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Earth's Energy Balance Performance Standard
Students examine how Earth-Sun relationships affect Earth's energy balance and the pattern of world temperatures. Students study a Surface Temperature Regions map and write a paragraph describing the temperature pattern from the Equator...
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City Water Systems
In this safe drinking water worksheet, students answer 5 essay questions pertaining to city water systems and safe drinking water. There is no text and no information here.
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Solar System
In this Solar System instructional activity, 5th graders demonstrate knowledge of parts of the Solar System. Students unscramble letters to list these parts.
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Solar System
In this solar system, students review information about the planets found in our solar system. Students complete 15 fill in the blank questions and then find the 9 planets in a word search.
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The Respiratory System
Students explore the parts of the respiratory system in this six lessons unit. The lessons presnt the concepts of the breathing, the function of oxygen in the system, how sounds are made, and the effects of pollution, smoking and disease...
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The Basics:Life Science
Students explore concepts in life science using segments drawn from Discovery Channel. In this life science instructional activity, students participate in discussions about the food chain. Students create a poster to illustrate a...
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Our Solar System
For this solar system worksheet, students find the names of the eight planets in the word search puzzle. The names of the planets are listed.
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What are Metamorphic Rocks and How are They Formed?
Even though the student handouts are not included in the write-up, this lesson plan contains the instructions for terrific activities to use when teaching middle schoolers about metamorphic rocks. First, they compare granite to gneiss...
Virginia Department of Education
Weathering of Limestone
We all know limestone weathers, but what affects the rate of weathering? Young scientists investigate the physical and chemical weathering of limestone (chalk) through experimentation. First, they conduct trials with different-size...
Virginia Department of Education
Determining Absolute Age
How can radioactive decay help date old objects? Learners explore half-life and radioactive decay by conducting an experiment using pennies to represent atoms. Young scientists graph data from the experiment to identify radioactive decay...
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...
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"Water is Life" Global Water Awareness
Students examine and calculate the percentage of potable water remaining on the earth. In this ecology and geography lesson, students brainstorm the main factors affecting water distribution. Students use mathematical problem solving to...
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2.0 "Water Is Life" Global Water Awareness Mini-Unit (Grades3-5)
Students study the amount of potable water on the Earth. In this water lesson, students examine the amount of potable water as compared to all the water on the Earth. They discuss why many parts of the world do not have access to good...
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A New Slant On The Seasons
Students identify how the tilt and position of the Earth causes the seasons. After a discussion of the seasons and when they begin. Using themselves as the objects in the universe, they role play how the rotational movement of the...
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Meteorites
Students model how meteors fall to the surface of planets. For this space science lesson, students identify different types of meteorites using an interactive online website. They investigate the relationship between a meteorite's size...
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Why Do We Have Night?
Students engage in a fun, creative way to discover how the Earth moves. This instructional activity helps students explain why there is day and night. It can also create curiosity to further study the solar system and eclipses!
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Hurricanes
Students perform various experiments to explore hurricanes. In this earth science lesson, students explain how they form. They identify the structure of a hurricane.
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Estuary and Watershed
High schoolers investigate the San Francisco Bay Estuarine Research Reserve and watershed. In this estuary and watershed lesson plan, students complete 4 activities to better understand estuarine systems. They include studying the San...
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What are Stars?
Students research the solar system and it's characteristics. In this solar system lesson plan, students are broken into 4 groups, each assigned a specific part of the solar system. Students use the Internet to research their part of...
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GPS Treasure Hunt for Knowledge
Students examine themselves as being part of a global community. In this global community lesson, students investigate GPS systems. Students gain knowledge on how the device works. Students discover that satellites provide information...
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Water Cycle
Ninth graders explore ways water moves through various reservoirs on Earth, examine how human activities change water cycle, investigate substances present in water that indicate human activity, and discuss how understanding water cycle...
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Water Cycle
Students identify the different stages in the water cycle. In this earth science lesson, students calculate the residence time of water in oceans using a mathematical formula. They explain how this cycle regulates the Earth's climate.
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Remote Sensing
Students research the Earth's ocean systems. They examine the impact of global warming on the oceans and the world as a whole.
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Simple Machines: Pulleys
Students observe and analyze how pulleys work and how a double pulley can make work easier. In small groups they use a fixed pulley system and a double pulley system and draw a picture of how their pulley system functions. Students...