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Understanding How Potatoes Grow
Second graders make a KWL chart and brainstorm what they need for the project of growing potatoes. They choose one potato and plant it in water or peat moss cups and choose a location in which meets the needs of the plants and make their...
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Water Cycle in a Box
Fourth graders investigate how the water cycle is vital for all living things to survive on Earth. They observe the teacher set up a simulation of the water cycle using a Plastic Earth Simulator, desk lamp, and water, and make...
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Tetonic Plates and Faults
Students understand the basic properties of plate motion. They demonstrate what happens to a plate while faulting while using manipulatives. They demonstrate the Nature of Scientific Inquiry to solve scientific issues.
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Stick-Slip Movement
Ninth graders operate a model to observe the type of motion that occurs at a fault during an earthquake. They explore the effects of several variables. Students measure movement, calculate averages and plot and graph information.
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Weather Lesson 1
Learners describe and compare the layers of the atmosphere. They explain how to measure the temperature of the atmosphere. They also explain what causes the atmosphere to heat up in some places more than in others.
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Weather Lesson 2
Learners identify the elements that make up the earth's weather. Begin by having students pretend they are hiking along a mountain ridge. It's been sunny and warm all day, but you see a dark line of clouds moving from the west.
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Spuds in Space
Young scholars explore the effects of velocity on an object when it collides with another object. They design and outfit a potato astronaut in a spacesuit to withstand the hazards of high velocity impacts from space debris and meteoroids.
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What Are We Going To Do About Baby Six Billion?
Students formulate and evaluate suggestions about government policy using demographic examples and projections. They examine websites and utilize worksheets imbedded in this plan.
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Fantastic Fossils
Students learn about the kinds of fossils and what scientists can learn from them. In this earth science lesson plan, students are told how engineers and paleontologists work together. Then students create a "fossil fondue"...
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Solid Earth Socratic Questions
Young scholars participate in a whole class discussion to relate what they know about earthquakes to the processes of plate tectonics. They respond to prompts that lead them to conclusions about the layers of the earth.
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Cracked Marbles
Fourth graders determine how weathering, specifically ice, snow, and freezing water change the Earth's surface and rocks. After completing the investigations, they explain how heating and cooling expand and contract marbles until cracks...
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Earth's Weather
Seventh graders learn how solar radiation, latitude, and other factors affect weather. They break into six groups and are assigned a topic to research and to present their findings orally.
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Sunshine and Shadows
Students measure their shadows early in the morning, record direction of shadow, make marks in ground with chalk or tape, measure with ruler, and record results. Students repeat process at noon, and then later in afternoon. Students...
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Geologist and Core Sampling
Third graders observe a cupcake and attempt to answer each question on the observation page. They write three sentences that explains how a geologist takes core samples of the earth's surface. Students make sketches and write...
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Power, Pollution, Pros and Cons
Students review what they know about non-renewable energy, compare and contrast advantages and drawbacks of each type, such as cost of energy sources, feasibility, air pollution, water pollution, and other risks, and create table listing...
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Reading the Shapes of Volcanoes on Earth and Mars
Students compare and contrast the volcanoes of Earth and Mars, and examine specific volcanoes on Mars. They model the processes that create cone and shield volcanoes, and measure the slope angles of cone and shield volcanoes.
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Water, Water Everywhere, and Nary a Drop to Drink!
Students sing the continent song and locate oceans between the continents on a map. They read "They Earth is Mostly Ocean" and copy notes into their journals. They watch a demonstration of water and saltwater evaporated to see what is...
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Mining Reclamation and Cookies
Ninth graders are introduced to the process of mining. In groups, they use the internet to research the effect of mining on the environment. They work together to create their own make believe mining company and discover the process of...
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Geological Development of Indiana and the Movement of Peoples Across the State
Fourth graders examine the geological development of the state of Indiana. Using the internet, they interact with the United States Geological Survey. They identify earthquake zones and energy resources in the state. They work...
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Planet Earth
Students explore and analyze data from different maps in order to explain geographic diversity among the continents. Student groups research continents' physical features and examine how they contribute to quality of life for inhabitants.
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Algebra, Multiplication, and Division of Fractions
Students gain knowledge by measuring time and distance for solving unknowns in an equation. They also will design an airplane and chance to communicate mathematically by writing essays.
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Geological Development of Indiana and the Movement of Peoples Across the State
Young scholars are introduced to the geological development of the state of Indiana. Using the internet, they visit the U.S. Geological Survey and locate the earthquake zones in the state. In groups, they locate and identify the energy...
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It's Okay to Exhale: Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
Students will observe the differences between photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Then they observe the links due to climate changes and relate how climate change affects their lives.
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Powering a Green Earth
Students compare and contrast renewable and nonrenewable energy. In this environmental science lesson, students discuss the importance of going green. They identify the different components in a power grid system.