California Polytechnic State University
Australian Geography Unit
At the heart of this resource is a beautifully detailed PowerPoint presentation (provided in PDF form) on the overall physical geography of Australia, basic facts about the country, Aboriginal history, and Australia culture and lifestyle.
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What Do Koalas Need to Survive?
First graders take a field trip and examine the Koala and his habitat. In this Koala instructional activity, 1st graders read Possum Magic and discuss the foods of Australia. Students view the habitat of a Koala and record...
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Australian Travel Adventure
Seventh graders are introduced to the states and territories within Australia. Using the internet, they bookmark sites and take notes on what they want to share with their classmates. They also complete a map study on the country to...
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Grade 1: More Land or Water?
First graders listen as the teacher reads a story involving cross-continent traveling. Students collect a random sample by tossing an inflatable globe and recording whether they touch land or water each time they catch the globe in order...
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Aborigine Dot Turtles
First graders create Aboriginal Dot Turtles using wax colors or crayons. The class discusses Aboriginal stories and art as a way to practice design. This lesson can be done in two 30-minute lesson segments.
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How Much Water is Available in the Atmosphere for Precipitation?
Students explore the relationship between the amount of water in the atmosphere available for precipitation and the actual precipitation observed by satellite. They examine seasonal changes in precipitation. They practice using Internet...
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Comparing the Effects of El Nino and La Nina
Students examine the differences between an El Nino and La Nina year. In this investigative lesson plan students create maps and graphs of the data they obtained.
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Hurricane Research
Students examine the factors that influence hurricanes to develop. In this hurricane lesson plan students research atmospheric trends that affect hurricanes and create a summary.
Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
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Revolutionary Money
Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included.
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Boomerang
Students explore the concept of boomerangs. In this boomerang lesson, students throw homemade boomerangs at different angles to record maximum distance and if it returned or not. Students collect their boomerang data then create a...
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Creating a Story that "Stacks" on Itself and Repeats a Catch Phrase
Students explore language arts by reading a classic children's story in class. In this story structure instructional activity, students read the Judith Viorst book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Students...
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A Tough Nut to Crack
Sixth graders explore agriculture by examining world geography. In this pecan cultivation lesson, 6th graders identify the history of the famous nut and the impact it has on the U.S. economy, diet and human body. Students define...
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Create a Classroom Exhibit: Rocks and Minerals
Students bring in rocks and minerals from home. They observe them and describe them carefully, completing a worksheet. Finally, a classroom exhibit is created.
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Letters from the Japanese American Internment
Learners examine letters of Japanese-American children during internment in World War II. They discover what it was like in the camps and how they were treated once they were released. They also view photographs of the camps.
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A Tough Nut to Crack
Children, based on a set of criteria, evaluate the quality of pecans. They research recorded history of pecan trees as well as how their seeds moved across western Missouri into southeastern Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Mexico. In...
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Healthy Living: Multicultural Awareness and Appreciation Adaptation
Learners recognize a globe and distinguish between land and water, as well as recognize different cultures. They become knowledgeable regarding geography and cultural diversity.
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What Makes a Tropical Rainforest Special?
Learners examine the characteristics of the tropical rainforest. Using a map, they locate the rainforests found around the world, continents and the equator. Using the internet, they research the various layers of the rainforest and...
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Plants and Animals, Partners in Pollination
Students participate in multiple hands-on activities to explore reproduction and pollination. In groups, using a cotton swab and powder, students simulate being pollinators and plants. They name the parts of the flowers and the function...
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Rocks and Minerals
Learners bring rocks and minerals from home to investigate in the classroom. In this rocks and minerals lesson plan, students observe all the rocks and minerals brought into the class and answer 7 questions about the features of the...
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Under the Spell of Spiders
Young scholars examine spiders. In these spider lessons, students will view spider images and live spiders to determine physical characteristics, habits, and habitats. Young scholars will examine fantasy and folklore about spiders to...
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"ART ZOO 'Blacks in the Westward Movement', 'What Can You Do with a Portrait', and 'Of Beetles, Worms, and Leaves of Grass'"
Students study black history, examine portraits and portrait making and create their own portraits, and investigate their natural environment. This humanities lesson provides a text that can be used to teach lessons in black...
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How Size Shapes Animals
Learners investigate how size affects large and small animals differently. In this animal lesson plan, students determine how size affects different animals by constructing their own animal out of marshmallows. Once learners create...
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Fossils Footprints Across Time
Students examine fossils to understand how they are formed and how they give information about geological history. In this fossil lesson, students research and write about fossils and make models of different fossil types.The PDF...