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Secrets to Healthy Soil
Fourth graders explore needed mineral nutrients for healthy soil. In this soil lesson, 4th graders investigate how living and nonliving elements combine to contribute to fertile soil development.
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Environment" The Mining Cycle
Students explore the world of mining and explain its importance in daily life. After describing how companies search for mineral deposits, they examine the environmental consequences of mining as well as the positive aspects. The...
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The Soil Chain
Fourth graders show the needs of plants met by soil. In this Science lesson plan, 4th graders detail the components of soil and determine which are living or once living and non-living. Students determine the needs of plant growth that...
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I Spy
Second graders play the game I Spy to help identify objects made from rock. They investigate the properties and uses of rocks and go on an I Spy search on the playground. They sort pictures according to living and nonliving objects.
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BOWEN'S REACTION SERIES
Students research Bowen's Reaction Series and recreate the process in an experiment which details the crystallization sequence of minerals that can be observed in nature.
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Fossil Inferences
Fourth graders use their knowledge about fossils to arrange fossil pictures in sequence from oldest to youngest. They explain how fossils can be used to make inferences about past life, climate, geology, and environments and discover...
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This Rock is Your Rock, This Rock is My Rock
Learners develop good observational skills. They examine how rocks are made up of one or more minerals.
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Sorting Rocks
Students develop a rock word web during a large group discussion. Using the categories generated during that discussion, they sort their rock samples accordingly.
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Blast It! (Learning About Copper)
Opening with background information on copper use and mining, this worksheet assesses junior geologists' reading comprehension. A map activity is available, but the map is not. There is a useful set of vocabulary matching cards and a...
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Lunar Geology
Ninth graders investigate mineral contents in lunar rocks. In this lunar rock lesson students identify simulated lunar rocks based on mineral content.
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Mineral Munch
Second graders explore the sodium content in foods they eat. After observing a table setting, 2nd graders then identify items made from rock. They taste low sodium crackers and compare them to regular crackers. Students discuss the...
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Metamorphic Rock
In this metamorphic rock activity, learners review the types of metamorphism and compare foliated with non-foliated. This activity has 10 short answer questions.
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Mineral Replacement in Fossil Formation
Fourth graders explore fossils and how they are formed. They create their own "fossils" out of plaster of Paris. They record their findings in their science journals.
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Moh's Scale of Hardness
Students investigate how to use Moh's Hardness Scale. In this geology lesson, students examine several minerals and develop a hypothesis about which mineral is the hardest. Students use the Moh's Scale Identification Chart to determine...
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SCRUMPTIOUS SOIL
Students engage in investigations that lead to the discovery that earth materials consist of rocks, soils, water, and air. They build models of soil profiles, using breakfast cereal and other edible materials. They observe how water...
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The Frigid Gourmet
Young scholars make a " science surprise" or ice cream in the lab. In this melting point depression lesson plan, students use various substances with ice to determine the effects on the melting point of ice and the ability to make ice...
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Weathering and Wind
In this weathering and wind worksheet, students simulate the effects of weathering by wind using 2 canisters, 2 types of sandpaper and 2 sugar cubes. Students swirl the sugar cubes inside the canisters lined with fine and course...
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Building Up, Breaking Down
Students investigate how rocks are modified into construction materials. In this building up and breaking down lesson plan, students explore what happens to building materials over time and how people modify natural materials. Students...
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What's in the Soil?
Fourth graders examine soil to find its contents, and how much water and air they can measure. In this soil composition lesson, 4th graders perform three experiments and record their results. In one experiment they examine...
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Rust Never Sleeps
Students investigate oxidation-reduction reactions involving iron by conducting an experiment in which they expose iron filings to different atmospheric and ocean conditions. They relate the results to the oxidation banding patterns seen...
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A Summer Reading List for Science Teachers
Summer can be a time to read enjoyable books that can give you lesson ideas you can take back to the classroom.
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Crystal Growing
Students explore the different phases of a crystal. In this mineral lesson students grow their own sugar crystals using a sugar recipe.