Lesson Plan
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Science: Draining the Land - the Mississippi River

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use topographic maps to identify parts of rivers. In addition, they discover gradient and predict changes in the channels caused by variations in water flow. Other activities include sketching a river model with a new channel...
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China: One Nation: Two Futures

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders explore the evolution of Chinese communism to its present export-driven economy. Working in groups, they examine various articles about reforms in Chinese society. They write essays about the impact of political reform on...
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The Geographic Question

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students are introduced to the characteristics of a river system. In groups, they discover how rivers are formed and how it flows. They discuss the relationship between the river system and people and develop ways to keep the river...
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Bhutan, the Last Shangri-La: Sandwich Squash: How the Himalayas Were Formed

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create and record a model of mountain formation. They identify major mountain building formations. Students understand how the Himalaya Mountains were formed, why they are located near Bhutan, and why they are becoming larger.
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Breaking Up is Hard To Do

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students study the geographical issues related to the conflict in the Caucasus while identifying and discussing other key issues. They investigate methods of conflict resolution while analyzing both sides of the conflict including those...
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A River Ecosystem

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine the components of a river ecosystem. They discuss the picture and text from the book, "A River Ran Wild," and create a mobile of a river ecosystem using magazine pictures or original drawings.
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Bird's Eye View Map

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students explore seeing things from a bird's eye view. They listen to the book, "As the Crow Flies," view various objects from eye level views and standing on a chair, create a drawing of an object from both views, and read "Ben's...
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Ancient Cultures

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students develop archeological skills in order to explain how scientists determine what ancient cultures were like. They develop an appreciation of the work that is involved in finding out about our past.
Lesson Plan
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Filigree Jewelry

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students describe physical and human characteristics of North Africa and the Middle East, plot on a map areas populated by nomadic people in those areas, explain importance of filigree jewelry in Arab culture, and create their own jewelry.
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Three Main Rock Groups

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are introduced to igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. They use foods to demonstrate the basic formation of each type of rock, read books about rock formation and view related videos.
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Wetlands: Pave or Save?

For Teachers K - 6th
Students discuss the characteristics of wetlands and how to make them more productive. Using a map, they locate the major wetlands in the United States and color them using a key. They read an article and in groups answer discussion...
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If the World Was a Village...Examining Ethnocentrism

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders examine their own perceptions of world's people, compare those perceptions to real demographic data, provide definition and understanding of term "ethnocentrism," and examine their own ethnocentrism based on comparison of...
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Water Cycle Boogie

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore the water cycle. They learn the "Water Cycle Boogie." Students create hats to represent the different parts of the cycle and learn hand motions to go with the words of the song. Students practice singing the song and the...
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The Bulbs: Camas and Daffodil

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders become aware of the importance of the camas bulb to the Nez Perce people, they learn the parts of plants, and gain understanding of the interdependence of Nature. They study about the possible causes and outcomes of global...
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Timing the Transit of Venus

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars calculate elapsed time and look for patterns.
Worksheet
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Hurricane Predictions

For Students 6th - 9th
In this hurricane learning exercise, students analyze and interpret a hurricane graph. They complete 5 short answer questions that follow.
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Erosion in Different Soils [Erosion Races]

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders review how erosion can happen by wind, water, and gravity which they studied in previous instructional activity. They attempt to discover if all soils erode at the same rate. In small groups, 4th graders experiment with...
Worksheet
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The Dirt We Depend On; How Soil Was Formed Reading Comprehension Worksheet

For Students 4th - 6th
In this soil formation reading comprehension worksheet, students read a 2 page non-fiction article. They answer 19 questions including fill in the blank, multiple choice, and true or false about weathering of the Earth as soil is renewed.
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Shake, Rattle and Roll

For Teachers K - 4th
Students 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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Shake, Rattle and Roll

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Young scholars compare the weathering of materials. in this weathering lesson, students experiment with the chemical and physical weathering of different materials. Young scholars use salt and water as an example of how weathering occurs.
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The Water Cycle

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students are introduced to the components and importance of the water cycle. They are shown how groundwater moves using a model. Students list 9 places on earth where water is found. They define the terms cycle and water cycle.
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Plop! Plop! Fizz! Fizz!

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study physical and chemical weathering. They explain how the processes of weathering and erosion change and move materials that become soil. They create a K-W-L chart to show what they know and list what else they would...
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Let's Take a Rock Apart

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Young scholars take a crushed rock and sort the remains of the rock minerals into different categories based on the different properties. In this sorting lesson plan, students learn what makes up a rock and how to sort something into...
Lesson Plan
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Sedimentary Rocks

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders receive an introduction to the rock cycle. They dicuss the geologic rock cycle. They create a simulation of a sedementary rock.