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Clouds
Test your learners' science and/or reading comprehension skills with this activity, which provides a page of information about clouds and cloud classification. Both an earth science teacher and a language arts teacher could use this...
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Where in the World Is All the Water?
Middle schoolers investigate the distribution of the earth's water. They conduct a demonstration of water distribution, and create a pie graph to display the results.
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Ocean Currents and Sea Surface Temperature
Students use satellite data to explore sea surface temperature. They explore the relationship between the rotation of the Earth, the path of ocean current and air pressure centers. After studying maps of sea surface temperature and ocean...
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Weather
Students gain an understanding of air pressure. For this science lesson plan, students define weather, understand pressure, specifically air pressure, demonstrate the pushing power and other properties of air, and learn how a barometer...
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Meteors and Meteorites
Students create Earth boxes containing some of Earth's biomes--desert, forest, tundra, ocean, and mountains. They simulate Earth's encounter with a comet trail and the resulting meteor shower. They present their Earth boxes to...
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Evaporation Introductory Lesson
Fourth graders examine the concepts of evaporation and the water cycle. They describe the relationship between heat energy, evaporation and condensation of water on Earth and identify the sun as the source of energy that evaporates...
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Gallery Walk Questions about Energy and Material Cycles
Students state the physical, chemical or biological processes associated with these environments: Pelagic ocean zone, California coat Cave, Indiana Barrier island beach, North Carolina Sand dune, Dunes National Park, Colorado Wetland and...
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Internet Quest: Weatherman Walt-Why the Sky is Blue
Learners analyze atmosphere and light. For this earth science lesson, students are introduced to an investigation about why the sky is blue. Learners complete a WebQuest to answer the question.
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Geologic Sequestration
Learners investigate how geologic sequestration reduces carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. For this earth science lesson, students simulate oil mining in the lab. They write down their observations and complete the lab...
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Water: A Neverending Story
Students investigate the water cycle. In this water cycle science lesson, students participate in a series of activities that demonstrate evaporation, precipitation, and condensation. Students describe their observations using...
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Let's Heat Things Up!
Students build and evaluate simple models to understand the greenhouse effect. They explore the role of increased greenhouse gas concentration in global warming, and the implications of global warming theory for engineers, themselves...
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Air and Water in the Environment
Students explore the traits of water condensation and evaporation. In this water cycle lesson, students develop an awareness of the importance of water for sustaining life. Students participate in a hands-on activity in which water is...
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Weather Anomalies
Ninth graders participate in a simulation of a select scientific team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
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A Whole Lotta Shakin'
Students read first hand accounts of earthquake survivors in order to begin the describe the different types of earthquake waves and the order in which they arrive. They engage in using earthquake waves as a means to indirectly study the...
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Our Savage Planet in the News
Young scholars research volcanoes, storms, atmospheric conditions and extreme environments. They collect information and create a simulation of a science newscast. They watch a video and write a letter as an eyewitness to an avalanche.
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Greenhouse in a Bottle
Students create models of the greenhouse effect using recycled 2-liter bottles. They discuss how their models compares to the real greenhouse effect the earth experiences.
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Round and Round-The Water Cycle
Students explore the water cycle. In this earth science activity, students work in small groups to read various books on the water cycle and take notes on chart paper. Students share their notes and teach a younger audience what they...
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Local Weather And Location
Students explain how uneven heating of Earth affects wind and water currents. They describe the limits on current technology in predicting weather and how the Water Cycle is related to local weather.
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An Environmental Puzzle: The Carbon Cycle
Students are introducced to how respiration and photosysnthesis cycle carbon through ecosystems. They read background information that describes the role of the Sun as Earth's ultimate energy source and explains how the energy...
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How Much Oxygen Is In The Air?
In this science worksheet, learners take a close look at the composition of air while focusing on the content of oxygen. They use clay to model the amounts.
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Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change
Eighth graders compare and contrast weather and climate. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders research weather data site and analyze historical data. They present their findings in class and explain identifiable trends.
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Water Cycle
Ninth graders explore ways water moves through various reservoirs on Earth, examine how human activities change water cycle, investigate substances present in water that indicate human activity, and discuss how understanding water cycle...
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Weather Investigation Through The Internet
Students explore the Earth's climatic regions and their characteristics. Using the Internet, they evaluate regional vegetation, agriculture, and population density. Students name and describe instruments that measure weather. They...
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Spaced Out
Students are introduced to the space environment. This lesson covers the major differences between the environment on Earth and that of outer space and the engineering challenges that arise because of these discrepancies. In order to...