Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rocks Under Illinois

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The goal of this fine geology lesson is to have learners create a map that shows how the rock layers are arranged far underground where they can't be seen. The ambitious lesson plan requires high schoolers to learn the law of...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

A Model of Plate Faults

For Teachers 6th Standards
The San Andreas fault is one of the longest fault zones in the world. In a series of 20 lessons, the fourth lesson has pupils use a paper model to recreate various types of plate faults. Each is held in position then drawn...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mountain Creation: A Drama Exploration

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore mountain formation. In this cross curriculum earth science and legend writing lesson, students listen to the poem "The Way to make Perfect Mountains" by Byrd Baylor and identify examples of vivid language used. Students...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Volcanoes: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers K Standards
In the pre-lab, kindergarteners mimic the movements of the eruption of a volcano and discover various volcanoes around the United States. Then, pupils sort different types of volcanic rocks in the lab before learning how volcanoes grow...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Citing Evidence and Building Vocabulary: “The Exterminator”

For Teachers 6th Standards
It is an out-of-body experience. Scholars take a look at the sidebars outside the body of the text in The Exterminator. They discuss the purpose of this type of text feature and work to determine the gist. Learners write unfamiliar...
Lesson Plan
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Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi

Find the Most Spectacular Volcanoes in the World!

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Heat things up in your earth science class with this collaborative lesson on volcanoes. After first being introduced to the different types of volcanoes and how they are formed, young geologists work in small groups to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slippery Slope

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Middle schoolers use a computer to complete activitites about slope. They find the slope of mountains, roofs, and stairs using rise over run. Pupils are shown different types of slopes and have to identify if the slope is positive,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mountain Biking - Riding Over Obstacles

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Mountain biking means mountain trails. Hills, valleys, bumps and stumps. There are going to be plenty of obstacles to ride over or around. Learning how to handle obstacles will make being out on the trails safer.  So learn how to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rain Forest of Costa Rica

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine and discuss the topography, climate, natural resources and artwork of Costa Rica. They develop a diagram of the layers of the rain forest, and design a tourist brochure or advertisement promoting Costa Rica's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring How Rocks Are Formed

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
These lessons produced by the Illinois State Museum are quite good. In this one, third and fourth graders are introduced to the three basic types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. They perform activities which help them...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Major Types of Farming Operations in Antebellum Arkansas

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students read a handout about the types of farms in Antebellum Arkansas and respond on the worksheet. They answer an essay question on the topic.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cloud Viewer

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine different types of clouds. In this cloud lesson, 4th graders examine pictures of different types of clouds and read details about them in the captions under the images. They make a cloud viewer by cutting out the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Neither Wind Nor Rain

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Here is another in the interesting series of lessons that use the special State Quarters as a learning tool. This one uses the North Dakota State Quarter. During this lesson, your class learns about the different patterns of erosion, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

ReQuest and Motor Imaging with My Side of the Mountain

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders read "My Side of the Mountain." They create a pantomime using vocabulary words from the story. Students create three questions about the reading. They discuss the passage they read and act out words to help them better...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climb a Mountain, Raft a River on Your Own Land

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students are introduced to the characteristics of a map. As a class, they discuss the uses of public lands in their community and develop symbols for each feature. They use the symbols to create a map showing the recreational uses of...
Lesson Plan
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Lesson 6: Biomes and Landscapes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Aside from the amazing animals in Gorongosa National Park, what else is there to discover? The sixth installment in an eight-part themed series contains an interactive map where scholars can learn more about the geographic features of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Hawaiian Mountain Zones

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders watch a video that describes the climate and vegetation zones of Hawaii. They describe the different physical conditions that create vegetation zones from the sea to the mountains. In groups, they create an illustrated...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Geology of a Snicker’s Bar: Tectonic Plates

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore the layers of the Earth using a Snicker's bar. In this science lesson, students identify the parts of the Snicker's bar and identify which layer of the Earth the parts of the candy bar would represent. Students discuss...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clash of Cultures: Comparing the 1920s and 1960s

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students compare the social, cltural and politicalp roblems of the 1920s with the 1960s.
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Natural Disasters and the Five Themes of Geography

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Have your class do research on natural disasters and create a presentation using this resource. In completing this activity, learners apply the five geography themes to their research. They write a paper describing their results. It's a...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Up and Down Fault Blocks

For Teachers 6th Standards
The Sierra Mountains in Nevada and the Tetons in Wyoming originally formed as fault block mountains. In order to visualize these fault blocks, pupils use construction paper to create layers of earth. They cut the paper models and form...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Skulls Tell It All

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Skulls tell it all, and with this lesson plan, you will tell it all to your class! Youngsters view animal skulls, analyzing the shape of teeth and the placement of the eye sockets. They associate these adaptations with the types of food...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Exploring the Water Cycle

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The water cycle is one of earth's most easily observable processes, but demonstrating each step within classroom walls can be a challenge. Through a series of videos and quick demonstrations, cover each aspect of the hydrologic cycle in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Puzzles

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Learners make puzzles from world maps, dramatizing how much of the globe is covered by ocean.