Curated OER
What Do We Use From the Rainforest?
Students identify items we use from the rainforest. In this earth science lesson, students recall prior facts about the rainforest and list items we use from the rainforest. Students create "Rainforest Cookies" using ingredients that...
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Curricular Correlations
An interesting instructional activity on different types of soils is here for you. In it, learners discuss what soil is, and consider three piles of soil - clay, sand, and loam. During the rest of the instructional activity, third...
Space Awareness
Continental Climate and Oceanic Climate
There's nothing better than a cool breeze blowing in from the ocean. Scholars explore how water affects change in temperature using a hands-on experiment on climate. They use measurement tools to compare the continental and oceanic...
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Weather Whys- Cloud Watching Journal
Students examine how natural processes change the earth by identifying their local water cycle. Individual students complete a cloud journal over a specific period of time. They observe clouds daily and take photographs of the clouds...
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Shake, Rattle and Roll
Learners 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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Elders Predict Snow
Students interview Native Indians to learn their ways for predicting and measuring snowfall. In this weather measurement lesson, students invite a Native Elder to their classroom to tell them about how they predicted weather. Students...
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Erosion
Students examine soil erosion and what causes it. In this soil lesson students complete several experiments on soil erosion and the weathering process.
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Environment: Understanding Climate Impacts
Students investigate the potential environmental consequences of climate change. They conduct Internet research to discover how climate change may impact certain species of animals and present their findings in a poster or skit. Students...
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Change Agents
Third graders experiment with three erosive change agents. They do an observation log, which they present to the class through a song, poem or skit.
Project SMART
Rocks and Minerals: Touch the Earth
Learners complete a unit of lessons on rocks and minerals. They conduct research, write e-mail questions to geologists, write daily journal entries, label maps demonstrating types of rocks/minerals found, and create a web page that...
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West Climate Change
Students read an internet article about hurricanes. In this hurricane instructional activity, students explain how they form and the damage they bring. They analyze the article and answer questions about it.
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How Do We Forecast Weather?
Third graders investigate how scientists collect weather data in order to forecast the weather. They work in small groups in order to research one type of weather technology such as, satellite images, radar, surface observations, or...
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Earth's Surfaces
Students identify and define geology and earth surface vocaulary and their meanings to classify rocks and explore caves and their properties. Students find rocks and test them according to Moh's scale. They create a color coded earth...
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Our Sun and the Four Seasons
Students discover the relationship between the sun and Earth. In this weather lesson, students examine the effect of the sun on the Earth's seasons. Students complete a weather activity using props to simulate the sun and...
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Sunlight and Warm Air
Young scholars examine the different ways heat can be felt. In this radiation and conduction instructional activity, students recognize that the sun radiates heat. Young scholars conduct three experiments to find how the sun warms...
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The Sun in Our Lives
Third graders identify the different parts of the sun. In this astronomy lesson plan, 3rd graders examine how the sun's energy drive life processes on Earth. They construct a model of a solar system using large rolls of toilet paper.
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Building Up, Breaking Down
Students investigate how rocks are modified into construction materials. In this building up and breaking down lesson plan, students explore what happens to building materials over time and how people modify natural materials. Students...
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It's A Meteor
Students complete a webquest to find Earth's relationship to the sun. In this webquest lesson, students complete tasks to understand the effect of the sun on weather and time. Students create a multimedia presentation as an...
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TRB 5:2 - Activity 3: Earthquakes
Students watch a classroom demonstration, and experiment to discover the five ways that Earth's crust shifts along a fault.
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SCRUMPTIOUS SOIL
Young scholars engage in investigations that lead to the discovery that earth materials consist of rocks, soils, water, and air. They build models of soil profiles, using breakfast cereal and other edible materials. They observe how...
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Measuring Humidity
Students measure humidity in the classroom. In this weather lesson, students use a psychrometer to measure the humidity in the classroom. Students complete a lab packet.
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Where Am I - Navigation and Satellites
Students explore geography by completing a navigation activity in class. In this satellite positioning lesson, students define terms such as orbit, satellite, GPS and triangulation. Students view diagrams of the Earth's orbit and...
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Agriculture is a Cycle
Students explore cycles in nature. For this cross curriculum agriculture lesson, students define "cycle" and research weather and planting folklore. Students make a bracelet in which individual colored beads represent the many "cycles"...
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Backyard Birds: Who's Who Out There?
Students practice techniques of field observation and data-gathering while studying local bird population, describe ecosystem as complex combination of elements, which can affect or be affected by each other, and determine effects of...