California Academy of Science
Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
Ice is nice, and its condition on the planet has a significant effect. Junior geoscientists experiment with ice melting in both water and on land to discover how each affect the rising sea level. This detailed instructional activity...
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Changing Planet: Rising Ocean Temperatures - Rising Sea Levels
As an anticipatory set, young environmental technicians watch a video about how ocean temperatures seem to be changing along with the global climate. They perform a laboratory demonstration with the purpose of observing what happens to...
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Forces of Change
Second graders discuss various ways in which landforms change over time. They, in groups, research and create a reference book about landform change including tsunamis, earthquakes, weathering, erosion and volcanic eruptions.
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Land Assessment
Students work in small groups on a problem based learning activity. Students are presented with a problem of buying land to use for educational purposes only and must determine if it is feasible to buy it based on soil analysis and plant...
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Changing Energy: Landforms and Dance
Third graders choreograph a dance to represent the changes in nature. For this dance and nature lesson plan, 3rd graders use sharp quick movements to demonstrate changes.
US Environmental Protection Agency
Sea Level: On the Rise
With the global temperature on the rise, the effects of climate change are starting to be seen. However, many people have a difficult time conceptualizing the long-term effects, such as sea levels rising. Given an easy and effective...
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Changing Landforms
Students investigate different types of landforms. For this landforms lesson, students explore landforms by participating in a WebQuest. Students research the reasons behind landforms changing and create a picture using KidPix.
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Geological Features: How Weathering & Erosion Help Create Landforms
Students explore how the Earth's surface changes resulting in geological features and landforms. They perform a read-a-loud on Thomas
Locker's Mountain Dance, complete a KWL chart, and create a
landform using plaster of paris.
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Slip Slidin' Away
Students investigate mechanical weathering as a form of erosion. In this erosion lesson, students, define weathering and erosion before determining how the Earth's surface is in a constant state of change. They watch a video, access...
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Water Works Wonders
Students examine where water is found in the world, how we use it, and the various forms it takes. They observe the refraction of light through a prism, record the day and night sky over a week's time, and create a topographic model of...
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Erupting Volcanoes!
Students examine the causes of earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods, and explore how these events shape the surface of the earth. In this erupting volcanoes lesson, students create a volcano model of their own, make observations about how...
PBS
Breaking it Down
After challenging themselves to correctly choose the form of erosion and length of time required for a given landform to develop, earth science class members model mechanical and chemical weathering with various lab demonstrations over...
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The Earth's Layers: Day 6: Landforms II
Students closely examine the earth's crust and various landforms. In this Earth's layers lesson plan students work in cooperative groups and analyze their roles and responsibilities therein. Each group is assigned a specific landform to...
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The Living Earth
Students discuss glaciers and write a definition for a glacier as a class. After discussion, they participate in an activity that demonstrates how glaciers can cause dramatic changes and create new landforms. Groups discuss their...
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Glaciers and Global Sea Rise
Students explain how melting glaciers affect global warming. In this earth science lesson plan, students investigate the change in ice density as it melts. They discuss the human and environmental impact of rising sea levels.
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Canada's Arctic Barometer
Students research arctic climates. In this Web-quest investigation, students will identify Arctic climate changes, explain the effects of these changes, relate the changes to other regions, and write their findings in a letter format.
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Mud in the Water
Students build a soil erosion model to study the importance of soil conservation. They investigate how land forms from both constructive and destructive forces.
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Changing States: Does it Matter
Middle schoolers participate in experiments to visualize the differences between chemical and physical changes. They attempt to detect the five characteristics of a chemical change.
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Global Climate Change
Second graders investigate the effect of melting glaciers to sea level. In this earth science activity, 2nd graders simulate the process in the lab by conducting an experiment using ice cubes and clay. They explain the consequences of...
Science 4 Inquiry
Let's Get Moving
Rivers top the list of causes of erosion over time. Scholars experiment with wind, water, and ice reshaping sand. They connect the simulations facts about erosion and deposition to understand unique landforms such as the Grand Canyon and...
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Weathering Landforms
Fifth graders brainstorm a list of ways the Earth's surface can change. As a class, they are introduced to the concepts of erosion and weathering and discover how wind and water cause changes to the surface of the Earth. To end the...
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Weathering Landforms
Stduents create and color plaster landforms, and describe how weathering and erosion change the Earth's surface.
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Science: Draining the Land - the Mississippi River
Students use topographic maps to identify parts of rivers. In addition, they discover gradient and predict changes in the channels caused by variations in water flow. Other activities include sketching a river model with a new channel...
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The Earth's Crust
Students use clay to form models of the different landforms and then complete a data table using a map, atlas, or the Internet to locate famous landforms in the United States. Students complete various activities, writing down their...