Virginia Department of Education
Solar System Model
How many planets can you name? Did you get all 13 in our solar system, including the dwarf planets, or were you surprised when you read there are 13 planets? The lesson helps scholars understand the scale of the universe including the...
Curated OER
Water Pollution
Here is a fine lesson for fifth graders that will give them an idea of the variety of impacts that human-introduced pollutants have on the environment. After an initial class discussion and teacher-led demonstration, pupils brainstorm...
Virginia Department of Education
Modeling the Big Bang Theory
Young astronomers learn about the Big Bang Theory and redshift through a hands-on activity in the last installment of a three-part series. Participants draw dots on balloons and then inflate them to model how galaxies moved farther apart...
Virginia Department of Education
The Cycles of Nature
Encourage peer collaboration and assist with the creation of visual aids to identify carbon, water, and nitrogen cycles as your class learns more about nature. They discuss relative information, create a visual aid...
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Earthquake Unit
Eighth graders watch the "Earth, the Environment & Beyond" video on earthquakes. Take notes and give an oral summary. They build a working, two dimensional model of a strike-slip, thrust, or normal fault.
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Water Cycle
Second graders investigate the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson, 2nd graders discover how the water cycle effects erosion and weathering. Students create their own terrariums to view the water cycle. Students illustrate their...
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What's the Weather?
Students explore different types of weather and examine the elements in the sky that create weather. They create a class lift of weather words and examine and discuss a weather poster. Students then complete the "What's the Weather?"...
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Storms and Extreme Weather
Students explore hurricanes and tornadoes by conducting an experiment. In this weather pattern lesson plan, students define many extreme weather vocabulary terms and discuss the relationship with static electricity. Students utilize...
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Natural Disasters: An Adventure in Non-Fiction
Students study different natural disasters. In this natural disaster lesson students read a nonfiction book followed by a discussion, an experiment, then collect illustrations from their experience.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Students understand the process of recycling. They investigate how it improves the environment. They read the story "Don't Pollute" by Stan and Jan Berenstein. They analyze trash and sort it into bins.
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Water Filtration Challenge
Learners create an all-natural water filtration system. In this lesson on natural water filtration, students build upon prior knowledge to build a filtration unit made of plants, soils, sand, pebbles and rocks that can purify...
Alabama Learning Exchange
The Solar System
Students explore the Solar System. In this cross-curriculum space instructional activity, students identify the planets, name them in order according to distance from the sun, and describe major characteristics of each planet. Students...
Curated OER
Carving Mountains
Students explore geography by participating in an illustration activity. In this land-form lesson, students define vocabulary terms associated with glaciers and forests. Students utilize pens, cardboard and pottery clay to draw and...
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Watersheds, Watersheds Everywhere
Young scholars identify the watershed in which their school is located. They use maps to locate their homes and school. They define and use the correct vocabulary.
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It looks Like Champagne
Students interpret phase diagrams and explain the meaning of vocabulary words. In this ocean explorer lesson plan students describe two uses of super-critical carbon dioxide.
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Let's Start Growing
Students investigate how a tree grows from a seed. In this plant biology lesson, students use potting soil, tree seeds, and a paper cup to observe seeds growing into plants. Students record observations in their science journals.
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Vertebrate History in Rocks
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read the noted section in their science textbooks and respond to 4 short answer and 3 fill in the blank questions regarding fossils embedded in rock formations.
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Changing Ways
Third graders examine hard boiled eggs as possible models for the earth's layers.
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Plate Tectonics: Recycling the Seafloor
Students classify earth's layers and plates using Ocean Seismicity data. In this plate tectonics instructional activity, students outline where the plate boundaries are on the world map. They then compare these predicted boundaries with...
Curated OER
Maggie's Earth Adventures Unit
Students practice math, science, Spanish, and grammar skills using computer based activities in this unit of lessons. They experience lessons at different levels while tracking their progress using the attached progress chart.
California Academy of Science
Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
Ice is nice, and its condition on the planet has a significant effect. Junior geoscientists experiment with ice melting in both water and on land to discover how each affect the rising sea level. This detailed lesson outline even...
Purdue University
Design of an Earthen Dam for a Lafayette Neighborhood
How do dams support bodies of water? Scholars engage in a hands-on STEM activity where they design, build, and test dams to learn about bodies of water and how humans use natural resources. They learn how criteria and constraints affect...
Curated OER
NIGHT AND DAY: DAILY CYCLES IN SOLAR RADIATION
Students examine how Earth's rotation causes daily cycles in solar energy using a microset of satellite data to investigate the Earth's daily radiation budget and locating map locations using latitude and longitude coordinates.
Curated OER
Weather Watchers
Students identify basic weather instruments and how they are used to record weather data. Students define several vocabulary terms as stated in lesson. Students use basic instruments to record weather data in their area. Students use the...