Science 4 Inquiry
Layers and Laws: The Law of Superposition and Index Fossils
What can layers of rock teach us about the climate? Young scientists solve a mystery about who stole a cookie by applying the law of superposition. Then, they apply the same concept to solve a more difficult mystery, trying to determine...
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How Sedimentary Rocks are Formed
Young scholars investigate the stripes in sedimentary rocks, using a structure at Petra, Jordan, as an example, and then do a hands-on activity using mixed nuts to illustrate the layering of sedimentary rocks.
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The History of Rock and Roll
Seventh graders examine how the different layers of rock show the history of the Earths surface. In this rock instructional activity students divide into groups and complete an activity using clay.
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Determining Age Of Rocks And Fossils
Students discuss together how to determine the relative age of each of the rock units in the block diagram (Figure 1). After students have decided how to establish the relative age of each rock unit, they should list them under the block.
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Excavating Your Recycling Bin as a Fossil Record
Students explore how scientists examine the past and use rock layers with fossils to understand the past. In this excavation activity students divide into groups and complete an activity.
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Layers Upon Layers - Lesson Plan
Students study rock layers and the sequence of events that occur when a canyon forms. In this sedimentary lesson students complete a lab while in groups and discuss what happens.
Polar Trec
Ice Cores: Modeling Ice Sheets
Ice cores provide scientists with knowledge of historic melt layers, air temperatures, greenhouse gases, and climate stability. Scholars work in groups to build layers representing snow and ice over thousands of years. Then, groups...
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Fossil Fuels (III), The Geology of Coal: Interpreting Geologic History
Students hypothesize about why various samples of coal have different characteristics. Pupils use information that they found during Internet searches to ascertain the validity of their hypotheses and verify the "story" of coal. ...
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Geologic Age
Students investigate radioactivity as a tool for measuring geologic time and how geologists use this information to determine the absolute age of rocks or minerals.
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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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Dino Fossils
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.
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Excavating the Past
Students discover how palaeontologists conduct a dig for fossils and how they interpret the age of the fossils. In small groups, they prepare a "dig site" consisting of bones, rocks and soil layered in a cardboard box. They switch boxes...
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Solid Earth Socratic Questions
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.
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Water and Ice
Students explore water as it changes states of matter. In this physical property activity, students use observation, measurement, and communication skills to describe changes in water as it goes from a solid to a liquid and back again.
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Mud Fossils
Learners observe real fossils. In this science lesson, students make their own mud fossils by pressing material into the mud and letting it dry in the sun for 3-4 days. Learners then get the fossils out displaying their mud fossils.
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The Formation of Coal
In this coal formation worksheet, students read and informational sheet about coal formation. Students are given 5 short-answer questions regarding what they've read.
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Who Was Here First? Relative Dating
Students read about and complete question activities for the topic of relative dating. For this relative dating lesson, students read information for the topic and then complete two activities to further their understanding of geologic...
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Take Me to the River! Using the Black River for Earth Science Review
Ninth graders use maps to identify landscape regions and drainage patterns producing the Black River. They create PowerPoint presentations pertaining to the Black River watershed, its geologic history and highlighting safe rafting...
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Asteroids
Young scholars examine a potential asteroid impact site. They describe evidence and theories for extinction events.
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Using Radioactive Decay to Determine Geologic Age
Students investigae using radioactive decay to determine geologic age.
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Examining the Fossil Record
Students create an evolutionary tree based on fossil morphology and their ages. In this fossil record lesson plan, students are given 23 pictures of fossil. They study their morphology and arrange the fossils by age and structures on a...
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Growing Gold
Students read and explore a folktale from India. In this folktale lesson, students read the book Growing Gold and discuss the events from the tale. Students complete a phonics worksheet which incorporates the rhyming words from the text.
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Geologic Time: Relative and Absolute Dating
Students investigate relative and absolute dating; determine the difference between the two dating systems; and apply this knowledge by creating a geologic timetable of their own.
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Fossil Footsteps
Fourth graders create their own dinosaur tracks using clay. In addition, 4th graders compose a story about the dinosaur / animal who created the tracks. They study photographs of dinosaur tracks before beginning.