Lesson Plan
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What Plants Need in Order to Survive and Grow: Soil

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students conduct an experiment to evaluate whether plants need soil to survive and grow. They plant two seeds, one with soil and one without, make predictions, and record and analyze the seed germination results on a worksheet.
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Electronics: Wants or Needs?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders determine how electronics negatively impact the environment. In this environmental activity, 3rd graders read the article "Earth Friendly Waste Management", and identify how recycling impacts our environment. Students...
Lesson Plan
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Roller Coaster Fun

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders review the effects of gravity on how objects move. In groups, they design a roller coaster and share it with their classmates. Using materials given to them, they build their roller coaster and let a ball roll on the...
Lesson Plan
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A Geological Puzzle

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students compare and contrast the various types of rocks on each continent. In groups, the calculate the rock ages and types to determine if the continents, in their opinion, were joined at one time. They develop two imaginary...
Lesson Plan
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Making a Mini Worm Habitat

For Teachers 3rd
Students explore the process of converting organic waste into usable fertilizer. They observe how living and nonliving things interact with one another by making a mini-worm habitat.
Lesson Plan
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Predicting the Future

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Young scholars examine how scientists predict the effects of global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students participate in a discussion about using computer generated data to create climate predictions. Young...
Lesson Plan
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The Environment and You

For Teachers 1st
First graders examine the human environmental impact and discover ways to lessen effects. They create a pollution damage flow chart and write down what they think Mother Earth might say. They create inventions from recyclable materials.
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Where in the World is...?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars work in groups to locate an appropriate planet where inhabitants of a fictional place can be relocated. They create a PowerPoint presentation to introduce their relocation site, as well as ecosystem information about the...
Lesson Plan
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What Are Erosion and Sediments?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create experiments in class based on the erosion of Earth. For this erosion lesson, students perform a lab in class replicating the effects of erosion. Students finally draw their own conclusions based on the research performed.
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Cloud Identification

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study types of clouds. In this earth science lesson, students read the book The Cloud Book. Students use photos to examine each type of cloud and visit suggested websites.
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Paleoclimates and Pollen

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze soil for types of pollen to determine the probably climate conditions. In this earth science lesson plan, students make conclusions on what a climate is like based on soils samples. Students use a model soil...
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Our Forests Need Fires?

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students consider how forest fires are both damaging and beneficial to forests.  In this earth science instructional activity, students are read the book Fire! In Yellowstone by Robert Ekey and watch "Fire Ecology" and "Two Sides of...
Worksheet
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Sprinkles

For Students 2nd - 3rd
For this science worksheet, students read a water trip rebus. Pictures replace several of the words in the article. They color a picture of the water cycle and add arrows to show the direction the water is moving. Students draw a picture...
Lesson Plan
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Junk Sort

For Teachers K - 1st
Students analyze objects by one or more attributes. In this sorting lesson, students use manipulatives and string or yarn to create a sorting game. Students read books and items from the classroom to sort. 
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Special Edition: World Space Congress 2002: The New Face of Space

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students experience and study how space offers expanding resources for commerce, science, technology and education. They view how advances in space can and do improve life on Earth. Each student views a geological exploration within this...
Lesson Plan
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Let the Weather Help You Dress

For Teachers K
Students observe weather daily for at least a month and graph the weather for one month. Then they use weather vocabulary such as sunny, windy, rainy, stormy, cold, snowy, foggy, and hot, and share their predictions about weather. ...
Lesson Plan
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Blue Planet: Seas of Life - Tidal Seas

For Teachers 6th - 8th
After viewing the video Blue Planet: Seas of Life, young scholars review oceanic concepts. In this earth science lesson plan, students reflect on the effect tides have on living things and conduct research to create a "tidal trivia"...
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We're Going on an Animal Safari!

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students take viewers on an animal safari. In this technology lesson, students research animals one would see on an African safari. Students collaborate to create a storyboard and use Flip Video Cameras to create a virtual safari. The...
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Scale Drawings of Dinosaurs

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students, working in groups, make scale drawings of dinosaurs. The four groups then assemble their assigned parts into one composite drawing.
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We Are Not Alone!!!

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the area of astronomy. They explore Earth's neighboring planets. Students research a planet's characteristics. They develop a scale model of the solar system and a narrative about the planets.
Worksheet
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Plants In Space

For Students 9th - 10th
For this biology worksheet, students grow corn plants in growth pouches as the control group in an experiment on plant growth in microgravity. Then they analyze any differences that occur between Earth-grown and space-grown corn plants.
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Sampling Rocks

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students investigate rocks. In this earth science lesson, students collect rocks from the schoolyard and describe each of the rocks. Students measure and weigh each rock and record the results. Students create a rock guide for the...
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Sampling Rocks

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore Earth science by identifying types of rocks in their schoolyard. In this geology lesson, students collect a group of rocks from their playground and categorize them based on color, shape and size. Students read the book...
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Common Themes

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders test usefulness of a model Earth by comparing its predictions to observations in the real world.  In this landforms lesson students construct an island from a contour map using model clay then analyze the landscape...