California Academy of Science
Natural Resources Bingo
Bingo isn't just a silly game, it's a great way to practice all types of skills. After reviewing that the earth is composed of natural resources, what those natural resources are, and sustainability, the class plays a game of bingo. The...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Mountains of Erosion
Students study the change in land formations due to water erosion. They work in groups to build a model of a mountain that will be composed of materials that will best withstand water erosion.
Curated OER
Wave Erosion Lesson
Fourth graders examine the effects of waves as they erode coastal land. They discover how the power of water can change the appearance of land formations.
Curated OER
Collecting Compost
Students observe a composting box. In this soil lesson plan, students create a composting bin by using a bin, newspaper, worms, and food scraps. Students create a composting food web.
Curated OER
Our Water Resources
Students build a model aquifer to study groundwater zones and water table formation. Students use the models to measure the movement of polluted groundwater.
Curated OER
What Goes On Down Under?
Pupils explore the sources for recharge and discharge of groundwater. They research the connection between surface water and groundwater. Students construct a model of an aquifer and explore recharge and discharge of the aquifer.
Curated OER
Cold As Ice
Fourth graders investigate how glaciers cause the weathering of landforms. They observe a brick that has been placed on a frozen slab of ice, and discuss the results, comparing them to the movements of a glacier. In small groups, they...
Curated OER
Vermicomposting
Fourth graders explore insect life by viewing a soil presentation in class. In this composting lesson, 4th graders read assigned text about the process of composting soil and the necessity of soil in plant life. Students view video clips...
Curated OER
Chemical Engineering: Volcanoes
Students study volcanoes using a chemical engineering project. In this volcanoes lesson, students create a model town and discuss the properties of a volcano. Students then make a volcano using a chemical engineering format for their...
Curated OER
Happy Lesson: The Earth's Crust
This PowerPoint provides a multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank format for reviewing vocabulary and related content following an "earth's crust" science unit. The information is concise and age-appropriate and the font and colors are...
Curated OER
Mud Splat Craters
Students simulate crater formation using mud. In this earth science lesson, students identify the features of a crater. They explain how the force of impact affect the crater's appearance.
Curated OER
Sunken Millions
This PowerPoint provides a game show format with multiple choice questions about fresh and salt water. Topics include sources of water, water geography, uses of water, and the water cycle.
Curated OER
CREATE A CAVE
Students investigate the concept of caves by conducting an experiment. The lesson contains background information for the teacher. They collect data while making observations and write a review of the concept once the experiment is...
Curated OER
Indiana Ice Investigations
Fourth graders create a model of the formation of Indiana by glaciers. Working in groups with appropriate materials, they create a model documenting how glaciers moved through the land and formed the geological structure and land masses...
Curated OER
Glaciers Leave Their Imprint
Learners study various types of glaciers and the landforms they create. Working in pairs, they research a type of glacial landform and construct a calendar page illustrating and describing it. The pages be compiled to create a class...
Curated OER
Weathering Landforms
Fifth graders brainstorm a list of ways the Earth's surface can change. As a class, they are introduced to the concepts of erosion and weathering and discover how wind and water cause changes to the surface of the Earth. To end the...
Curated OER
Cavern Geology: Speleothem Construction
Students discover how underground rock formations grow. They perform various activities based on grade level.
Curated OER
Exploring Great Salt Lake
Fourth graders go on a field trip to make observations about plants in the Great Salt Lake area. They make observations about the environment and record the types of pants that are living there. The instructional activity is to introduce...
Curated OER
Watershed Investigations
Young scholars find maps of the region to show rock formations and soil types and use GIS to compare radon levels. They describe three types of radioactive decay, interpret graphs, and follow steps to develop a nuclear bomb or energy.
Curated OER
Detectives in the Landscape
Fourth graders explore landscapes. In this landscape lesson, 4th graders investigate different elements of landscapes. Students design a visual presentation using photographs taken during a nature walk.
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension: Great Britain
Read to understand! Sounds great and your third graders will read to understand several interesting facts about Great Britain. They read, identify key details in the text, and write to answer five comprehension questions. Learning to...
Curated OER
What is the Relationship Between Radioactivity and Radon?
In this radon and radioactivity worksheet, high schoolers analyze the data of the isotopes of elements that occur in the decay series of uranium-238. Students answer 6 questions about the isotopes, their half-lives, their potential...
Curated OER
Sampling the Ocean Floor
Students sample goodies from an unseen ocean floor and try to accurately describe their composition. This simulation helps students explain the limitations of sampling and the problem of obtaining representative samples of sea floor...