Dead trees provide nutrients for the soil, food for animals, protection and a home for organisms, a seed-bed for new trees, and a place for nitrogen-fixing bacteria to live. In the activity, pupils collect decaying logs, expose them to a...

Keep within a water budget. Learners find out that less than 2.5% of Earth's water is available to drink—and that there is a fixed amount of water. Scholars read an interesting article comparing the available water to a game of Monopoly...

Take young geologists on an exploration of the rock cycle with this six-lesson earth science unit on rocks and minerals. Through a series of discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on investigations your class will learn...

Give young geologists an up close and personal look at volcanoes with a series of hands-on earth science lessons. Whether they are investigating the properties of igneous rocks, building their own volcanoes, or making...

Explore soil, genetic traits, natural resources, and pollution in a series of lessons that focus on biodiversity. Kids complete experiments to learn more about the importance of varied genes and organisms in an ecosystem.

The balance of nature can be a wondrous thing! With the 19th lesson of the 21-part series on systems, learners explore the cycle of photosynthesis and cellular respiration using a lab-based activity. Groups set up different test tubes...

Learners brainstorm on ways they use water, and where water comes from. They view video, Down the Drain, to gain specific facts about water use, properties of water, problems of water and the water cycle. They perform a lab activity...

Students recognize that the eight phases of the moon repeat. In this lunar cycle activity, students experiment to understand the phases of the moon. Students make observations and complete a "the Moon I See" worksheet.  Students...

Learners identify and explain natural cycles and patterns in the solar system. They write short reports about the solar system. Students plot the order of the planets in a colorful diagram. They use Crayola Gel Markers to add a colorful...

Young scholars create terrariums in containers in order to study the Water Cycle. They examine how the terrarium maintains life in the closed environment.

In this recognizing the vocabulary for the water cycle activity, students use the words in the word bank to fill in the blanks and complete the sentences. Students write 8 answers.

Cycles exist throughout nature, and the cell cycle compares to a life cycle of any other living being. A worksheet and presentation discuss the concepts of cell reproduction through the cell cycle. They cover each phase individually and...

Ignore the full moon, it's just a phase. Young scholars observe and record the moon during a full cycle before learning to predict future phases. Then the instructor leads a discussion on the other solar system objects that...

After a whole-class discussion of water reservoirs, ten liters of water are given to each lab group to represent Earth's total amount of water. They divide the water into smaller containers, each representing one of those reservoirs. The...

This cross-curricular reading comprehension instructional activity asks kids to read a passage of the rock cycle and then to use information in the article to respond to a series of questions.

Participate in three activities that look at the earth's limited water supply and the changes water goes through as it enters each phase of the water cycle. The resource is complete with three activities that demonstrate the changing...

Responsible farming is important for maintaining natural resources. Eager scientists complete a WebQuest to explore what happens to nitrogen when it enters the soil. They learn about the chemical makeup of nitrogen-based molecules...

For this food chain worksheet, students review terms associated with food chains and food webs. Students also recall the water cycle.

Meteorologists view an animated video by the Environmental Protection Agency to learn how the carbon cycle works, and then move into groups to analyze and graph actual data of the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration from Hawaii's...

The carbon cycle is natural and has happened for millions of years, so can humans change it? Young scientists play the role of carbon as they travel through the carbon cycle. They complete two rounds, once before the industrial...

Here is an excellent lesson plan on the water cycle and the states in which water exists. Learners identify the features of the water cycle, describe how water changes form, and look at ways that people affect the natural movement of...

Providing a wealth of information about hurricanes, tornadoes, and other types of weather-related events, this resource could be used in the classroom in a variety of ways. A teacher could use the PowerPoints listed as a way to introduce...

Junior geologists, hydrologists, or meteorologists simulate what happens during the flooding of a river and demonstrate factors that contribute to flash flooding. This outstanding resource provides a vocabulary list, online resources,...