Dick Blick Art Materials
Percussive Pods
Combine the study of art, music, and history with an activity that asks kids to craft rattles out of slabs of clay.
US Environmental Protection Agency
Aquifer in a Cup
Young scientists create their very own aquifers in this science lesson on ground water. After learning about how some people get their drinking water from underground wells, young learners use sand, modeling clay, and aquarium rocks to...
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
More Tribal Homelands
Here is a very fun idea that introduces young learners to how geographical location affects cultural development. They are introduced to four areas where Native Americans have lived in the past by reading stories and examining images....
Curated OER
Homeless Awareness - Paperclay Sculpture
Students study and create a visual response to the plight of homeless populations in the community by using paper clay and sloppy clay. They also participate in a class discussion about their own personal encounters with homeless people...
Curated OER
Soil Porosity Lab
In this soil porosity worksheet, students experiment with four types of soil. They fill separate cups with each soil type and pour water in measuring the amount it takes to saturate the soil. They make observations and compare their data...
Curated OER
Shake, Rattle & Roll
Students examine soil. In this science instructional activity, students examine the layers of soil. Students collect soil from various locations and separate the layers. Students record and chart their findings.
Curated OER
Flower Stepping Stones
Students make garden stepping stones out of mortar, sand and glass. In this lesson integrating science and art, students mix mortar and sand topping to compose and create a floral design for their stepping stone.
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics: Fourth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
The pre-lab portion of the lesson introduces emerging geologists to the various layers that make up Earth. After completing a sheet on the identification of the layers, class members simulate plate boundaries and their...
University of Georgia
Density and Texture of Soil
All soil is not created equal! A lab activity asks learners to collect and analyze soil. Specific calculations determine the amount of sand, silt, and clay in a sample and allow individuals to identify the soil texture.
Curated OER
Curricular Correlations
An interesting instructional activity on different types of soils is here for you. In it, learners discuss what soil is, and consider three piles of soil - clay, sand, and loam. During the rest of the instructional activity, third...
Curated OER
This Mine of Mine
Students explore natural resources by conducting a geology experiment in class. In this mineral mining lesson, students discuss the types of geological material that can be found when mining and the uses for these resources such as coal....
Curated OER
Investigating Porosity and Permeability
Student describe porosity and permeability in sand, gravel, clay and potting soil. They experiment using different materials to discover the different porous substances and the permeability of the same substances. Students place data on...
Curated OER
The Sands of Arabia
Sixth graders apply geographic information to the study of World History. For this Geography lesson, 6th graders create a political/physical map of the Middle East, develop questions and answers about the culture of the Middle East, and...
Purdue University
Design of an Earthen Dam for a Lafayette Neighborhood
How do dams support bodies of water? Scholars engage in a hands-on STEM activity where they design, build, and test dams to learn about bodies of water and how humans use natural resources. They learn how criteria and constraints affect...
Curated OER
Hand Built Tea Bowls
Students follow directions to create clay bowls. In this pottery lesson, students use clay and the pictured tools to follow the directions and create a fire baked tea bowl.
Curated OER
Foul Water Lab
Students use field practices to clean foul water, they comprehend the differences in solution and solutes. They work in groups and discuss the lab instructions. Students start with oil-water separation technique. They complete a...
Curated OER
Soil Properties
Students explore the porosity of soil. In this soil instructional activity, students conduct an experiment which shows the porosity of different types of soil. They use sand, silt, and clay to see how soil particles are more or less...
Curated OER
Weathering Rocks
Fourth graders investigate what natural events cause rocks to break apart and differentiate between erosion and weathering. They conduct an experiment with plaster of paris to observe why some rocks are hard and others break, and...
Curated OER
Earth and Space Science: Let it Flow
Students engage in a lesson plan in which volcanoes be explored and examined. After watching a video, students create volcanoes out of clay.
Curated OER
Freezing Cracks
Fourth graders examine how weather events cause weathering of the Earth's surface and how freezing water creates cracks and broken rocks over time. They observe what happens when a jar full of water is frozen overnight, and record their...
Curated OER
Modeling a Soil Profile
In this soil profile worksheet, students use a cup to create the layers of soil using clay, sand, gravel and dirt. Students label each component as either A, B, or C horizon and the bedrock. They answer questions about their model.
Curated OER
The Water Cycle and Sources of Pollution
Students make an island that has a construction site on it. They spill siulated pollution and trash on top of the island and then water it to simulate rain. They will observe how the rain washes dirt, sand, and pollution off the island...
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
Soil, Designer Soil: From Rainforests to the Prairie
Students explore the role and importance of soil in the ecosystem. In this Science and Social Studies instructional activity, students complete an experiment using various kinds of soil and clay and then examine how soil has a direct...