Curated OER
The Layered Earth
Young scholars role play plate tectonics by creating a "plate statue" made up of students. In this earth science lesson, young scholars describe how Earth's movement cause earthquakes and volcanoes. They draw and name the different...
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Scale Model of the Earth
Students work together to create a model of the Earth. They label and identify each layer and describing its properties. They discover how engineers use models to test different concepts.
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Ozone Layer
Seventh graders develop an understanding of the ozone layer, it's affect on Earth, and the effect of human activity on the ozone layer. They then interpret data from satellite pictures and develop an understanding of longitude/latitude...
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Fossil Fuels (III), The Geology of Coal: Interpreting Geologic History
Students hypothesize about why various samples of coal have different characteristics. Pupils use information that they found during Internet searches to ascertain the validity of their hypotheses and verify the "story" of coal. ...
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Climate Change: Is there a Controversy
Students explore climate changes. In this climate changes instructional activity, students research what causes changes. Students search the Internet, summarize reports they find and create a poster with the information.
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Water Layering and Circulation
Students examine relationships and interactions between different types of water. They experiment with colored water of different temperature and salinity and discuss how the results relate to real ocean currents.
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Types And Magnitudes Of Earthquakes
Students investigate the concept of earthquakes and the different types of magnitudes. They research the Richter scale and how it is used to measure the intensities of earthquakes. Students then apply the concept by completing a...
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The Effects Of Earthquakes
Students investigate the concept of how earthquakes occur and the after effects of how they effect landforms. They conduct research it using a variety of resources and measure the varying intensities of how earthquakes effect the...
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Earth Science
Young scholars analyze the mechanisms for generating ocean currents, temperature, and deep ocean circulation. They are able to assess the formation and breaking of waves and their effect on shorelines, particularly the North Carolina...
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Incorporating 3D Visualizations into Your Classroom
Students make observations through 3-D visualizations. They explore scientific and geologic processes through the use of 3-D pictures.
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Tropical Rainforests
Students create their own rainforest environment. This tropical rainforest lesson, introduces where rainforests are located, their real world connections, and their structural make up. It includes further resources online.
Polar Trec
What Can We Learn from Sediments?
Varve: a deposit of cyclical sediments that help scientists determine historical climates. Individuals analyze the topography of a region and then study varve datasets from the same area. Using this information, they determine the...
National Wildlife Federation
Why All the Wiggling on the Way Up? CO2 in the Atmosphere
The climate change debate, in the political arena, is currently a hot topic! Learners explore carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere and what this means for the future in the 11th installment of 12. Through an analysis of carbon dioxide...
Wilderness Classroom
Pollution
Educate scholars on pollution—air, water, and land—with a series of lessons that begin with a thorough explanation of each type. Learners then take part in three activities to reinforce the importance of reducing pollution. They...
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Environmental Studies: The Environment Rocks!
Rock exploration, so exciting! After reading the book Everybody Needs a Rock, the class makes sandwiches to better understand that the Earth is made in layers. They then use a description of the 3 types of rock to conduct an observation...
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Air Quality Issues
Students identify the different layers of the atmosphere. They examine the different types of air pollutants. They also discover laws in effect that work to protect the environment.
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Ring of Fire
Students locate some of the 1,500 active volcanoes on a world map. Then by comparing their maps with a map of the world's tectonic plates, they discover that volcanoes occur because of the dynamic nature of the Earth's lithosphere.
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The Rain Forest of Costa Rica
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...
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Groundwater Movement
Students study groundwater movement beneath the surface of the Earth. In this agriculture instructional activity, students experiment with how water moves through rock materials such as sand, gravel, and clay.
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Blazing Gas
Fourth graders read and discuss the sun and the energy we use on Earth from the sun. In this sun lesson plan, 4th graders discuss the solar system, planets, and answer short answer questions.
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Albedo and Irradiation of Surfaces
Here is a physical science activity where pupils place thermometers inside of a white and a black paper pocket and place them under a lamp. They record and compare the temperature increase over a ten-minute period. Have your class...
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Gingerbread Spacecraft
Students explore the different parts of the Cassini spacecraft. In this space science lesson, students create a model of the spacecraft using food products. They compare and contrast their model with the real one and evaluate its...
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Investigating Properties of Water: Temperature
Investigate how temperature affects the density of water and stratification that occurs in bodies of water when temperatures vary. Water of differing temperatures is given different colors to see the layers that form. The lesson is meant...
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Ocean Streams
The instructions for demonstrating ocean turnover are provided in this resource. You could set this up for your earth science class as part of a lecture on convection currents or as an explanation of how ocean currents form. An animation...