Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dark and Beautiful Caves

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students research how caves form. They describe the major stone formations in caves by taking notes. They construct a clay model of a cave and mark each formation making it easy to identify in the legend.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock Eater

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Learners examine the effects of acid rain by performing a simulation experiment. They also view the effects of acid rain and erosion on the reservation and record observations in a science log.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Groundwater as Part of the Water Cycle

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders study the effects of soil and rocks on filtering groundwater.  In this groundwater lesson students complete a lab activity that includes sources of contamination. 
Lesson Plan
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Take Me to the River! Using the Black River for Earth Science Review

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders use maps to identify landscape regions and drainage patterns producing the Black River. They create PowerPoint presentations pertaining to the Black River watershed, its geologic history and highlighting safe rafting...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Was Here First? Relative Dating

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners read about and complete question activities for the topic of relative dating. In this relative dating lesson, students read information for the topic and then complete two activities to further their understanding of geologic...
Lesson Plan
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Exploring Uses of Rocks and Minerals

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore the uses of rocks and minerals. They make observations to identify objects from the present and past are made out of rocks.
Lesson Plan
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Social Studies: Cooking Methods - Past and Present

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify geographic regions (Texas' Edwards Plateau) and sequence steps in the hot rock cooking process. They compare and contrast prehistoric and contemporary cooking methods. Students conduct online research and record...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sense-sational

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students investigate the five senses. They participate in the lesson for one week with each day devoted to one sense being sight, taste, sound, smell, and touch. They also cover the concept of being part of a global community where one...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weathering Rates

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students calculate weathering rates from tombstone weathering data. Atmospheric (and precipitation) chemistry determines the rate of weathering for marble tombstones. They are shown data from a rural and an unrban cemetery, and are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forest Forensics

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners explore forests.  In this "forest forensic" lesson students divide into groups and go through the stations using their clues to solve the questions. 
Lesson Plan
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Life is Weird

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Learners study the organisms that are found in cold seeps and see how they interact with each-other.  In this biological organism lesson students describe the major features of cold seeps and the process of chemosynthesis. 
Lesson Plan
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Designing a Park and Lodge

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students view a video entitle Great Lodges of the National Parks. They design, in groups of three, their own park based on research of a specific area. Each member of the group possess a different task in order to accomplish the project.
Lesson Plan
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LESSON PLANS (print version) pdf What is a Fossil?

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students can better explain how mould and cast fossils occur when they make their own cast fossils using plaster of Paris and objects such as shells, bone or even their own hand or footprint.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Cookin' at Honey Creek?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders are introduced to the process of prehistoric hot rock cooking in earth ovens on the Edwards Plateau of Texas. They explain the steps used in the hot rock cooking process.
Lesson Plan
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New Mammal Species Found

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Learners brainstorm ideas about rodents, mammals and new discoveries. They describe rodents and participate in pre-reading activities. They read, discuss, and complete role play activities based on an article on the discovery of a new...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meet a Creature From Ancient China

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Young scholars view an image of a Chinese chimera and complete a chart describing what they see and understand about the creature. They compare funerary customs today to those of ancient China. They compile a list of items that might be...
Lesson Plan
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Environmental Education -- Communities

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify urban and rural environmental problems. They work together to develop possible solutions. They ask questions to end the lesson.
Lesson Plan
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Mining Reclamation Research Project

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students work together in groups to research a different mining reclamation project. Using the internet, they answer specific questions to the one area they are to focus on. They use the information they gathered to create a PowerPoint...
Lesson Plan
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Science: Down Home Dinosaurs

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
students participate in hands-on activities to discover the different types of fossils. Using teacher-provided materials, they make models of cast and trace fossils. After writing essays describing how traces are formed, students plan a...
Lesson Plan
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Rock Families

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students study the three types of rock characteristics; igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. They are divided into three groups and each group takes one of the rock characteristics. They then act out the characteristics of their rock...
Lesson Plan
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Bat Habitat

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders engage in a lesson plan to find the role of bats in the complexity of certain ecosystems. They identify where bats live and the daily role played in the ecosystem. Students also construct a bat house to help control the...
Lesson Plan
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Introduction to Paleontology Lab

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students engage in a lab which introduces them to fossils and paleontology. They examine eleven numbered boxes containing fossils which are related to the questions on this lab then answer questions on a lab sheet imbedded in this plan.