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Structure of the Earth
Sixth graders investigate earthquakes and volcanoes. They demonstrate fault lines with a folded piece of paper, conduct an erosion experiment, and construct a volcano using clay, baking soda and vinegar.
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The Dynamic Earth
Students use the Internet to investigate earthquakes and plate tectonics. In this plate tectonics activity, students complete a web quest with multiple links and activity types relating to earthquakes and volcanoes. They connect the...
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Earth Movers
Students read an online article about an earthquake and follow up with a series of discussion questions about earthquakes. They answer questions in their science journals about continental drift, plate tetonics, and their influence on...
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Building for the Big One
Students build and test structures that can best withstand earthquakes. They create their structures from playdough, cornstarch, grape-nuts and popsicle sticks and place their structures on a "shake table."
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Forces of Nature: Ring of Fire
Third graders will research the Ring of Fire and be able to share their findings with their partner. They will also demonstrate volcanic eruptions using a baking soda and vinegar volcano model. Then they will discover how continental...
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Weathering and Erosion
Fourth graders take a look at the effects of weathering and other geologic activities found in the environments in which they live. Along with a guided geologic walk outside of campus, there is also an effective in-class demonstration of...
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Glaciers and Ice Wedging
Fourth graders observe and identify a variety of weathering and geological activities in the area in which they live. This focuses primarily on what happened during the Ice Age, and how, even today, glaciers are shaping and re-shaping...
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Deadly Shadow of Vesuvius
Young scholars view a video clip about volcanoes. They collect data and create maps to see the relationship between volcanoes, earthquakes and plates. They share their maps with the class.
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Disaters!
Students read a fiction and nonfiction accounts about different types of disasters. The class uses iChat AV and iSight camera to interview students in a different part of the country about natural or manmade disasters in their area....
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Ecology and Evolution
Students identify the different taxonomic classifications of organisms. In this biology lesson, students create their own organisms and make some changes according to environmental conditions. They present their work in class.
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Plate Tectonics
Seventh graders develop an understanding of plate tectonics. In this plate tectonics instructional activity students plot earthquake and volcano locations.
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Plate Tectonics: Sixth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Here is a set of pre-lab, lab, and post-lab lesson plans on plate tectonics. After completing the previous labs on volcanoes and earthquakes, sixth graders use the gained knowledge to explore plate boundaries and the movement of...
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Plate Tectonics: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
This unit focuses primarily on plate tectonics and plate boundaries surrounding continents. It contains pre- and post-lab sections that walk young geologists through plate movements in order to visualize what's going on inside Earth.
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 1
How do scientists provide evidence to support the theories they put forth? What clues do they put together to create these theories? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation class members engage in a series of...
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Changing Energy: Landforms and Dance
Third graders choreograph a dance to represent the changes in nature. In this dance and nature lesson plan, 3rd graders use sharp quick movements to demonstrate changes.
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Mantle Motions
Pupils define vocabulary words associated with lithospheric plate motions. They create and write down a motion to act out each vocabulary word, and participate in a game of demonstrating the actions associated with each word.
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Volcanoes!
Middle schoolers study the Mount St. Helens eruption and how it occurred. In this experimental lesson students complete a lab that shows the eruption of Mount St. Helens.
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How do Volcanoes Fit in the Picture?
In this volcanoes activity, students look at maps and answer short answer questions about volcanoes, plate boundaries, and earthquakes. Students complete 4 questions.
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Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes (1)
Young scholars learn the different shapes of Volcanoes and discuss why volcanoes only have a few shapes.
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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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Volcanoes
Second graders review the characteristics and aspects of volcanoes. Using this information, they write a creative story and draw illustrations to accompany the words. They use geographical terms to describe a location and the physical...
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Social Studies: San Francisco Earthquake
Students discover details about the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. In this natural disaster activity, students visit selected websites to analyze primary sources related to the personal accounts of the earthquake. Students then...
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Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes Post Lab
Second graders discover volcanoes that occur around the world. They identifying volcano parts.
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Crater Lakes and the Volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains
Students study volcanoes. For 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.