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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is There Water on Mars?

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students decide whether or not there is or has even been water on Mars. They analyze temperature and pressure data from the Pathfinder mission to Mars, and then they analyze images of Mars, interpreting the landforms they see and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"What If The Earth Were Made Of Sand

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars examine the most common characteristics of clay and sand, and to understand how the properties of these materials affect the erosion of the landscape and the formation of the many landforms. They explore clay and sand...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landforms of Illinois

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Fifth and sixth graders are introduced to the primary landforms of Illinois and discover how they were created. Landform cards are made for each pupil. They use the twenty-questions format until they have identified each one. Then,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geological Features: How Weathering & Erosion Help Create Landforms

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore how the Earth's surface changes resulting in geological features and landforms. They perform a read-a-loud on Thomas Locker's Mountain Dance, complete a KWL chart, and create a landform using plaster of paris.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slip Slidin' Away

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students investigate mechanical weathering as a form of erosion. In this erosion lesson, students, define weathering and erosion before determining how the Earth's surface is in a constant state of change. They watch a video, access...
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Glaciers and Water

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Explore the amazing power of glaciers with a hands-on earth science experiment! After first learning basic background information, learners go on to create their very own chunks of frozen water and gravel in order to observe first-hand...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weathering Landforms

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders brainstorm a list of ways the Earth's surface can change. As a class, they are introduced to the concepts of erosion and weathering and discover how wind and water cause changes to the surface of the Earth. To end the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weathering Landforms

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Stduents create and color plaster landforms, and describe how weathering and erosion change the Earth's surface.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Living Earth-Glaciers

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate glaciers. In this earth science lesson, students use sandy ice cubes to observe how glaciers change the land. Students list forces that cause changes in the Earth's surface.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth Surface Socratic Questions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the ways Earth's surface is shaped by hydrologic, climate and tectonic forces by participating in a whole class discussion. They respond to prompts that lead them to conclusions about the relationships between landforms...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth System Science

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners 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

Our Ever Changing Earth

For Teachers 1st
First graders study ways in which the earth changes due to erosion and weathering in this series of lessons.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gelatin Volcanoes

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate magma flow using gelatin volcano models. In this earth science lesson, students sketch the magma bodies as observed from the top of their model. They explain why magma moves that way.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Does Flowing Water Shape a Planet's Surface?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate how flowing water influence landforms. In this earth science lesson, students observe water behavior as it flows from the stream table at various inclinations. They discuss whether water shaped Mars landforms or not.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landforms of Illinois

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students discover the primary landforms of Illinois. They examine how those landforms were formed as well. In groups, they research one of the landforms from their vocabulary list. They create their landform in a shoebox and present it...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is There Liquid Water on Mars?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students assess whether there is liquid water on Mars by analyzing images and data.  In this planetary lesson students analyze temperature and pressure graphs and hypothesize about how water could have flowed on Mars.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocks and Minerals

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students are able to describe earth processes (e.g., rusting, weathering, erosion) that have affected selected physical features in students, neighborhoods. They are able to identify various earth structures (e.g., mountains, faults,...
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Lesson Plan
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NOAA

Currents

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A deep ocean current circles the globe at a force that is greater than 16 times all the world's rivers combined. Groups analyze the effects of submarine topography on deep ocean current speed. They then determine how this speed affects...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquakes on the Surface

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students view topographic or relief maps of Southern California and discuss what they see. They make predictions based on the topography of the region.
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Valleys Deep and Mountains High

For Teachers 8th - Higher Ed
Sometimes the best view is from the farthest distance. Satellite imaging makes it possible to create altitude maps from far above the earth. A three-part activity has your young scientists play the role of the satellite and then use...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Greeks Around the World: A Case Study on Greek Diaspora

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students gain an understanding of the concept of Diaspora relating to Greeks. They use guided discovery to apply the geographic inquiry model to an examination of the reasons for Greek Diaspora.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is a Karst

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students investigate landforms by holding a class experiment. In this topography lesson, students define the word "karst" and discover why sinkholes are created on the surface of the Earth by completing worksheets. Students create a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cold As Ice

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate how glaciers cause the weathering of landforms. They observe a brick that has been placed on a frozen slab of ice, and discuss the results, comparing them to the movements of a glacier. In small groups, they...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sandscapes to Landscapes

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore landscapes and create their own in a creative project.