Georgia Department of Education
Living Things/ Nonliving Things
How can you tell if something is living or nonliving? Introduce a set of criteria which can be used to determine which things are alive and which are not. The class discusses the basic needs of all living organisms, checks out an...
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Minerals of the Earth
Students learn and practice identifying Earth's minerals and their properties. Working in small groups, they evaluate minerals. This is a well-described lesson, which students enjoy.
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Crashed on the Moon
Students compare and contrast the environments of the moon and the earth. They discover how the differences might change one's daily activities.
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Weather Forecasting Basics
Eighth graders analyze weather diagrams and weather maps. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders explain why it is important to know the weather. They complete a handout at the end of the lesson.
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Breaking it Down
High schoolers will identify the factors that contribute to erosion and weathering. They will start by differentiating between chemical and mechanical weathering. They then apply what they learned by playing the online jeopardy game. Key...
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Air Pollution: The Issue of Global Warming
Here is an outstanding 10-page lesson plan on global warming. Learners discover that there is a lot of controversy surrounding this topic in that the science behind global warming is difficult to prove. The best thing about this plan is...
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Settlement Exploration: Then and Now
NASA has crafted an imaginative and memorable series of lessons, "NASA and Jamestown Education Module." This lesson is one of the five components. In it, middle schoolers connect history and science by comparing the settlement of...
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Exploring How Rocks Are Formed
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...
Space Awareness
The Sun Compass of the Vikings
Evidence shows the Vikings likely navigated by using a simple sundial to find their course. Videos, a short story, and discussion help bring this time period to life as they study European history with a hands-on experiment. Scholars...
Space Awareness
Britannia Rule the Waves
Could you determine longitude based on measuring time? Early explorers used a longitude clock to do just that. Scholars learn about early exploration and the importance of the invention of the clock. Then pupils build their own longitude...
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Weather Forecasting: From Then to Now
Eighth graders review the history of weather forecasting. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders identify the different tools used in forecasting weather. They explain why it's important to know the weather.
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Round and Round-The Water Cycle
Students explore the water cycle. In this earth science lesson plan, students work in small groups to read various books on the water cycle and take notes on chart paper. Students share their notes and teach a younger audience what they...
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Meteors
Students identify the different types of meteorite using an interactive website. In this earth science lesson, students simulate how meteors crash on a surface. They relate meteor size to crater size.
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Introduction to Earth Sun Relationships Incorporating P.E.
Third graders investigate space science by performing physical activities. For this solar system lesson, 3rd graders perform a relay activitiy with their class in which they race between different "planets". Students define space...
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Ozone: The Earth's Security Blanket
Students work in groups to define and research the terms: ozone, troposphere and stratosphere. Students watch videos, conduct Internet research, participate in discussion groups and complete worksheets.
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Volcanoes
Students explore the formation of volcanoes. In this earth science lesson, students build their own volcanoes in the lab using different materials. They identify the different types of volcanoes.
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How Many Days Are in a Year?
High schoolers create a calendar for an imaginary planet. In this earth science lesson, students analyze the errors on the different calendars used on Earth. They present their work in class.
Teach Engineering
Weather Basics
Weather — there's more to it than meets the eye of the storm. With this resource young meteorologists learn about the basics of weather, including information about the factors that influence the weather, common weather vocabulary, and...
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Hawaiian Hot Spots
Young scholars describe how plate tectonics contribute to the development of volcanoes. In this earth science lesson, students examine the map of Hawaii and explore the physical and biological environment there. They write a story about...
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Exploring the Water Cycle
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...
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Weather Instruments
Third graders practice making predictions about weather from conditions they observe on weather instruments and weather reports. Learners are introduced to the most basic weather reporting instruments: the thermometer, the wind vane, the...
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Earth Energy Budget Pre Lab
Learners explore energy by conducting an in class experiment. In this climate change lesson, students conduct a water vapor experiment in a soda bottle. Learners utilize graphs and charts to analyze the results of the experiment and help...
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Cooler in the Shadows
Young scholars explore Earth science by creating a scale model in class. In this shadow lesson, students research the impact the sun has on Earth shadows and complete a space science worksheet. Young scholars create models of the Sun and...
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Clouds
Young scholars explore basic cloud types and the weather associated with each one. In this earth science activity, students participate in numerous activities including going outside to observe the clouds they see, making a cloud in a...