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Conditions at Sea

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine wave formation. In this wave lesson, students discover how waves are formed and how the weather at sea is predicted. Students study ocean vocabulary and understand the Beaufort Wind Force Scale.
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Counting on the Havoc of Hurricanes

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students define and classify all the different ways in which numbers are used in forecasting and coping with the effects of a hurricane. They conduct research to compare and contrast these numbers as they apply to Hurricane Floyd and
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Tornadoes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the characteristics of a tornado. They practice using new vocabulary and participate in a question and answer session. They use the internet to gather more specific information.
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Does Global Warming Increase the Intensity of Atmospheric Natural Disasters?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners study global warming by communicating the problem, process and solutions.  In this global instructional activity students use graphs, research and write a critical stance on natural disasters.
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Interesting Activities Involving Erosion

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Studying erosion in the classroom can be done using a variety of resources including historical texts, videos, and games.
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Is it Partly Cloudy or Partly Sunny?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students investigate the concept of weather and how it is created. They review relevant vocabulary related to weather. Students predict weather given slight background knowledge. The lesson includes background information for the...
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Air Masses

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the physical characteristics of several types of air masses to discover how air masses can be identified and defined by their temperature and moisture content.
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Lightning Safety

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate how lightning is produced and ways they can keep themselves safe during a lightning storm. After a lecture/demo, students use a worksheet imbedded in this plan to reinforce the concepts taught.
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Native Language Ties

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students complete a worksheet on Native Language. For this language and culture lesson, students learn Native language words for the directions north, south, east and west. Students complete a worksheet to show what they have...
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What is Drought?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore and conduct an experiment on the effects of drought on the environment. They define what drought is and the impact that a shortage of rainfall can have on agriculture, municipal water supplies, tourism, recreation, etc.
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Using Standard Deviation, part 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain and learn the practical application of standard deviation. They compare cities in the U.S. and discover whether cities closer to the ocean have more consistent temperatures. Useful resources are given.
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Wheat: From Field to Oven

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
How does wheat go from the seed to the table? While focusing on main ideas and supporting statements, class members read an excerpt about wheat production and complete a worksheet. The end goal is a display that shows the different...
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What's Going to Happen at Any Given Barometer Reading?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders brainstorm a list of words associated with weather. In groups, they sort the words into categories and observe the weather in their area for a month. To end the lesson, they compare the barometer measurements for a...
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Estuarine Currents

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore an estuarine system to gather data on density driven currents. This type of current is contrasted with temperature and wind driven currents.
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Visual Arts: Using Imagery

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students extend the colors, shapes, textures and lines of an unknown composition to create perspective in their drawings. Using oil pastels, they work in pairs to create a long continuous artwork of imagery inspired by sailing vessels...
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Estuarine Currents

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students experiment observing a demonstration on models of density-driven currents which are typically found in an estuarine system of water flow. They compare/contrast water temperature and salinity to the formations of estuarine currents.
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Wave Math

For Teachers 5th - 12th
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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Writing

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students write poems and a narrative story.  In this writing lesson, students read stories and poems written by other students and read examples of haiku's and diamonte's.  Students write an acrostic poem and a diamonte...
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Our Desert Backyard

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students make observations of their own backyard. In this environment lesson, students keep records of the plants and animals they see in their home or school yard. Students make notes of how the weather and environment changes over...
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Solar Cycle

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the solar cycle through a series of experiments. In this space science lesson, students construct and evaluate solar cycle graphs. They explain how this phenomenon affects the Earth.
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Three Clouds Activity

For Teachers K - 4th
Students understand how clouds are formed. In this cloud lesson, students participate in three experiments to make clouds. Students complete activity sheets for each experiment.
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The Earth Around Us: Air, Water & Soil

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore erosion and find the factors effecting erosion of hillsides.   In this erosion lesson plan, 2nd graders experiment by creating a hillside and simulating rain.  Students discuss and record their...
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Exploring the Night Sky: Summer

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.
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Forest as a Filter

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students experiment using soil and water. In this forest as a filter instructional activity, students identify the role of forest cover, vegetation, and foliage impacts erosion and evaporation. Students conduct a simple experiment, form...