Lesson Plan
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Glaciers and Ice Wedging

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders observe buckling sidewalks and potholes before attempting to determine how these things are caused. They freeze water filled plastic cups that have been covered. As the water freezes, the students observe what happens to...
Lesson Plan
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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...
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Barrier Islands

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore how barrier islands work. In this erosion lesson, 3rd graders create barrier islands in stream tables and simulate wave action to see how it affects their island.
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Explosive Geography

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students consider how volcanic eruptions can affect an environment and how a volcano works. The explosions of Mt. Saint Helen's, Mt. Redoubt, and Mt. Kilauea are researched and presented to the class in groups.
Lesson Plan
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Three Clouds Activity

For Teachers K - 4th
Students understand how clouds are formed. In this cloud lesson, students participate in three experiments to make clouds. Students complete activity sheets for each experiment.
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Let's Take a Rock Apart!

For Teachers K - 12th
Students examine a crushed rock and sort the minerals they find in that rock by color and other properties.
Lesson Plan
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2.2: Sedimentary Rocks

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders discuss the geologic rock cycle and work with their group to simulate creating a sedimentary rock. They conduct an experiment that demonstrates the sedimentary process and draw the steps of the rock cycle.
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A Model of the Rock Cycle

For Teachers 7th - 9th
In this rock cycle worksheet, students use different colored crayons to represent different types of rocks. They follow step by step procedures to model the rock cycle with the crayons. Students draw the rock cycle, show weathering,...
Worksheet
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Rock Cycle Review

For Students 7th - 9th
In this rock cycle worksheet, students review major concepts related to rock formation by answering 15 multiple choice questions and matching 15 terms to their definitions. Students identify 7 rocks as metamorphic, sedimentary, or...
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Daily and Seasonal Cycles

For Teachers 1st
First graders identify the sun as a source of heat and light. They identify features of houses that help keep use sheltered and comfortable throughout daily and seasonal cycles. Students are told that summer is the best season to...
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Exploring the Water Cycle

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students investigate the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson, students create an ecosystem within a 2-liter bottle. Students record scientific observations as they observe the water cycle within their ecosystem.
Worksheet
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Earthquakes

For Students 5th - 6th
After reading an article on earthquakes and tsunamis, students answer a series of multiple choice questions about what they have learned. All answers can be found within the article, making this a good way to prepare for reading...
Lesson Plan
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Metamorphic Rock Lab

For Teachers 7th - 10th
In this metamorphic rock worksheet, students observe 9 metamorphic rock samples and indicate the grain size, if there are bands, if there are layers , if it is foliated and they identify the name of the rock. They complete 5 sentences...
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Sea Ice Board Game

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners understand the sea ice cycle and can explain its stages. In this Sea Ice instructional activity, students play a game to identify types of sea ice. Learners answer critical thinking questions about sea ice. Students complete a...
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Harvest the Wind

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Wind is a natural resource available around the world. Help your pupils appreciate the power and importance of wind by researching wind farms, making pinwheels, and designing windmills. 
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Writing the Wind

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students make a windmill.  In this wind lesson, students learn background information about the windmill, complete an activity where they create a windmill, discuss using wind as a natural resource and brainstorm other inventions...
Worksheet
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Living Sources of Weathering

For Students 8th - 11th
In this sources of weathering activity, students read about the various things that cause weathering including plants and animals. They answer four critical thinking questions about weathering.
Lesson Plan
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Michigan Food: From Farm to You

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students recognize Michigan on a map and understand how its climate is affected by the Great Lakes. In this Michigan food lesson plan, students play a trivia game to identify the produce of Michigan. Students relate the climate in each...
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Tornadoes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine the characteristics of a tornado. They practice using new vocabulary and participate in a question and answer session. They use the internet to gather more specific information.
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Gettysburg Rocks Recycle to Win

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders use a geologic cross section to study the rock cycle of the Gettysburg battlefield. In this rock cycle instructional activity, 8th graders connect the rock cycle and continental rifting.
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Making the Connection With Quilts

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders engage in a instructional activity which integrates the study of the Underground Railroad in Indiana with a Language Arts unit on quilts. They write a book report on one of the quilt books read in class and design a quilt...
Lesson Plan
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Making the Connection With Quilts

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore history of Underground Railroad in Indiana and discover how slaves were assisted on their journey using codes displayed in different quilt blocks. Students examine connection quilts have to ancestry and family...
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Exploring Energy with GIS

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners examine GIS technology as it is used to locate energy sources. For this GIS lesson, student access an assigned website to locate a series of lessons using the GIS software. They use the maps that are located on the primary...
Lesson Plan
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Who Wants To Be A "Globalnaire"?

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders research geography and the process of creating a Powerpoint presentation. In pairs, they design their own game show, writing geography questions, and creating a Powerpoint presentation for other students to play their game.