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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dirty Pictures

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students investigate how food, clothing and shelter come from soil after they examine soil from their own backyards. They map soils on the color wheel before making glue and soil pictures and tie-dying T-shirts in red soil.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oolitic Sand: An Introduction

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate the characteristics of different types of sand. They compare and contrast the types of sand by making observations with a dissecting microscope. Then students draw what is seen and include shape, color, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Herb is the Word

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners conduct an experiment to determine how different soils affect plant growth over a six-week period. After determining the physical properties of different types of soil, students plant various types of seeds into the soil...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Happening Below The Surface?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers determine the soil composition of soil layers in their area. They collect soil samples, calculate the percentage soil water content, analyze data, and evaluate each site for future tree growth.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let It Rain

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students study the effects of water erosion on soil by gathering and analyzing data during an experiment. They decide on appropriate units of measurement to apply in problem solving.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Salinity Of Soil

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate the contents of various types of soil to determine the differences in salinity levels. They conduct an experiment of observing the plants in the different soils. Students then determine survival rates by...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

pH Potential

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pupils experiment to determine the positive and negative impacts of human activities on environmental change. They examine how physical and biological processes such as decomposition affect soil characteristics while looking at the pH of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Backyard Blitz

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars create a landscape design using shapes, colors and textures. A key is created with hyperlinks to information reports pertaining to the plants, trees and shrubs used in the design. Explore design principal utilizing a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Infiltration

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Young scholars investigate how the amount of water that can infiltrate into the soil is influenced by precipitation factors and the nature of the soil. The precipitation factors are type of precipitation, amount, duration and intensity...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Layers of The Past

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders identify methods archaeologists use to date soil layers. They interpret soil profiles and discuss the examination of soil at a dig site. They discuss texture and color of soil.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Chains And Webs

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the concept of soil and all its components. They collect samples from a local site and transplant it into a terrarium. Students identify the organic elements, clay ,silt, and other forms of debris. They also identify...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space Science: A Scoop of Moon Dirt

For Teachers K - 8th
Students discover soil characteristics and how it is formed on Earth and the Moon by examining local samples to a lunar simulant. They replicate the effects of wind erosion by scraping dry bread with sandpaper. Students use rocks and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reflection and Absorption of Light

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students use a microcomputer connected to a light sensor and temperature probe to explore the reflection and absorption of radiation for different surfaces. Students follow instructions in this guided inquiry based lab and are then asked...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Permafrost: Permanently Frozen Ground

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Learners explore permafrost.  In this 3 states of matter instructional activity, students identify characteristics of solids and liquids.  Learners observe water and soil melting and freezing at various temperatures.  Students make...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovering Albedo

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students read a thermometer accurately, collect and record data, and generate a graph based on data. They learn what independent and dependent variables are. They analyze data and make conclusions concerning how soil coverings affect...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Moh's Hardness Test

For Teachers 4th
Young geologists utilize Moh's hardness scale to help them correctly sort and classify different types of rocks. This lesson has everything you need, including an excellent example of the Mohs' Hardness Test, to successfully implement...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Experiments in Tea Dyeing

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the process of how plants are used to dye fabrics. They create data sheets based on the type of fabric and how long they have let the fabric soak.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Earth Crossword Puzzle

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this earth's environment worksheet, students use the 20 clues and their problem solving skills to correctly complete the crossword puzzle.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Composting "The Right Mix"

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the correct mix of material types for compost. In this composting lesson, students explore the correct amounts of different types of materials to create a compost heap. Students then create a compost heap.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The good microbes

For Students 3rd - 5th
The question posed for the class to consider; What would decay and what would not? They read the short passage on decomposition and microbes, then mark the items that would decay after a two-week period. A scientific investigation idea...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairie Senses

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders use their senses to explore a prairie or imaginary prairie. They draw pictures to represent the five senses and discover how an artist describes non-visual sensations in a visual way.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Properties of Liquids

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students describe properties of liquids and use descriptive language as a springboard to develop precise vocabulary for properties of liquids. They also use vocabulary as practiced with liquid-vocabulary card games. Finally, students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Touch and Discover

For Teachers K - 4th
Students identify the physical properties of items using the sense of touch. In this touch and discover lesson, students describe items.  Students sort items using a Venn diagram.