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Plop! Plop! Fizz! Fizz!
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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Celebrating the Solstice and Equinox
Fourth graders graph the number of daylight hors throughout the year and examine why day length varies. They discover that seasonal changes and latitude on Earth affect the number of hours of daylight in each day. Students listen to...
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Water-Holding Capacity
Students design and conduct an experiment to compare the water-holding capacity of sand, soil, and moss. They measure the change in weight for each material after adding the same amount of water to each material.
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Plate Tectonics
Young scholars identify the three layers of the earth: core, mantle and crust. They demonstrate knowledge of the concepts of convergent and divergent motions of the earth and an understanding of plate tectonics.
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Water, Water Everywhere
Young scholars explore water. In this water cycle lesson, students conduct a scientific investigation that requires build a terrarium models of the earth. Young scholars record their observations of the changes regarding water in...
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Heat Up the Floating Plates
Eighth graders research the connection between the convection currents within the mantle of the earth and the moving of Earth's plates. A connection to lessons at previous grade levels on the rock cycle and important background...
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Why Your Ears Pop
In this ears learning exercise, students read about what causes your ears to pop when you change altitude and about equalizing air pressure. Then students complete 3 short answer questions.
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Science: Draining the Land - the Mississippi River
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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Crater Lakes and the Volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains
Learners study volcanoes. In this Earth science lesson plan, students read, discuss and take notes on the volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains. This lesson also includes an art project.
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Remote Sensing
Students study the effects of global warming on specific organisms. They research the possible problems global warming is causing.
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Environmental Issues
In this environmental issues worksheet, learners are given 10 current topics that are problems in our environment today. They complete sentences about each topic by filling in the blanks with the appropriate terms. Some of the issues...
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Hurricane Predictions
In this hurricane learning exercise, students analyze and interpret a hurricane graph. They complete 5 short answer questions that follow.
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Is Global Warming Affecting Hurricanes?
In this hurricane worksheet, students use data charts showing the number of hurricanes and the severity of these hurricanes to determine if global warming is causing an increase in hurricanes. This worksheet has 2 short answer questions.
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Using a Sundial
Students examine the use of a sundial to tell apparent time. In this sundial lesson plan, students watch a teacher demonstration using a flashlight to create shadows. They discuss what happens to shadows of different objects as the...
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Weathering Rocks
Here is a geology lesson that is sure to get your charges excited. It's all about the process of weathering of rocks. Learners study natural events that can cause rocks to break apart. Some of these events are: ice wedging, plant...
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Cracked Marbles
Fourth graders determine how weathering, specifically ice, snow, and freezing water change the Earth's surface and rocks. After completing the investigations, they explain how heating and cooling expand and contract marbles until cracks...
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Science: The Changing Life of Air Pressure
Fourth graders observe demonstrations how heated air rises and becomes a low pressure area. After watching several teacher-conducted experiments, 4th graders, in groups, discuss and answer questions in their journals. Finally, they...
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Investigating Earth's Materials
First graders compare and contrast water from different sources. After collecting water from various sources, 1st graders create a list of observable properties of the water. Students then pour the water into a filter and observe the...
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Changes Inside Planets
Students investigate the concept of planetary differentiation. They complete an experiment to simulate it using gelatin and food. The lesson includes vocabulary to increase reading comprehension skills as part of the inquiry. The lesson...
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Annotated, Detailed Example of Socratic Questioning
Students identify and define the main components of the hydrosphere and the ways in which they interact with one another. They explore how changes in Earth's surface materials affect components of the hydrosphere and evaluate the effect...
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What Factors Impact a Greenhouse?
Students analyze the Greenhouse Effect and the science of greenhouses. In this global climate lesson, students read background information about the 'greenhouse effect' and define 'albedo.' Students examine pictures of clouds, read about...
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Heating the Atmosphere
Students construct a thermograph for maximum and minimum temperatures for the 2-week period. They illustrate how the earth's atmosphere is heated by convection and conduction currents and evaporation of water.
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Model Volcanoes
Students discover what causes earthquakes, volcanoes and floods. Using this information, they discuss how these natural disasters change the surface of the Earth. In groups, they make models, draw pictures and make them erupt.
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Fractions, Decimals, and Gravity
Students discuss how weight is directly related to gravitational force on a planet. Students then choose Space Traveler as companion and compute how much their guide weighs on various planets, based on each planet's relative surface...