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Periodic Properties Lab
Students investigate the periodic properties of elements in the periodic table. In this periodic properties lesson plan, students experiment with elements from the Alkaline Earth Metals, the Halogens, the Transition Metals, and for extra...
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Rocks and Soil
Middle schoolers explore the physical properties of rocks. They explore the three different types of rocks and are able to compare and contrast their different properties. Students simulate the creation of sedimentary rock, they also...
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Wave Math
Students identify the different factors affecting the size and shape of ocean waves. In this math lesson plan, students calculate wave speed and wavelength given a mathematical formula.
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Soil Erosion
Students examine how erosion is affected by the composition of the soil and the slope of the land. They look at plant roots, rocks and land slope as experimental factors. They complete the associated worksheets before discussing their...
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Weather History
Students study how weather is measured. In this climate lesson plan, students research how samples of the ocean floor reveal facts about the climate thousands of years ago. Students use clay samples to create layers that simulate real...
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What's the Connection Between Convection and Inversion?
Ninth graders observe a simulation demonstrating the difference between convection and inversion. They explain where and when convection and inversion layers occur and how each impacts air quality, and by connection, human health.
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Earthquakes and Volcanoes
In this earthquakes and volcanoes worksheet, students will review how volcanoes are formed and where they are found. Students will describe earthquakes and their magnitudes. Students will use a table to answer questions about tsunamis....
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Community Building
Students build different shapes using sketches. In this geometry lesson, students explore measurements and units as they build and create models of buildings. They use SketchUp to create and manipulate shapes.
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The Time is Right
Tenth graders study the timeline of life on Earth. They learn about the progression of prokaryotes to single celled eukaryotes and the development of increasingly complex multicellular organisms.
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The Wedding of a Mountain
Students examine the differences between weathering, erosion, and deposition as it pertains to mountains.
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Academic Raceway 500: Weather
This weather PowerPoint features a game in which students advance to the finish line with a race car as they answer questions related to weather. Topics include types of clouds, weather instruments, the water cycle, and various weather...
National Park Service
Rock Ranking
Junior geologists sort rocks and soil. They separate a sample of river gravel by size, shape, color, and other characteristics. To include Common Core standards, you could have little ones graph the number of particles in each sample.
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Law of Superposition
Learners identify the law of superposition and it states that beds of rock in a series are laid down with the oldest at the bottom and younger layers on the top. They construct a legen for a block diagram and construct a block diagram...
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Rock Families
Students study the three types of rock characteristics; igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. They are divided into three groups and each group takes one of the rock characteristics. They then act out the characteristics of their rock...
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Musical Plates
Sixth graders engage in a study of the plates and how they are part of the formation of the ever changing landscape of planet earth. They access web sites that have applications for observation and conducting different activities. The...
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Water Systems
In this water systems worksheet, high schoolers refer to their textbook to complete questions about the amount of water on earth and the portion of water in various forms. Students review porosity, permeability, and water table. This...
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The Dirt We Depend On- Characteristics of Dirt Reading Comprehension Worksheet
In this reading comprehension learning exercise, learners read a selection about dirt and soil characteristics. They answer 10 matching questions and 5 multiple choice questions based on the information given in the non-fiction article.
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Plotting the Ocean Floor
Fourth graders plot points on a graph, connect the dots to make the ocean floor profile and label the topographical features. They utilize a worksheet and a website imbedded in this plan to plot the ocean floor.
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The Rock Cycle
Third graders study the 3 main types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic. They examine samples of these types of rocks and discuss ways to tell what kind of rock each is. They take notes and draw pictures in their science...
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Science: Draining the Land - the Mississippi River
Students use topographic maps to identify parts of rivers. In addition, they discover gradient and predict changes in the channels caused by variations in water flow. Other activities include sketching a river model with a new channel...
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Determining the Percolation Rate of Soil
Students discover how water moves through different types of soils. In groups, they use the same sample from a previous activity and empty it into a milk carton in which they have layered with cheesecloth to determine the percolation...
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Going in Cycles: The Life of an Aluminum Can
Students explore the life cycle of aluminum cans. In this recycling instructional activity, students review the manufacturing process and how to make a closed loop cycle. Students also have the opportunity to present what they've...
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The History of Life
In this history of life worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle by figuring out the vocabulary words associated with the 11 clues given. Then students review how paleontologists use fossils to learn more about past living things...
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SCRUMPTIOUS SOIL
Young scholars 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...