Curated OER
Minerals- the Building Blocks of Rocks
Students investigate how rocks are composed minerals by dissecting rock cookies.
Curated OER
Observing Rocks
Fifth graders explore the various properties of earth and rocks. They play "Twenty Questions" with the teacher, and analyze a rock using a magnifying glass. They record their rock observations and list the differences between the wet...
Curated OER
The Rock Cycle Graphically Organized
Fourth graders use the prereading strategy of discussion and then use a graphic organizer to help guide reading on the topic of the rock cycle. They use a worksheet imbedded in this plan to guide thier inquiry.
Curated OER
The Rock Cycle
Students explore the concept of the rock cycle. In this geology lesson, students identify, classify, and observe three different types of rocks. Students then list and char the characteristics of their rocks.
Curated OER
Pebbles, Sand and Silt -- Categorizing Fiction and Informational Books
Primary readers complete the activities in a Pebbles, Sand and Silt FOSS kit. As a class, they are given a group of rocks and they are to categorize them based on their activities in the FOSS kit. They use this information and apply it...
California Academy of Science
Human Evolution
As the great and hilarious Tim Minchin once said, "Science is simply the word we use to describe a method of organizing our curiosity." Science is more than just a guess; it is based on questions, observations, and evidence. High...
NASA
Let's Investigate Mars
Take your science class on a hypothetical field trip to Mars with an engaging astronomy lesson. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's nearest neighbor.
NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – A Tale of Deep Corals
Many have debated which came first, the chicken or the egg, but this lesson debates which came first, the hydrocarbons or the carbonate reef. After a discussion on deep-sea corals, scholars receive a set of questions to research and...
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals- Uses Past and Present
Students investigate the use of rocks in past and present societies. They examine how important rocks are.
Monroe City Schools
Clouds! Clouds! Clouds!
Here is a beautiful instructional activity on clouds designed for your 1st graders. Learners study three different types of clouds. They construct drawings of cumulus, cirrus, and stratus clouds. The Cloud Book, by Tommie dePaola is used...
Curated OER
Out of this World: Inquiry-Based Teaching
Connect classroom learning with real-life experiences by using photographs and data taken by the Mars Pathfinder.
Curated OER
Rocks Up!
Students will design and build a structure to support a rock. Students will use their knowledge of movement of objects to determine the proper base to be built to support their rock. Students will explore their natural area for...
Curated OER
Documenting Science Through an Active Inquiry Process
Students follow procedures regarding scientific data collection. In this scientific inquiry lesson plan, students investigate inquiry questions through research and data collection. Students use technology tools to create products that...
University of Colorado
Are All Asteroids' Surfaces the Same Age?
Did you know scientists can tell the age of an asteroid by looking closely at its craters? This final lesson of a six-part series focuses on two asteroids, Gaspra and Ida, in order to demonstrate the concept of dating asteroids. Scholars...
Curated OER
Physical Science- Sink or Float?
Learners investigate which objects sink and which ones float. Learners engage in an experiment, make predictions, and record results on a graphic organizer. This is a comprehensive and easy to follow resource.
Curated OER
Collecting Rocks
Students investigate how rocks are formed, how they are used, and how to collect them by listening to a read aloud of Roma Gans, Let's Go Collecting Rocks.. They discover background knowledge of rocks.
Curated OER
Rock Art
Young scholars create replica symbols of rock are found in Wisconsin and work cooperatively to create a rock art panel. They observe rock art to find their meanings and reasons why they were created.
Curated OER
Rock Speaks
Young scholars create primitive forms and caricatures to represent meaningful figures and/or events in their own lives, present their own works to the class, and attempt to interpret the relevant meaning from other students' work.
Curated OER
Disappearing Rocks
Students explore the causes of erosion and observe how different surfaces erode differently. They recognize erosion and predict what type of erosion caused it. In addition, they predict the outcomes of erosion on different materials.
Curated OER
Rock Identification Lab
Eighth graders compare and contrast the three different types of rock. In this earth science activity, 8th graders classify rock samples according to their correct rock type. They design their own data collection table.
G. Turrell
Science Activity 2: Light & Sound
Little learners experiment with sunlight and map out how light travels. Using a mirror and slotted card, they find out about items that can reflect or absorb the light. They experiment with a variety of materials to find out how light...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 9: Modeling Data
How many different ways can you model data? Scholars learn several in the final module in a series of nine. Learners model data with dot plots, box plots, histograms, and scatter plots. They also analyze the data based on the data...
Curated OER
Fossil Fuels vs. Alternative Fueling Systems
Fourth graders brainstorm the differences between the fossil fuels that people use in their transportation now and what they could use to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. They use a variety of techniques from webquests to writing...
University of Colorado
Are All Asteroids' Surfaces the Same Age?
There are more than 600,000 asteroids in our solar system. Pupils analyze images of two asteroids in order to determine if they are the same age. They count craters for each asteroid and compare numbers.