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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Take a Rock Apart!

For Teachers K - 12th
Learners examine a crushed rock and sort the minerals they find in that rock by color and other properties.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dirty Decomposers

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore the ecosystem by conducting a ziploc bag experiment. In this recycling lesson, students identify decomposer organisms in our environment and how they speed up the recycling process. Students utilize a ziploc plastic bag,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Miracle Fish: Learning to Design an Experiment

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners develop procedures to explore the behavior of fish.  In this scientific experiment lesson students from a hypothesis, write a question, identify different variables and controls in their experiment. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnetic Discovery Bottle

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine how to conduct simple investigations and use simple equipment to gather data.  In this magnet lesson students decide what types of objects are attracted to magnets. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shake, Rattle and Roll

For Teachers K - 4th
Students compare the weathering of different-sized materials. Comparisons are made and data analyzed to reach conclusions about the process of weathering. Applications can be made for the higher grades.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather Tools

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore Earth science by participating in a weather identification activity. In this scientific instrument lesson, students identify several weather related tools such as the weather vane, thermometer and rain gauge. Learners...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Take a Rock Apart

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students take a crushed rock and sort the remains of the rock minerals into different categories based on the different properties. In this sorting lesson plan, students learn what makes up a rock and how to sort something into categories.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geology Activities: Rock Making

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students create their own gems using a simple experiment and learning process in class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How do plant & animal cells make and use energy?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students show the relationship between the need for plants to undergo photosynthesis in order to generate oxygen. They see the flaws associated with this thinking because of the lack of CO2 and H2O and lack of sufficient gravity in order...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World Wide Winds

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students recognize that global winds move in specific directions in specific latitudes and describe that in a written form. They relate the motion of the wind belts to historical navigation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Winds Go Spinning Around

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students simulate the Coriolis Effect to comprehend why winds in the Westerlies are prone to cyclonic and anti-cyclonic motion. They arrive at an explanation of processes that drive world wind patterns
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tanker Spills

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students predict the flow of an oil spill and depict it on a map. They explain the predicted route of the oil spill using knowledge of ocean currents in a short presentation to their peers.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tree Identification

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students list four ways to identify trees. In this tree identification instructional activity, students use tree identification techniques such as leafs, bark, wood grain, soil type, and climate to create tables and graphs.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Losing An Island

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine carbon dioxide and determine the impact of greenhouse gases on the earths spheres.  In this pollution lesson students complete a lab activity to see the impact of gases on the environment, 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Drifting Continents, Dynamic Results

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students plot earthquake and volcano data using a Compass Rose Plotting. They explain the relationship between plate movement and connection. They draw conclusions that earthquakes and volcanoes occur in predictable locations.
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Lesson Plan
Pennsylvania Department of Education

Plant and Animal Adaptations

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify behavioral and structural adaptations to plant and animal life. In this unit overview, 4th graders discuss the importance of variation and adaptation in a species survival. This is a unit overview and does not...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fallout!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students plot the locations of fallout from two disasters that polluted much of the world's air. They plot the ash fallout from the 1980 Mt. St. Helen's eruption to see what the wind patterns in the United States look like overall. Next...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air Pollution Over Where?

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young scholars predict the movement of an air borne pollutant using their understanding of air currents. They determine which governments and/or communities should be contacted to be forewarned. They also explore the properties of their...
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Handout
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: Just a Phase: Water as a Solid, Liquid, and Gas

For Students 9th - 10th
This site helps students construct a model of the arrangement of water molecules when present as solid, liquid or gas. Includes background information, lesson plans, links to standards and assessment ideas.
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Unit Plan
Museum of Science

Museum of Science: Oceans Alive

For Students 9th - 10th
There are links to the water planet, oceans in motion, life in the sea and resources. You will learn about the physical features of an ocean, changes in the ocean and the water cycle.
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Article
Other

The Hydrological Cycle an Human Impact on It. [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
The hydrological cycle is usually called a recurring consequence of different forms of movement of water and changes of its physical state on a given area of the Earth. The role of different processes in the hydrological cycle and their...