Lesson Plan
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Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders discuss the weather and how it changes during the different seasons. They listen to a read aloud of Judy Barrett's, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. They write and illustrate a news article about the weather that is found...
Lesson Plan
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Rising Temperatures Threaten Penguins

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Young scholars examine the continent of Antarctica, then read a news article about the decline in the Antarctic penguin population. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary...
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California Crops

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars explore agriculture by researching the native food crops of California. Students define a list of agriculture vocabulary terms and analyze maps of California which explain which foods come from which area. Young scholars...
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Climographs

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students identify trends and characteristics of climate zones and specific places within. Then, they graph annual climate trends (primarily Temperature and Precipitation) and create, interpret and extrapolate information based on...
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Microclimates of Our School

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students read the story "Weslandia" by Paul Fleischman, define the term microclimate, gather and record data in various places on school grounds to establish the presence of difference microclimates, analyze and compare microclimates,...
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The Cleverest Thief

For Teachers K
Students practice their reading comprehension while listening to a classic folktale from India.  In this cultural storytelling lesson, students read the book The Cleverest Thief and complete word identification worksheets based on...
Lesson Plan
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Natural Features of Our Community

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders read about and discuss natural features of communities. They listen to a guest speaker, such as a park ranger to expand their knowledge of natural features. They go on a field trip, if possible, to a local zoo or...
Lesson Plan
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Kalahari Explorations

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore world geography by completing graphic organizers and researching the Internet. In this Kalahari desert lesson, students identify the geographic location, weather and creation of the Kalahari desert. Students define a...
Lesson Plan
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The Sun Affects Earth

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders read, write, and listen to information about the sun and its effects on the Earth.as it relates to its axis, orbit, rotate, and revolution.  In this solar system lesson, 3rd graders examine how the sun...
Lesson Plan
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Temperature High and Lows

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students gather high and low temperature readings through email. In this temperature graphing lesson, students use a spreadsheet to input data for a graph. students interpret the graphs to compare and contrast the data from different...
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High and Low: Pressures and Fronts

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students investigate basic information about high- and low-pressure fronts and how they affect the weather. They observe weather patterns and cloud formations. Students study the basic pattern of movement of high- and low-pressure...
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Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Stone Fox

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students read and complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the novel, Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. Included are reading, math, science, writing, social studies, and library connections. A vocabulary/spelling...
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

What Can We Learn from Sediments?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Varve: a deposit of cyclical sediments that help scientists determine historical climates. Individuals analyze the topography of a region and then study varve datasets from the same area. Using this information, they determine the...
Lesson Plan
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Air Masses & Fronts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use a set of maps depicting a front passing through the state to identify two distinct air masses and the frontal boundary. They then deterine whether the front is moving in time and in what direction the front is moving.
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Everyone Knows It's Windy

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create an anemometer, an instrument that measures wind speed.
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The Mormon Trail Through Iowa

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read selections from travel diaries and create their own travel diary.  In this Mormon Trail through Iowa lesson, students discover background of the Mormon Trek of 1846 and discuss how a group may be persecuted for...
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The Grand Canyon

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the Grand Canyon. They research the Grand Canyon and locate the Colorado River on the map of Arizona. They discuss erosion and read how sedimentary rock was formed. They view photographs of the Grand Canyon and...
Lesson Plan
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Balancing the Scales: Understanding Ratios

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students are introduced to the concept of ratios. In groups, they convert sets of numbers into a ratio. After practicing, they use the ratios and proportions to solve story problems. They also calculate map distances and discover map...
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Podcasting Crusader's Style

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students work as a group of scientists studying a specific biome of their choice. In this biome instructional activity, students research a biome and develop a podcast where factual information is read about a...
Lesson Plan
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Watercolor Ways

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students investigate the concept of being part of a global community. In this global community lesson, students learning the definition of stewardship as it relates to taking care of the Earth. They listen to the lyrics of the song,...
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Population and Population Density

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read and interpret graphs. For this population lesson, students explore population and population density as they read several data graphs and respond to questions.
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Baltimoreans in the California Gold Rush

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the reasons for migration to California during the Gold Rush.  In this American History lesson, 11th graders read letters about the opportunities and obstacles people faced.  Students create a map of...
Lesson Plan
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Families and neighborhoods

For Teachers K
Students create their house to add to a class "neighborhood". In this lesson plan on family and community, students read the book Family by Todd Parr and discuss how all families and houses are different. Then, students create their own...
Lesson Plan
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The Well of Truth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students read and explore an Egyptian folktale. In this folktale lesson, students read the book The Well of Truth and discuss geographical facts about Egypt. Students complete several reading comprehension activities including a...