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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soils

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students apply knowledge of soil, environmental impacts, economics, multiple human demands, and use given data for a proposed scenario in making land use decisions. They debate land use issues and/or scenarios and discuss a case study.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nitrogen Cycle-Stream Side Science

For Teachers 6th - 8th
A thorough background and nitrate sampling lab sheet are provided to share with your young scientists. After discussing the nitrogen cycle with the class, you will break them into small groups and show them how to use their inquiry...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Permafrost Gas Leak

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pair earth scientists up to use an amazing online arctic portal mapping tool and Google Earth to analyze permafrost changes. They compare changes to data on atmospheric concentrations of methane to see if there is a correlation. Then...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Properties of Soil

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students encounter various pieces of knowledge utilizing lessons that addresses a diversity of learners with multiple intelligences. They cover various concepts: science, Earth, scientific inquiry, geometry, data analysis, probability,...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Selecting Soil For a Sports Field

For Students 9th - 12th
In this science worksheet, students take part in a laboratory exploration looking at different types of soil. The soil is evaluated in order to fill the role of becoming a sports field.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soil Treasure Hunt

For Teachers K - 4th
Learners explore the concept of soil and decomposition. In this soil and decomposition lesson, students investigate bags of soil. Learners then learn how  animals and other organisms help in the decomposition process. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting to Know Soil

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students make predictions and analyze soil. In this soil properties lesson, students make predictions about soil properties for various soil samples. Students examine the types of soils and record their observations. Students analyze...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Glaciers As Indicators of Global Climate Change

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students research about glacial ice melting on the four major spheres of the Earth. In this earth science lesson, students explain how this process relates to global warming. They create a presentation and share their findings with the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating the Soil

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the Earth's crust by researching pH levels and acidity. In this environmental safety lesson, students identify the pros and cons of acidity within soil and how it affects plants. Students collaborate in a pH level...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Effects of Weathering

For Teachers 3rd
Here's a great geology lesson for 3rd graders on weathering and erosion of soil. After a class discussion on how nature can "move a mountain," learners take a look at how a modern phenoma called acid rain can also cause weathering and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stream Table

For Teachers 3rd - Higher Ed
Students explore channelization, riparian habitats and soil erosion to find out about  the aquatic habitats in Iowa. In this aquatic habitats lesson, students define important terms and read an article about pollution.  Students complete...
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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 instructional activity. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Properties of Soil

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders conduct investigations to test different types of soil from different regions of Texas. They make comparisons and identify the characteristics of the soil. The end product of the inquiry is a student report.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocks and Minerals

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students are able to describe earth processes (e.g., rusting, weathering, erosion) that have affected selected physical features in students, neighborhoods. They are able to identify various earth structures (e.g., mountains, faults,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Testing Soils for Garden Planting

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders collect soil samples and record the location of the samples by using GPS.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air in Soil Administration Procedures

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students study soil and its composition. In this soil composition lesson, students study examples of soil during several days of aeration. Students summarize their data, organize it, and must be able to explain their findings.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Greenhouse Effect

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate the temperature change in open and closed containers. In this earth science instructional activity, 7th graders relate this lab activity to greenhouse effect. They create a line graph from data collected in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Car Wash

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners determine the most appropriate site for a car wash, based on each site's soil characteristics (chemical, physical) and topographic features. They perform an experiment to determine the changes to three different soil types when...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water-Holding Capacity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students design and conduct an experiment to compare the water-holding capacity of sand, soil, and moss. They measure the change in weight for each material after adding the same amount of water to each material.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Erosion: Changing the Face of Earth

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore how the landscape of the planet can be changed by different elements of wind, water, ice and chemicals through hands-on activities. They examine pictures of areas around town and discuss anything they think is out...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Peat Pots

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students place a peat pot in water to observe and calculate the rate of capillarity in a model of a soil. This task assesses students' abilities to make simple observations, collect, record, and represent data, use a data table to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What type of soil do worms like?- An Investigation

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study four types of soil and predict which one worms would use for their habitat. They observe worms in each type of soil and monitor their activity. They create class charts highlighting their discoveries.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Effect of Moisture on Soil Temperature

For Teachers K - 12th
Young scholars analyze the relationship between soil moisture and its effect on soil temperature.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wonder Underground

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students classify and record objects they find "underground." In this observation lesson, students dig into bins filled with soil and encounter various objects such as bark, twigs, etc. Students classify their findings.