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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore (Grades 2-5)

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Learners give examples of erosion and weathering processes. They determine causes of America's Dust Bowl phenomena.Students define erosion as the condition in which the earth's surface is worn away by the action of water and wind.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weathering and Erosion: Some Ways the Hydrosphere Affects the Geosphere

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explain the causes of erosion, describe the effects of erosion, and devise a method of preventing erosion. They model the before-and-after-effects of erosion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Smoothing Out the Rough Spots

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders experiment to observe the changes created on a surface by mechanical action of water with varying amounts of mineral content and abrasive qualities. They write the predictions of their outcomes and describe all of their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hold on Tight!

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the close connection between plant roots and the soil in which they grow. They investigate the roots of plants, make models of plant roots using pipe cleaners, and examine photos and images to explore the connection...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth System Science

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the Earth and its ability to support life. They discuss the geosphere and the water cycle and complete the Water Wonders activity. After completing the activity, they respond in their journals and reflect upon the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landforms in a Tub

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders use common household items to build landforms and simulate weathering and erosion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Barrier Islands

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore how barrier islands work. In this erosion lesson, 3rd graders create barrier islands in stream tables and simulate wave action to see how it affects their island.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marine & Aquatic Habitats -- Journey of a Drop of Water Through a Watershed

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students discuss pollution and the steps in the hydrologic cycle. They follow a drop of water through a watershed simulation. They discover the components of a water cleaning system as well.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sedimentary Rocks

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this sedimentary rock worksheet, students answer 9 fill-in-the-blank questions and 8 matching questions regarding sedimentary rocks and their formation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Design a Reef!

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Using a miniature coral reef aquarium kit, young ecologists model this unique ecosystem. They research various coral reef organisms and their niches, and they culminate the project by working together to write a report. Use this activity...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do Waves Change a Beach?

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students conduct an experiment on beach erosion. In this earth science lesson, students create a beach model and use tongue depressor to produce waves. They write a journal about their observations.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Captain And Lake Wilmar

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders examine the ecosystem of Lake Wilmar through three coordinated performance tasks. They first investigate the effects of pH on freshwater animals by comparing the zooplankton counts from three different areas. They then...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constructive and Destructive forces

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Young scholars explore constructive and destructive forces. In this constructive and destructive forces lesson, students complete a WebQuest. Young scholars explore the different types of forces and their effect on the surrounding...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Speed of a Forest Stream

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars study stream speed.  In this stream speed lesson students complete an activity and formulate an opinion and study its effects.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Erosion in Different Soils [Erosion Races]

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders review how erosion can happen by wind, water, and gravity which they studied in previous lesson. They attempt to discover if all soils erode at the same rate. In small groups, 4th graders experiment with three different...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Rocky Situation

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders conduct experiments with rocks to observe weathering. They read books, examine websites and watch a video to examine how rocks break down into soil.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Glaciers and Ice Wedging

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders observe buckling sidewalks and potholes before attempting to determine how these things are caused. They freeze water filled plastic cups that have been covered. As the water freezes, the students observe what happens to...
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Activity
Discovery Education

Weathering Cubes

For Teachers K - 8th
Weathering is not necessarily a result of the weather. Scholars conduct an experiment to explore the effect of surface area and volume on the weathering process. They create their own sugar cube rocks using the same number of cubes—but...
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Activity
Discovery Education

School of Rock

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Why do rocks break down over time? Learners explore this concept by simulating physical and chemical weathering of different types of rocks. They use an abrasive to demonstrate physical weathering and acid to demonstrate chemical...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Global Change- Earth as Home

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students create their own environment. For this environmental protection lesson, students pretend they are the owners of a tropical island. They create jobs for the citizens and develop the island as a model environment.
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Lesson Plan3:32
Orange County Water Atlas

Location, Location, Location…

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young geographers discover not only how to read and recognize coordinates on a map, but also gain a deeper understanding of latitude and longitude and how climate changes can vary significantly across latitudes.
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Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

A Vanishing Island

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The effects of rising sea levels on Isle de Jean Charles, located off the coast of Louisiana, are documented in Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee's poignant short video. Viewers are asked to consider not only the plight of residents but also what...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling the Rock Cycle

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the differences in sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. They discuss the rock cycle of the different formations. Students discuss how rock is formed into different shapes. They explore, predict, and create each...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dark and Beautiful Caves

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students research how caves form. They describe the major stone formations in caves by taking notes. They construct a clay model of a cave and mark each formation making it easy to identify in the legend.