New South Wales Department of Education
Plant Groups
Bryophytes can grow in temperatures just above zero degrees. This 17th installment in a series of 20 introduces learners to the five groups of plants: algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms. Classes then explore...
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Moon Mining
Go on a moon mining expedition from the safety of your classroom with this space exploration simulation. Using simple models of the moon's surface prepared ahead of time by the teacher, young scientists are challenged with locating and...
National Park Service
Living & Non-Living Interactions
What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in...
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Layering the Soil
Learners study and classify soil. In this soil science lesson plan, students classify soil by texture and size and study soil horizons. Learners label the soil types with their specific soil horizon and learn about permafrost. Students...
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Everybody Needs a Rock
Students, after making quantitative and qualitative observations of their rocks, construct a Venn diagram or dichotomous key to classify their rocks.
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Sediment Sleuths
Students classify sediments based on their physical characteristics, such as size, shape and color. They identify and describe rocks and minerals that are common to their region of the state.
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Structure of the Earth
Eighth graders explain the difference between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. They identify the stages in the rock cycle. They discover the origin of rocks as well.
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For Creative Minds
Students study pictures of plants, animals, and minerals. Students classify the pictures into the three groups. In this rock identification lesson, students complete a rock finding lab experiment by finding, cleaning, identifying, and...
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Rockin' Minerals
Third graders view a clip of the video Backyard Safari, "Rocks and Minerals," and discuss properties of rocks and minerals. They view and discuss a clip on where rocks and minerals are found.
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Mining the Web
In this rock and mineral learning exercise, students visit http://sciencespot.net and explore a variety of sites about rocks and minerals in order to complete questions about geology, the rock cycle, and rock creations.
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Formation of Rain
Students sequence the steps leading to the formation of rain, and design a model to represent these steps. This task assesses students' abilities to classify, generalize, infer, interpret and communicate data, and construct a pictorial...
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Living vs. Non-Living Things
Fourth graders describe the characteristics that determine if something is living, dead, or non-living. They determine the difference between living and non-living things. Students determine if an object is living or non-living and...
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A Never-ending Story
Learners identify three main types of rocks found in a rocks and sediments booklet. Students identify and interpret the rock cycle to use in the activity. Learners identify and classify rocks into the correct rock group. Students draw...
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Geology: Rock Hounds
Second graders read Byrd Baylor's book, Everybody Needs a Rock. In small groups, they examine rocks and list their characteristics. After writing down the descriptions on cards, the rocks are pooled together. Students then use the...
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Mystery Minerals
Students minerals and how they form. They investigate the classification of minerals according to physical properties. Students watch a video about mineral characteristics. In groups, students participate in hands-on activities and...
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So You Think You're Tough
Fourth graders learn how to classify animals. In this invertebrates lesson, 4th graders discuss how we classify thinks into groups and move into a discussion about classifying animals. Students learn about the differences between...
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Mineral Mixtures
In this science worksheet, students use basic scientific concepts to complete the series of puzzles that are intended to increase science literacy for classifying types of rocks and minerals.
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Wonder Underground
Students classify and record objects they find "underground." In this observation instructional activity, students dig into bins filled with soil and encounter various objects such as bark, twigs, etc. Students classify their findings.
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Crystals
Students investigate patterns in solids, the structures of crystals and rocks made up of minerals. In this crystals lesson plan, students review solids, make patterns with Styrofoam balls, make crystals in the lab and observe their...
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A Couch or a Potato
Students classify objects and organisms seen on the Wakulla Springs icam website as living or nonliving.
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Making Predictions
Students collect and classify items. In this making predictions lesson plan, students go outside and collect specimens of plants, insects and minerals. They classify each item and place them in a Venn Diagram. Students compare and...
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Classification of Matter
Students investigate common household items and classify them into types of matter. In this matter lesson, students group given items into categories based on their characteristics. They also complete a concept map about matter and...
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PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SUCCESSION IN AMERICA'S FORESTS
Students examine forest organisms, features of some of the different types of forest, classify organisms based on the type of forest they come from, and explore how certain species are connected with other, particular species within...
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Earth's Surfaces
Students identify and define geology and earth surface vocaulary and their meanings to classify rocks and explore caves and their properties. Students find rocks and test them according to Moh's scale. They create a color coded earth...