soil Types
Students investigate rocks and minerals and take a field trip to sample soils. They analyze rocks and soil, research the geological terrenes of the topology of San Francisco, and produce a lab research report.
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What a Hard Test!
Fifth graders complete an exercise that introduces them to Moh's scale of mineral hardness. The scale is presented on the worksheet, and learners answer three questions which have them assign a hardness rating based on some clues. For...
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Metamorphic Magic!
Students explore the steps involved in the formation of metamorphic rock as they prepare a cookie receipe. As part of the process, sedimentary rocks are created and changed through heat to a metamorphic cookie.
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Google Earth Geology Field Trip
Learners take a virtual field trip around California using Google Earth. In this geology field trip lesson, students explore landforms and a variety of rocks located in California. Learners compare environments where rocks are...
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Crystals
Students investigate patterns in solids, the structures of crystals and rocks made up of minerals. In this crystals lesson plan, students review solids, make patterns with Styrofoam balls, make crystals in the lab and observe their...
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Sorting Rocks
Students devise a rock word web and sort rocks by applying the categories they discuss.
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Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils
Fourth graders do 5 different lab stations to explore rocks, minerals, and fossils.
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Shake, Rattle and Roll
Students compare the weathering of different-sized materials. Comparisons are made and data analyzed to reach conclusions about the process of weathering. Applications can be made for the higher grades.
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Rocks in our Backyard
Students examine igneous and sedimentary rocks. They observe and identify geological formations in their community, analyze igneous and sedimentary geological layers using a geological map, and use GPS to locate geological formations.
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The Rock Cycle
In this rock cycle worksheet, students copy the table illustrated for data and observations of rock samples. Then they examine the rock samples observing the characteristics and the arrangement of grains in each. Students then record...
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I Spy
Second graders play the game I Spy to help identify objects made from rock. They investigate the properties and uses of rocks and go on an I Spy search on the playground. They sort pictures according to living and nonliving objects.