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Dig Into Ireland
Students explore environments and wildlife of Ireland to find out how they were formed, and how they helped form Irish culture. Students research online to determine connections between present elements in Irish culture and wildlife and...
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Rocks, Minerals, and Erosion
Students identify and describe rocks that contain records of the earth's history and explain how they were formed. They formulate questions about and identify needs and problems related to objects and events in the environment, and...
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Stressed to a Fault!
Eighth graders describe how stress builds up in the Earth's crust by the movement of tectonic plates. In groups, they relate the three types of stresses to the types of plate movements and explain how the stress causes faults to form. ...
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Dinosaur Traces
Learners identify and interpret the type of evidence found at a typical dinosaur dig and mimic a paleontologist by taking crayon rubbings of simulated bone impressions. After the rubbings are taken, the students reconstruct the complete...
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Exploring for Petroleum - Modeling an Oil Reserve
Students experiment with locating oil reserves. In this conservation instructional activity, students use a cardboard box to create sand, rocks, and an oil reserve (water balloon). They use a probe to dig around in the box to find the...
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Modeling an Oil Reserve
Students conduct an experiment. In this oil and natural gas lesson, students learn how geoscientists identify and explore reserves of petroleum. Students make a model of an oil reserve, record how much it would cost to drill for oil...
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Rocks
Middle schoolers examine how sedimentary rocks are formed. For this rock lesson students research different rock formations and different types of rock.
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Impact Craters: Holes in the Ground!
Students simulate crater formation through a lab activity. In this space science lesson, students calculate how much energy is transferred during meteorite impact. They identify different factors affecting the size and depth of craters...
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Wave Math
Students identify the different factors affecting the size and shape of ocean waves. In this math lesson, students calculate wave speed and wavelength given a mathematical formula.
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Sedimentary Rocks
Students discover how sedimentary rocks form. They identify different examples of sedimentary rocks. They also discover what types of rocks are in Illinois soil.
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Investigation 3 - Examining Your Fossil
Fourth graders examine the fossils they made previously. They examine the details of the fossil with a hand lens and come up with conclusions about the fossils. They record what they see and draw conclusions about the environment of the...
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What's In A Name
Second graders read Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. They then discuss where various names come from. They create a individualized biopoem and publish it on word processing software. Their poems are compiled into a class book and presented...
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Bellwork April 12-16
In this bellwork worksheet, students answer questions about the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. They answer questions about fossils, half life, and radioactive material.
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Rocks and Minerals: Sedimentary Rocks
Learners explore the concept of rock formation. In this sedimentary rocks lesson, students observe and record their findings about sedimentary rocks. Learners then create limestone, coal, and sandstone models and write reports explaining...
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Time and Cycles - Dendrochronology
Students investigate the lives of trees by examining ring cycles. In this plant life lesson plan, students identify the field of study known as dendrochronology and discover its history. Students investigate a simulated tree ring and...
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Relative Dating - Telling Time Using Fossils
Students use fossil range charts to explain relative dating. They graph for ammonites, marine organisms that went extinct at the same time as dinosaurs.
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Ride the Rock Cycle
Students examine the steps of the rock cycle. They describe what happens to the rocks in each of the stages. They participate in a rock cycle game to help them with the steps.
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The Rock Cycle
Third graders study the 3 main types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic. They examine samples of these types of rocks and discuss ways to tell what kind of rock each is. They take notes and draw pictures in their science...
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Wonders of Weather
Students understand the destructive force of a tornado. They learn the role of a thunderstorm in the creation of a tornado.
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Design an Island
Young scholars make a map of an imaginary island using the topographic symbols provided from a worksheet. Students place lakes, dwellins, reefs, etc. in areas where they would logically be located from understanding how the topography...
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Earth System Science
Learners explore the Earth and its ability to support life. They discuss the geosphere and the water cycle and complete the Water Wonders activity. After completing the activity, they respond in their journals and reflect upon the...
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Health: The Three Dimensions
Students examine the three dimensions of health, wealth, and happiness from both emotional and social perspectives. Among the week-long activities are discussions about good and poor habits, minimizing risks by proper planning and...
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Carving Mountains
Learners explore geography by participating in an illustration activity. In this land-form lesson, students define vocabulary terms associated with glaciers and forests. Learners utilize pens, cardboard and pottery clay to draw and...
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Give me Food!
Learners study the food guide pyramid and use it to create their own eating program.In this health activity students visit websites to calculate their BMR, activity level and weight then create a nutrition plan