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Ape Cave
Learners prepare for a field trip to Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and exploration of Ape Cave (see also Ape Cave Exploration). In the absence of a field trip, students become acquainted with lava tubes in general.
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Scientific Inquiry
Students investigate the general geology, biology, and chemistry of Seneca Lake. They study how to use scientific instruments on the research vessel. They explain how the data they gather will be used by scientists and develop a hypothesis.
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Fossil Hunt
Learners ask questions about the nature of science as they experience a 'Fossil Hunt'. They reconstruct a book that has been literally destroyed, just as the fossil record has been changed by billions of years of geological processes.
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Solar System: Uranus
Learners research Uranus and its geological formation, atmosphere, magnetic field, satellites, and rings.
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Earth System Science
Students explore the Earth and its ability to support life. They discuss the geosphere and the water cycle and complete the Water Wonders activity. After completing the activity, they respond in their journals and reflect upon the...
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Investigating Earthquakes: GIS Mapping and Analysis
Students describes the technique of preparing "GIS-ready" data and shows how to map that data and conduct basic analyses using a geographic information system (GIS).They use latitude and longitude fields to plot the data in a GIS and...
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Internet Quest-Drops to Oceans
Students examine facts about water. In this water activity, students complete a WebQuest to study the properties of water. There is an WebQuest activity page included in this lesson plan.
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Earth
Young scholars study the earth in relation to the solar system. For this planetary lesson students complete several investigations into the measurement of the earth and its magnetic field.
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Speed of a Forest Stream
Pupils study stream speed. In this stream speed instructional activity students complete an activity and formulate an opinion and study its effects.
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Cupcake Core Sampling
Students discuss core samples. In this environment instructional activity, students experiment discovering what is beneath the surface by using cupcakes as models finding out what sort of layers are found within the cupcakes.
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Patterns In Time
Seventh graders examine fossils. In this vertebrate fossils activity students view a demonstration.
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History of Rock
Seventh graders study rocks and their geology. In this rock history instructional activity students divide into groups and complete and activity and table.
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SHOW 303: The Channel Island Fox
Students explore how archaeologists and other scientists use different clues to piece together a picture of the past. Students perform activities that allow them to conduct three types of scientific research. They discuss their...
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A Scientific Approach to Teaching about Evolution
Middle schoolers examine fossils and analyzing their significance in relation to theories of evolution. Hand-outs are provided. This lesson could be supplementary to a broader unit on evolution or geology.
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How to Recycle a Rock
Third graders explore the rock cycle and explore how rocks are made, changed, destroyed and recreated. They create representations of these processes with hands-on activities.
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Soil Science Study
Students complete an activity by looking and gathering data on plants and soils.
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Footprints: Take a Step into Estimation
Compare sizes of student footprints with those of elephants and sauropod dinosaurs! Upper graders make estimations of the areas of irregular shapes; young scholars use grids to make and explain estimates within low and high ranges.
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Developing a Local Stratigraphy
Students examine rock strata for the distribution, deposition, and age of sedimentary rock. They describe rock types in a variety of outcrops and construct a regional stratigraphy.
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Soils are the Pits!
Students dig soil pits in order to observe soil features and the factors of soil formation and soil forming process. Students also examine the relationships among different soils in a series of soil pits.
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Floodplain Modeling
Students simulate the impact of fluctuating river volumes on structures and landforms. They experiment with table top-sized riverbed models and water. Students consider how human design can help mitigate the effects of a flood.
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Exploring for Petroleum - Modeling an Oil Reserve
Students experiment with locating oil reserves. In this conservation lesson, students use a cardboard box to create sand, rocks, and an oil reserve (water balloon). They use a probe to dig around in the box to find the oil reserve and...
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Modeling an Oil Reserve
Students conduct an experiment. For this oil and natural gas lesson, students learn how geoscientists identify and explore reserves of petroleum. Students make a model of an oil reserve, record how much it would cost to drill for oil...
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Water Quest
Learners visit the Hydrology Study Site, conduct a visual survey to discover info about local land use and water quality, and document their findings by mapping the water body. They use this investigation to raise questions for further...
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Water Walk
Learners follow the appropriate sampling protocol and take two measurements of a local water source. These measurements are Transparency and Temperature. This info about local land use and/or water chemistry issues may require further...