Curated OER
The Rock Cycle
Students study the rock cycle of different types of rock. They arrange cut-outs of the parts of the rock cycle in the correct order and then draw the rock cycle or research different types of rocks.
Curated OER
Pollution - What is It Doing to Us?
Students recognize some forms of pollution. In this science lesson plan, students recognize and understand some of the devastating effects of the acid rains and other possible factors that are contrary to the pH balance of nature.
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals: Sedimentary Rocks
Students explore the concept of rock formation. In this sedimentary rocks instructional activity, students observe and record their findings about sedimentary rocks. Students then create limestone, coal, and sandstone models...
Curated OER
Volcano!-Thar She Blows!
Pupils describe how volcanoes are formed. They name the types of boundaries where volcanoes occur. They utilize models to illustrate the occurence of volcanoes and earthquakes along plate boundaries. They compare and constrast the...
Curated OER
The Time is Right
Tenth graders study the timeline of life on Earth. They learn about the progression of prokaryotes to single celled eukaryotes and the development of increasingly complex multicellular organisms.
Curated OER
Carving Mountains
Students explore geography by participating in an illustration activity. In this land-form lesson, students define vocabulary terms associated with glaciers and forests. Students utilize pens, cardboard and pottery clay to draw and...
Curated OER
A Hydrothermal Adventure
Students analyze hydrothermal vents. In this hydrothermal vents lesson plan, students discover the effects of hydrothermal vents on tectonic plates. Students make model hydrothermal vents to understand how they form and operate.
Curated OER
Design an Island
Learners 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 of an...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
The Rain Maker
Second graders work in small groups with a cup each of several materials. Students layer the gravel, sand, and water into a resealable bag. They draw a picture of this bag in their water journal. Students place their sealed bags in a...
Curated OER
Lunar Field Trip
Students take a virtual tour on Google Moon of what human life would be like on the moon. In this moon lesson plan, students also compose web diagrams, make charts, make a time line, investigate problems, and more.
Curated OER
Introduction to Volcanoes
Students develop a basic understanding of volcanoes. They watch a PowerPoint Presentation which introduces three types of volcanoes: shield volcanoes, cinder cones, and composite volcanoes.
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Weather and Atmosphere
Seventh graders explain the layers of the atmosphere. They identify the causes of air pollution. They analyze real world weather data. They explore and describe clouds. They develop models to explain atmosphere and weather.
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Fossil Adventure
Students work as a class to write a general definition of fossil based on their discussion and examine pictures of the different types of fossils. Once discussion is complete, they write and illustrate a book about a T Rex that has died...
Curated OER
Extensions - Astronomy Review Unit
Students participate in a review unit in Astronomy using the Layered Curriculum. This allows them to take charge of the type of assessment that is given. The method also allows better differentiation of instruction to occur.
Curated OER
Baleen Whales vs. Toothed Whales
Second graders review mammal characteristics and study two types of whales. In this mammal study lesson, 2nd graders discuss mammals and define their five characteristics. Students complete a whale worksheet and define differences...
Curated OER
Changes Inside Planets
Students investigate the concept of planetary differentiation. They complete an experiment to simulate it using gelatin and food. The lesson includes vocabulary to increase reading comprehension skills as part of the inquiry. The lesson...
Curated OER
"Space" Investigations
Sixth graders understand the patterns of change observable on Earth as a result of the movement of the different bodies in the solar system. They identify the physical characteristics of the different components of the solar system.
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Excavating the Past
Learners discover how palaeontologists conduct a dig for fossils and how they interpret the age of the fossils. In small groups, they prepare a "dig site" consisting of bones, rocks and soil layered in a cardboard box. They switch boxes...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Action at Plate Boundaries
Young scholars diagram the spreading of the ocean floor. In this earth science lesson plan, students read an article on plate boundaries of the ocean. Young scholars are expected to diagram the oceanic convergent...
Curated OER
Science: Trouble in the Troposphere
Students research a NASA Website and record information about an assigned city's tropospheric ozone residual monthly climate. In groups, they graph the information for the past year. They form new groups and compare their city's...
Curated OER
"Potato Mountain": Reading/Understanding Topographic Maps
Middle schoolers investigate how to read topographic maps. In this map reading lesson plan students complete a topographic map activity.
Curated OER
Fossil Inferences
Fourth graders use their knowledge about fossils to arrange fossil pictures in sequence from oldest to youngest. They explain how fossils can be used to make inferences about past life, climate, geology, and environments and discover...
Curated OER
Plotting the Ocean Floor
Fourth graders plot points on a graph, connect the dots to make the ocean floor profile and label the topographical features. They utilize a worksheet and a website imbedded in this plan to plot the ocean floor.