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Solar System: Let's Take a Trip
Third graders consider outer space. In this introductory solar system lesson, 3rd graders complete a KWL chart and listen to the story The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System, by Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen. They will contribute...
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Phases of the Moon: Cooperative Learning
Third graders examine the phases of the moon. In this moon phase lesson, 3rd graders listen to a read aloud of The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn M. Branley and discuss the phases of the moon. They complete a moon phase calendar and...
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The Sky Show
Young scholars use lecture and research to answer the question: Why is the sky blue? students research a variety of other sky phenomena, chart their observations and participate in experiments.
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Chasing El Nino
In this El Nino learning exercise, students review this specific change in the climate cycle by completing 20 short answer questions.
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Making Craters
Students study craters and identify the different things that characterize craters. In this crater lesson students create a model of an impact crater.
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Staying Healthy Year Round
Students are read a variety of books and observe the weather in the different seasons. In groups, they compare and contrast the type of activities people are doing. They also discuss how they adapt to the changes in seasons by the...
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Search for Ice and Snow
Students use satellite images to locate areas of ice and snow on the globe. They create a table showing the information they gathered. They present their information to the class.
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Our State Road Trip
Learners take a virtual tour of the country of China instead of a state. Using the Internet, they examine the differences between a political and physical map and use latitude and longitude to locate specific places. They also research...
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Stratigraphy -- Layers of Time in the Earth
Students are introduced to the process of stratification. Using the internet, they read about the Richard Beene archeological site near San Antonio. Using a map, they color code the different layers present at this site and answer...
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Day and Night
Learners discuss why day and night occur after visualizing a teacher-led demonstration.
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Making Sense of Unusual Findings
Students work on the development of observation skills and seeing how they can be used in different contexts. The lesson is good for helping the beginner and novice, along with encouraging and reminding the expert observer of right...
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Surviving on the Siberian Tundra
Pupils describe ways Nenets have adapted to their environment after listening to a National Geographic article about them. They compare their own adaptions to their environment with those made by the Nenet culture.
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Lawnchair Larry Flies!
Students research and experiment to discover the lifting power of helium gas.
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Earth Processes
Fourth graders explore and discuss the process of evaporation. They discuss how wet things become dry. Students observe the process of evaporation and they make predictions about the observations they make about evaporation. Students...
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A Thoreau Look at Our Environment
Sixth graders write journal entries o school site at least once during each season, including sketched and written observations of present environment. They can use sample topographical maps and student's own maps. Students can use...
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The Rain Game
Students simulate the precipitation process by playing a game. They simulate the behavior of actual cloud drops and rain drops.
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Cloud Sort
First graders gain a better understanding of types of clouds. They recreate clouds using Kidspiration. The types of clouds they study about are cirrus, cumulus, and stratus clouds.
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Run-off Race
Students create wetland models in pans and use them to experiment to see how plants help slow the flow of runoff water and keep our waterways clean.
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What is a Cloud
Third graders study clouds and how they are formed. They write acrostic poems about clouds and analyze and graph temperature data collected during varying degrees of cloud cover.
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Using SWMP Data
Students are introduced to the SWMP system which tracks short-and long-term changes in water. Using this data, they plot and interpret the data on a graph to determine how human activities are lowering the water quality. They also...
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Facts, Feats and Folklore: Spiders
Students review and discuss a variety of sayings, folklore and superstitions about spiders. They discuss this information and choose either an interesting fact or appealing foklore tradition to illustrate.
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Polishing the Petoskey
Students select a stone and polish it. Throughout the process they demonstrate an understanding of rocks and fossil formation.
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Spy on a Spider
Students view slides or live specimens to name and describe the distinguishing features of groups of arthropods, especially spiders and insects. They complete worksheets, observe webs and then search for and record where spiders can be...
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Polishing the Petoskey
Students polish a Petoskey stone to show how to make an attractive rock display. In this polishing rocks lesson plan, students use sand paper and polishing materials to polish a rock and remove the rock dust. This is to display a nice...