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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pet Rocks

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students complete a variety of activities related to the physical characteristics of minerals. They classify and group candy, classify rocks and complete a Pet River Rock worksheet. Students try to guess which rock goes with each...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Let's Investigate Mars

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Take your science class on a hypothetical field trip to Mars with an engaging astronomy lesson. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's nearest neighbor.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Investigating Soil Color and Texture"

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders will identify/understand the differences between soil and dirt. They will classify soil color accurately and use Munsell notation to describe it (Munsell books provided).Students will classify soil texture using the feel...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Are You One Of Us?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars discover how to classify things based on their similarities and differences. Students give the characteristics of insects and create a classification list. Given examples of various types of insects, young scholars...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environmental Studies: The Environment Rocks!

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Rock exploration, so exciting! After reading the book Everybody Needs a Rock, the class makes sandwiches to better understand that the Earth is made in layers. They then use a description of the 3 types of rock to conduct an observation...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Permeability of Earth Materials

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students observe and classify the permeability of a variety of materials.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Keying Rocks

For Teachers 5th
Young geologists learn how to use an identification key in order to classify rocks. The key is designed to help them classify rocks into three types: ignesous, metamorphic, and sediimentary. After an initial teacher-led demonstration,...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Mud is Mud...or is it?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
We know that the type of soil varies by location, but does the seafloor sediment also vary, or is it all the same? Scholars compare photos of the seafloor from two different locations: the Savannah Scarp and the Charleston Bump. Through...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What are Igneous Rocks and How are They Formed?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Crystals form before your very eyes! What sixth grader wouldn't enjoy this lesson on igneous rock formation? Using hot Salol, junior geologists observe the crystal formation process as the material cools. This comprehensive lesson plan...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classifying Rocks

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders classify rocks. In this rocks and minerals activity, 3rd graders observe, make inferences and conclusions about rocks, minerals, soil and fossils.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Natural Resources

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students investigate natural resources and man-made items. In this earth science lesson, students classify items from trash into man-made items or natural resources. Students construct a flow chart to investigate the life cycle of a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vegetable Party

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students classify vegetables and eat them as a salad. In this multi-disciplinary science and health lesson, students bring various vegetables to school and classify them in several different ways. Then with parent helpers, the students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classification

For Teachers K - 12th
Students gather and classify samples of a given item (rocks, fossils, seeds, etc.) They discuss various ways of classifying and that there are many different ways that are acceptable.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sea Ice and Satellites

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students study satellites and satellite images using Google Earth. In this satellite instructional activity, students discuss satellites and how they work. Students watch a demonstration of how satellites work and learn what they are...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Now We Teach Six Rs

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore recycling.  In this ecology lesson, students sort classroom garbage into items that can be reused, reduced, or recycled.  Students brainstorm ideas for reusing items and discuss ways to celebrate Earth Day at home.
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Rocks and Minerals

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Take young geologists on an exploration of the collection of rocks and minerals that we call Earth with an upper-elementary science lesson. Through a series of class discussion and hands-on investigations, students learn about the three...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sorting and Using Materials

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students practice sorting and classifying objects. In groups, they choose a variety of materials and describe how each one looks and feels. They must agree on how to classify each object and share their groupings with the class. They...
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Lesson Plan
LABScI

Taxonomy: Who is in My family?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Find similarities in seemingly unlike organisms. The second instructional activity in a series of 12 builds the concept of a taxonomy and explores the use of a dichotomous key. Learners begin in part one by attempting to group a set of...
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Lesson Plan
Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Section One: What is Biodiversity?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Four intriguing and scientific activities invite learners to explore the natural resources of their town. The activities cover concepts such as genetic traits, organizing species in a taxonomy, the differences between different species...
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Organizer
Curated OER

Identifying Metamorphic Rocks

For Students 7th
In this earth science worksheet, 7th graders classify rock samples according to chart provided and physical properties of the rocks. They answer 2 analysis questions and formulate a conclusion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Sun and the Four Seasons

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students discover the relationship between the sun and Earth.  In this weather lesson plan, students examine the effect of the sun on the Earth's seasons.  Students complete a weather activity using props to simulate the sun and Earth's...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Medieval Natural Resources

For Teachers K - 12th
Students identify and research natural resources used in art. In this Renaissance art materials lesson, students look at examples of illuminated manuscripts and learn what materials were used to create the books. Then, students are...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Rock Cycle Shower

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students classify rocks as sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic based on physical properties. In this earth science lesson plan, students recreate the rock cycle using a set of stones placed on labeled shower curtain. They explain the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather, Climate and Atmospheric Process

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students explore Earth science by completing a could identification activity. In this weather lesson, students discuss the different forms of measurement for the weather of Earth. Students discuss global warming and examine a list of...