Curated OER
Steller Sea Lions
In this Steller sea lions activity, students read information and do activities on four pages. Students put life cycle events in chronological order.
Curated OER
New Jersey Estuaries Water Filter Activity
Students examine how an estuary's plants and soil filter water before it flows into the ocean. They complete a lab report drawing and writing about what they observe after completing a water filter activity.
Curated OER
Foul Water Lab
Students use field practices to clean foul water, they comprehend the differences in solution and solutes. They work in groups and discuss the lab instructions. Students start with oil-water separation technique. They complete a...
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Glaciers and Ice Wedging
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...
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Sand Castles: Pre-engineering 101
Students examine how soil holds together and what the effect of particle size and water content is on soil. In this engineering lesson students complete a lab, record their observations and discuss what they learned.
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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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Water Pollution Experiments
Fifth graders conduct experiments in simulated water pollution using a box of items to hold "pollutants"and an aquarium, representing a waterway. They observe how "rain" from a watering can poured into the box washes the pollutants into...
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Water Table
Students predict from a rock sample whether a water well could be drilled in that type of rock. They predict what conditons would be necessary for the well to produce water.
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Predators and Prey
Students explain how the food chain works. They contrast predators with prey and describe their function in nature. Students discuss how the food chain aids in keeping nature balanced. In small groups, they play a game that simulates the...
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Tides and How Creatures Survive
Students discover tidal pools. In this oceanographic lesson, students observe the tides of the earth and the creatures that inhabit the intertidal zones. Students role-play the tidal zones by portraying themselves as animals...
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What Are Mixtures And Solutions?
Students explore mixtures and solutions. In this chemistry lesson plan, students will add different ingredients to jars in order to classify them as mixtures or solutions. There is also a nail balancing activity that can be done at...
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Home Design
Students investigate house structures by examining photographs. In this architecture lesson, students read the book Houses and Homes, analyzing the different structures and materials. Students utilize mud to create model huts...
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Soil Composition: Then and Now
Students identify the location of their school from a 1926 digitized Soil Sample map. Using remaining landforms, they determine the type of soil identified during that time, and compare it to the soil currently found near the school.
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Let's Think About... Magnets and Gravity
Students watch an episode of the PBS show "Jay Jay the Jet Plane," and explore magnets and gravity. They conduct various experiments involving magnets and sand, bean bags, and a fishing pole with magnets.
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Earthquake Waves And Their Destructions
Middle schoolers investigate primary and secondary waves and how to measure the magnitude of waves. They discover how to find the epicenter of earthquakes. They examine why waves are more destructive in some areas than others through...
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Documenting Science Through an Active Inquiry Process
Young scholars follow procedures regarding scientific data collection. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students investigate inquiry questions through research and data collection. Young scholars use technology tools to create products...
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Ocean Floor Properties and Near Shore Environments
Students explore and model the characteristics of the ocean floor and near shore environments through in-class demonstrations, laboratory activities, and internet research. They use classroom materials to research the characteristics of...
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Clouds and Your Imagination
Students study and illustrate clouds. In this cloud study instructional activity, students study clouds and then illustrate what they see. Students use their imaginations to interpret images from the cloud picture they drew.
National Park Service
Rock Ranking
Junior geologists sort rocks and soil. They separate a sample of river gravel by size, shape, color, and other characteristics. To include Common Core standards, you could have little ones graph the number of particles in each sample.
DiscoverE
Core Sampling
Simulate soil sample assemblages. Individuals create soil layers in a cup. They then use straws to collect core samples from these layers. What information can they glean from the core samples, I wonder?
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Mini-Landslide
Young scholars explore how different materials (sand, gravel, lava rock) with different water contents on different slopes result in landslides of different severity. They measure the severity by how far the landslide debris extends into...
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Summer
Students discover different uses of water. They discuss what lives in water and what does not. They match numbers 1-5 with objects of correct amount and recognize 5 different colors. They pick from pictures of different ways water...
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Start at the Very Beginning
Learners explore ocean ecosystems. In this cross curriculum art and oceans lesson, students create a collage featuring three-finger algae using sand paper, tissue paper, and construction paper.
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It's a Gas - Natural Gas
Students use plastic bottles, water, and condiment packets to simulate how natural gas comes from decaying ocean plants and animals. In this natural gas lesson plan, students also fill out lab packets and answer exit questions.