Curated OER
Erosion
Young scholars model rain erosion. In this erosion instructional activity, students construct a landscape out of sand and dirt in a metal pan. They make it rain on the landscape and observe the erosion that occurs.
Curated OER
Evidence of Climate Change
Sixth graders examine climate change in the state of Colorado. In this climate lesson, 6th graders watch 2 video clips regarding the topic and research the subtopics- snow pack, precipitation, temperature, forest fires, river flow,...
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Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change Course
Students explain the impact of glacial melting to global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students design an experiment to investigate the effect of salinity change to melting glaciers. They share their results to...
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Glacier Dynamics
Students create flubber glaciers. In this glacier dynamics lesson, students experiment factors that may affect glacier speed. Factors include slope, ice temperature, and basal conditions. Students develop hypothesis, conduct experiment,...
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Land Formations
Second graders explore land formations. In this science lesson plan, 2nd graders develop an understanding of how land is naturally developed, investigate several land formations as well as earth science and chemical terminology, and ...
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Geography: examining the Glacial Features of Cape Cod
Students examine satellite images of the glacial features of Cape Cod. They analyze where human activity is located in terms of those features. Students make models of the features, including kettle holes. They also use contour maps...
Curated OER
Glacier Climbing
Students model the movement of a valley glacier by using a cornstarch mixture to test the rate at which it flows when poured on a titled surface. Students model how a valley glacier flows by using a super thick, viscous fluid. They...
Curated OER
Edible Glacier
Students complete a KWL chart on what they know about glaciers. Then they gather together around a table containing Jello and Cool Whip cookie mixture and are introduced to the parts of a glacier by observing this model.
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Go Glacier Go!
Students create a model of a glacier and observe how it moves. In this landforms activity, students learn what a glacier is, build a model glacier and observe how it moves in a manner that more closely resembles a liquid than a solid.
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Round and Round-The Water Cycle
Students explore the water cycle. In this earth science lesson plan, students work in small groups to read various books on the water cycle and take notes on chart paper. Students share their notes and teach a younger audience what they...
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Glaciers and Ice Wedging
Fourth graders observe buckling sidewalks and potholes before attempting to determine how these things are caused. They freeze water filled plastic cups that have been covered. As the water freezes, the students observe what happens to...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle
Students are introduced to the components and importance of the water cycle. They are shown how groundwater moves using a model. Students list 9 places on earth where water is found. They define the terms cycle and water cycle.
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Global Climate Change
Second graders investigate the effect of melting glaciers to sea level. In this earth science lesson, 2nd graders simulate the process in the lab by conducting an experiment using ice cubes and clay. They explain the consequences of...
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A SALT WATER-Y WORLD
Students observe a model of the distribution of the earth's water and compare the relative volumes and percentages of types of water on earth.
Curated OER
Food Dictionary - Harvest Festival
Students explore healthy foods and dictionary organization. Students create a list of healthy foods. They construct their own food dictionary, with illustrations. Students model how a dictionary page should be filled with a picture,...
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Coral Mania
Students examine deep-sea coral. In this coral lesson, students identify the structure and function of a coral polyp. Students then create a model of a coral polyp.
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Antarctica: Effects of Salinity on Icebergs
Learners investigate the effects of salinity on icebergs. For this hands on lesson, students design and conduct an investigation into how the amount of salt in ice affects its buoyancy.
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Studying Snow and Ice Changes
Students compare the change in snow and ice over a 10 year period. In this environmental science activity, students use the live data on the NASA site to study and compare the monthly snow and ice amounts on a map of the entire Earth. ...
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Weathering and Erosion
Students investigate how changes occur on the surface of the earth through erosion and glaciation. They observe what happens to salt and iron after they interact with water and vinegar, and analyze what occurs when water is sprinkled on...
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Glacier Presentations
Students research news articles relating to global climate change. In this earth science lesson, students create a news broadcast using the information they gathered. They present this in class and each student gives their peer...
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Icebergs Ahead!
Young scholars experiment with density of ice, and examine how density affects how icebergs float in water.
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A Human-Powered Vehicle for Trans-Glacial Transport
Learners practice problem solving skills and experimental design. They build a vehicle that can traverse "glacial" ice capable of carrying a specific load and glide smoothly, creating as little effort as possible for the skier pulling...
Center Science Education
Looking Into Surface Albedo
How does the color of a surface affect the heating of the earth? Middle school science classes experiment with color and surface albedo to determine the relationship. The website has tabs for an overview, teacher's instructions,...
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Where's the Water? Stream Side Science
After a whole-class discussion of water reservoirs, ten liters of water are given to each lab group to represent Earth's total amount of water. They divide the water into smaller containers, each representing one of those reservoirs. The...