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Our Universe: Always Moving, Always Changing
Students explore the main concepts of astronomy through the eleven lessons of this unit. The past, present, and future methods of studying the science are examined in this unit.
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What's Crackin' Under New Zealand
Students construct a model of the Earth using clay and oranges. In this earth science instructional activity, students explain the causes of earthquakes and volcanic activity. They write their findings in their science journal.
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Name that Natural Resource
Students discuss natural resources. In this science lesson, students understand that physical properties can be used to identify minerals and complete the chart each day working alone or in a small group.
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Commonalities and Differences from Africa to Cleveland as Evidence Through the Gullah Community Connection
Students explore Afro-American history. They identify the commonality between African, Carolinian and Cleveland Black culture. Students explore the water cycle, oceanography, hydrology and bio-geochemical processes. They discuss the...
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Worms in a Bottle
Students gain a better understanding of the worm and its role in the recycling of organic materials into simpler forms by constructing worm bottles and observing for 60 to 90 days.
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Earthquake Unit
Eighth graders watch the "Earth, the Environment & Beyond" video on earthquakes. Take notes and give an oral summary. They build a working, two dimensional model of a strike-slip, thrust, or normal fault.
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A DISAPPEARING ACT Astronomy: Do Stars Always Shine?
Learners observe why stars are not visible during the day with a classroom demonstration using an index card punched with holes.
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Third from the Sun
Students examine images from space. In this third from the Sun lesson plan, students examine images from, Landsat, the satellite launched by NASA in 1972.
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Volcanoes: Mount Vesuvius
Students explain how volcanoes form. In this earth science lesson, students identify the different types of volcanoes. They create brochures about Mt. Vesuvius before and after the eruption.
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Weather Predictions
Fourth graders explore meteorologists. They explore symbols on a weather map and make five day forecasts.
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The Phases of the Moon
Students view an applet to study the phases of the Moon in relation to the orientation of the sun, moon, and Earth.
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Creating a Disaster
Students construct a volcano model. For this earth science lesson, students determine the structure and build of their volcano. They explain the danger of volcanic eruptions.
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The Formation of Soil
Middle schoolers identify the different components that make up soil. For this earth science lesson, students create a pamphlet for next year's class. They analyze how erosion and weathering shape the Earth.
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Solar Storms
Students investigate the cycles of solar activity. They plot the solar activity and use the graph to answer a number of questions and explain the relationship between the solar storms and sunspots and the impact on earth and space travel.
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The Seasons
Students determine the effect of the earth's tilt on the amount of incoming solar radiation throughout the year. They simulate the earth's orbit around the sun using a light bulb and a globe to simulate the seasons. Assessment questions...
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Plate Tectonics: Recycling the Seafloor
Students classify earth's layers and plates using Ocean Seismicity data. In this plate tectonics lesson, students outline where the plate boundaries are on the world map. They then compare these predicted boundaries with USGS map of the...
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Rocks Unit
Students learn about all types of rocks through a unit study consisting of 6 days. They are doing activities such as illustrating rocks, answering questions on a worksheet, reading, and reviewing questions. After the end of each...
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Rock Cycle
Students explain the processes involved in the rock cycle. In this earth science lesson, students identify the different kinds of rocks. They complete a worksheet during the activity.
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Soil Comparison and Analysis
High schoolers perform tests on different soil samples. In this earth science activity, students classify the soil into groups according to test results. They write a lab report following a certain criteria.
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Mars Colonization Assignment #1
Eighth graders recognize the some day humans may wish to colonize Mars. They participate in an Internet adventure where they compare and contrast Earth to the other nine planets in the solar system.
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How Does Temperature Vary Over Time?
Students examine the temperature flucuations on the Earth. After defining new vocabulary, they identify the flucuations of the Earth on a map. As a class, they develop a hypotheis on the temperature variation by examining the data.
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Cloud Forecast
Pupils record weather observations and research online weather data. In this weather observations lesson, students study the cloud cover for several days and record their observations in a chart. Pupils identify the cloud types and...
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Chefs of the Week
Students, as members of a team, are asked to prepare one meal to feed one person in a day. They analyze their meal and their daily menu for the nutritional content and explain this during an oral presentation.
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Water: The Liquid of Life
Sixth graders complete a lesson on the properties, types and amounts of water on Earth. In groups, they travel between stations to identify water resources in Illinois and pollution sources. They complete the lesson with a field trip...