Lesson Plan
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Modeling an Oil Reserve

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students conduct an experiment.  In 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...
Lesson Plan
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Mountains "Fold, Fault, Erupt, and Erode"

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders conduct an experiment to demonstrate the folding and rippling of rock to form a mountain. They identify mountain chains on a map, participate in the demonstrations, and define folding fault block, igneous eruptions, igneous...
Lesson Plan
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Capillary Action and Adhesion

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students perform classroom experiments to observe adhesion. They perform a second experiment using sand, salt, water, and a heat lamp to observe the principle of capillary action. They also experiment with adhesion in plants.
Lesson Plan
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Earthquakes

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students inspect the causes and effects of earthquakes and examine how seismic waves travel. In this earthquake lesson, students determine where earthquakes happen and why, before determining how to build an earthquake resistant...
Lesson Plan
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Making a Cave

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students discuss caves. In this science lesson, students experiment with how dissolution, a chemical weathering process, leads to the formation of caves. Once the cave is finsihed students draw a picture or describe in writing what it...
Lesson Plan
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Rocks and Soil

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore the physical properties of rocks. They explore the three different types of rocks and are able to compare and contrast their different properties. Students simulate the creation of sedimentary rock, they also...
Worksheet
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Prokaryote Coloring

For Students 7th - 9th
In this prokaryote worksheet, students answer ten questions about prokaryote cells and they color a diagram of a simple bacteria cell and its structures.
Lesson Plan
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Rocks

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine how sedimentary rocks are formed.  In this rock lesson students research different rock formations and different types of rock. 
Lesson Plan
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Physical Science: Dying for a Tan?

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students assess how much harm UV radiation can have on your skin and how much protection is provided by sunblock, sunglasses and clothing. They experiment with UV index numbers and the amount of exposure risk of skin damage for any given...
Lesson Plan
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Are We Falling Apart? Exploding Volcanoes

For Teachers 5th - Higher Ed
Students explore how volcanoes are formed, list the parts and characteristics of volcanoes, state the differences in various types of lava, and analyze the volume of ejecta from a volcano.
Worksheet
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Quartz DBQ

For Students 7th - 12th
In this quartz worksheet, students read about the chemical composition of quartz and its commercial applications. Then students complete 7 short answer questions.
Lesson Plan
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Let's Get To the Core!

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars practice analyzing ice core samples to discover climate changes. Using the samples, they identify and graph the gas amounts. They use these numbers to determine their effect on global warming. In pairs, they complete a...
Lesson Plan
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Earth & Space Science: Holding it Together

For Teachers K - 6th
Students estimate how many drops of water can fit onto the surface of a penny and then test their hypothesis to find out. They also experiment with bubbles.
Lesson Plan
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Rocks Unit

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars 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...
Lesson Plan
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Understanding Lava Layers

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders trace the lava flow of an erupting volcano. In this earth science lesson, 7th graders experiment using baking soda and vinegar. They record and share their observations.
Lesson Plan
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The Magic School Bus Out of this World

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the craters that objects of different sizes and weights make. They use marbles, Ping-Pong balls, and aluminum-foil balls for this experiment. They investigate what would happen if they drop objects that aren't round.
Lesson Plan
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The Effects of Ultraviolet Light on Lumbriculus

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students explore the effects of ultraviolet light on Lumbriculus. They expose ultraviolet light to Lumbriculus (worm) and determine the lethal exposure time. They examine the worm and record their observations.
Worksheet
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Moving Continents

For Students 6th - 12th
In this moving continents worksheet, students review the different types of plate boundaries, what causes earthquakes, and where volcanoes are formed. This worksheet has 10 fill in the blank and 9 short answer questions.
Worksheet
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Chemical Composition Chart

For Students 7th - 12th
In this Earth's crust worksheet, students determine the most abundant and least abundant elements in the atmosphere, oceans, and crust. This worksheet has 1 fill in the blank and 11 short answer questions.
Worksheet
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A Short History of Natural Gas

For Students 3rd
In this energy source learning exercise, 3rd graders read a short passage about the history of natural gas. Students must then answer several multiple choice questions about the passage.
Lesson Plan
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Plotting Earthquakes

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students plot earthquakes on a map. In this lesson on earthquakes, students will explore recent earthquake activity in California and Nevada. Students will plot fault lines and earthquake occurrences on a map.
Lesson Plan
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Paleoclimates and Pollen

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze soil for types of pollen to determine the probably climate conditions. In this earth science activity, students make conclusions on what a climate is like based on soils samples. Students use a model soil...
Lesson Plan
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A Moving Experience

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students visit Time Machine's San Francisco Earthquake Era. They understand how the Earth's layers interact to cause changes in the Earth's surface. They review information about earthquakes and Earth's layers.
Lesson Plan
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Sedimentary Structures- An Adventure in Painting and Collage

For Teachers K - 6th
Students identify and interpret concepts about how the Earth was formed and convey some of these ideas in a painting. Students experiment with different types of paints and paint applicators to achieve a variety of visual textures....