Lesson Plan
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Gold Mine

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students view and discuss a demonstration of how gold is mined and panned. They design and create a tunnel that has reinforcements to withstand collapse.
Lesson Plan
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Geology of Yosemite

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students are shown slides of Yosemite and explore how the valley was formed by performing an experiment. Instructions on how to set up the lab are included. They can be assessed orally or by writing a report on the outcome of the lab.
Lesson Plan
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Go With the Flow

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners experiment with a simulated river bed and examine how erosion takes place faster with a young, fast-moving river than with a slow, older river.
Lesson Plan
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How Soft or Hard is Your Water?

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students test samples of water to determine how a chemical water softener affects water's ability to form suds. After collecting their data and analyzing their results, students answer follow-up questions about their lab.
Lesson Plan
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LESSON PLANS (print version) pdf What is a Fossil?

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students can better explain how mould and cast fossils occur when they make their own cast fossils using plaster of Paris and objects such as shells, bone or even their own hand or footprint.
Lesson Plan
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Secrets in a Grain of Sand

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Pupils working in small groups examine beach sand to discover signs of erosion, weathering, ocean currents and waves. They present their findings to the class.
Lesson Plan
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Dino Fossils

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Primary paleontologists discover the information they can gather from examining fossils. They place pictures in the correct sequence showing how an animal becomes a fossil. They discuss which sediments would preserve fossils better as well.
Lesson Plan
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Solid Earth Socratic Questions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students participate in a whole class discussion to relate what they know about earthquakes to the processes of plate tectonics. They respond to prompts that lead them to conclusions about the layers of the earth.
Worksheet
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From Granite to Paper

For Students 6th - 9th
In this weathering worksheet, students read about physical and chemical weathering and how kaolin in used in paper. Then students complete 4 short answer questions.
Lesson Plan
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Exploring For Copper Deposits

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine ore deposits and identify factors in their origin. They analyze geologic maps, and locate porphyry copper deposits on a sediment geochemistry map.
Lesson Plan
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Changes Inside Planets

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the concept of planetary differentiation. They complete an experiment to simulate it using gelatin and food. The lesson includes vocabulary to increase reading comprehension skills as part of the inquiry. The...
Lesson Plan
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HOLD ON TO THAT

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students will analyze how water enters different soils, how readily it passes through and how much water is held.1. Materials needed for the activity are; pint of clay, pint of sand, pint of loam, newspaper, three frozen fruit juice...
Lesson Plan
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Investigation 1 - Identify & Compare Fossils

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine different items to see if they can recognize fossils. This be an introduction to the different fossils they be studying later and help them make inferences about past environments of Utah.
Lesson Plan
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Dinosaur I Finding And Dating

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate how long dinosaurs lived on Earth and how that compare to how long man has been on Earth. They discover how scientists excavate fossils.
Lesson Plan
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Let's Go! Virtual Yellowstone Tour

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Pupils research the geologic wonders of Yellowstone National Park. They locate the main geologic features of Yellowstone on a map of the park. Students write a description of the geologic features to be included on the map for a...
Lesson Plan
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Missouri Time Scale

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students plot events that happened years ago beginning with volcano activity.  In this investigative lesson students are introduced to the different eras and plot them on a map. 
Lesson Plan
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Ride the Wild Leaf Cycle

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore plant life by completing an Internet activity. In this botany lesson, 4th graders identify the types of plants that grow locally and the different soils they utilize to survive. Students read assigned text about...
Lesson Plan
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Mining Bingo

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students review the list of definitions of mining terms before playing bingo. They fill in each square using one word or term per square leaving no square blank before playing the game.
Lesson Plan
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Pattern And Design in Nature

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students observe natural objects carefully and note intricate design and structure beyond surface form.
Lesson Plan
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Solubility and Chemical Changes in Groundwater

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students test pH of water before and after it travels through different substrates (igneous pebbles and limestone) to detemine how soluble materials can affect groundwater. They answer questions such as: What happended to the pH of the...
Lesson Plan
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Exploring Great Salt Lake

For Teachers 4th
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 lesson is to introduce the concepts of...
Lesson Plan
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Structure of the Earth System

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders describe the steps in the water cycle. They discuss factors that affect runoff and explain the differences between stalactites and stalagmites. They discover the importance of ground water.
Lesson Plan
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Wisconsin Snapshots

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study Wisconsin's culture and heritage. They research the state's symbols and identify leaves common to the Wisconsin area. They create a leaf booklet and visit the state park. They visit local farms and create nature maps...
Lesson Plan
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Dino Detectives

For Teachers 4th
As students examine maps of Utah, 4th graders search for clues about what prehistoric life was like in Utah.