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Earthquakes!
Students experiment with the concept of earthquakes while completing a lab with marshmallows, toothpicks, modeling clay and firm Jell-O and rectangular pan. They explore what kind of soil earthquakes do the most damage in and how...
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Hazards: Third Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Learners discover hazards related to volcanoes and predict the effects these hazards have on people and land. As blossoming geologists explore various volcanic eruptions, including the hazards associated with them, they create their own...
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Earthquake Machine
Students explore plate tectonics by conducting a class experiment. In this earthquake activity, students utilize scrap wood, sandpaper, rubber bands and a sanding belt to create a model earthquake experiment which shakes a nearby...
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Volcanoes!
Young scholars study the Mount St. Helens eruption and how it occurred. In this experimental lesson plan students complete a lab that shows the eruption of Mount St. Helens.
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Geology Rocks
Students discuss information relating to Illinois geology. They examine top mineral resources in Illinois to find detailed information about geodes and where they can be found. Students complete geode lab to explore external structure of...
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Electricity
The presentation begins with a circuit building activity and two data tables for young scientists to copy and complete. Full of clever animations, it will definitely spark student interest! However, the information is incoherent. You may...
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The Dynamics of Plate Tectonics
Simple lab and modeling activities can help your students understand the movements of the Earth's crust.
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Looking into Earth with GIS
Students work with data from a seismic wave model in a freely available GIS (geographic information system) program, ArcVoyager SE. Using a GIS, they examine maps and produce graphs to explore variations in seismic wave velocities at...
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Pangaea Puzzle
Students explore plate tectonics and the formations of the Earth's surface and why maps are distorted. For this Earth's surface lesson students complete a lab and answer questions.
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Watch Out for Landslides
Students conduct an experiment. In this landslides lesson, students learn about landslides and discuss how they could minimize the risk of landslides. Students complete an experiment to see if changing the slope of the land helps...
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The Slope of Land in Your Community
Students participate in finding the slope of a sand pile and then other materials. In this geology lesson, students describe what happens to the piles of materials when they are poured through a funnel. Students measure the slope using a...
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Build It With Lincoln Logs!
Students use primary sources to analyze advertisements, prices, and styles of Lincoln Logs from Carson Pirie Scott catalogs from 1952 to 1960. Students then compare modern-day toy to Lincoln Logs of the 1950s by analyzing differences in...
Science 4 Inquiry
Layers and Laws: The Law of Superposition and Index Fossils
What can layers of rock teach us about the climate? Young scientists solve a mystery about who stole a cookie by applying the law of superposition. Then, they apply the same concept to solve a more difficult mystery, trying to determine...
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Forces, Loads, Materials, Shapes
Students investigate forces, loads, materials and shapes as they relate to science. In this science lesson, students differentiate between the basic definitions required to perform a scientific experiment. They answer questions dealing...
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Paper Bridge
Students view a video about bridges. They create their own bridge out of paper and share it with the class. They create an advertisement for a bridge shown in the film.
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Help! I'm Under Too Much Pressure!
Students play with a ping pong ball sized piece of modeling clay observing what happens to the clay as they play with it and write their observations in their notebooks. They share the results of their observations introducing the term...