Curated OER
Science and the Scientific Process
Students investigate the characteristics of different soil samples. In this physical science lesson, students play the role of forensics solving a crime by matching soil from the suspect's shoes. They formulate a conclusion after testing...
Curated OER
Rock Cycle SIOP Unit
Students collect rocks, identify them, classify them, investigate their properties, and more. In this rocks lesson plan, students also experiment with soil and erosion and weather.
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A Rocky Situation
Second graders conduct experiments with rocks to observe weathering. They read books, examine websites and watch a video to examine how rocks break down into soil.
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Perkin' Through the Pores
Fourth graders explore different levels of soil. In this soil instructional activity, 4th graders investigate the amount water that can be absorbed by topsoil, subsoil, and bedrock.
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The Rotten Truth
Fourth graders investigate compost. In this Science lesson, 4th graders take notes on the components of soil and its relation to plant growth. Students describe the steps in making compost.
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What Land Works Best?
Fourth graders explore different types of land. In this land lesson, 4th graders investigate how water, climate, and soil type determine what types of crops may be grown. Students discover these elements while playing an interactive game.
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Working Worms
Fourth graders examine earthworms. In this earthworm lesson, 4th graders investigate how earthworms help prepare soil for planting. Students examine other living and nonliving elements in a garden habitat.
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Nonmetals
Students research about the chemical processes involved in cave formation. In this chemistry lesson, students draw or find a cave picture with stalagmites and stalactites online. They write a brief caption and share them with the class.
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How Does Your Garden Grow?
Young gardners read and listen to books about seeds, plants, and the growing process. They plant seeds in plastic cups to observe the process of root-growing and plant formation. The whole class walks through a field to collect seeds...
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Making Regolith
You may not be able to take a field trip to the moon, but that doesn't mean your class can't study moon rocks. Using graham crackers as the moon's bedrock and powdered donuts as micrometeorites, young scientists simulate the creation of...
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Rocks and Minerals
Students are able to describe earth processes (e.g., rusting, weathering, erosion) that have affected selected physical features in students, neighborhoods. They are able to identify various earth structures (e.g., mountains, faults,...
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Looking At Water: a Walking Field Trip
Fourth graders observe the effects of water on the soil and record those effect by drawing sketches of water erosion and conservation practices.
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Coal Science Fair Ideas
Learners select one of the ideas for a science project reflecting their knowledge about coal. They then choose a catchy title to spark interest that describes their project. They use the scientific method to explain the process.
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Ride the Wild Leaf Cycle
Fourth graders explore plant life by completing an Internet activity. In this botany lesson, 4th graders identify the types of plants that grow locally and the different soils they utilize to survive. Students read assigned text about...
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The Formation and Value of Temperate Grasslands
Students get an overview of the climate and organisms of the North American Prairie. After a lecture, and watching some videos imbedded in this plan, students compile research data on the North American Prairie.
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Discovering Places & Regions
Fifth graders research physical and cultural features of a place. They practice skills in gathering information from various sources, using tools such as graphic organizers, word processing, multimedia, and use of the Internet.
Kenan Fellows
Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – The Importance of Water
Water is essential for life—and understanding the importance of clean drinking water is essential in understanding sustainability! Show your environmental science class the basics of water testing and treatment through a week-long...
W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Succession: Patterns in the Field and in Seeds
Have you been wondering how to use that natural trail at or near your school? This activity gets kids outside with a purpose: learn about ecological succession through field observations and collecting seed and soil samples. The resource...
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It's All About the Roots
Students investigate the process of hydroponic agriculture. They grow beans in different hydroponic solutions, compare results and graph their observations.
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Sedimentary Rocks
Fourth graders discuss the basic properties of rocks, the processes
involved in the formation of soils, and the needs of plants provided by soil. They write descriptions in their Science journal and identify and discuss each type of...
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Wiggley Worms
Students investigate how worms affect plant growth. In this biology instructional activity, students construct a worm ecosystem in a plastic 2 liter bottle and plant a seed in the soil. They later compare the ecosystems with worms to...
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Making a Cave
Students discuss caves. In this science instructional activity, students experiment with how dissolution, a chemical weathering process, leads to the formation of caves. Once the cave is finsihed students draw a picture or describe in...
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Space Science: A Scoop of Moon Dirt
Students discover soil characteristics and how it is formed on Earth and the Moon by examining local samples to a lunar simulant. They replicate the effects of wind erosion by scraping dry bread with sandpaper. Students use rocks and...
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Collecting Compost
Students observe a composting box. For this soil lesson, students create a composting bin by using a bin, newspaper, worms, and food scraps. Students create a composting food web.