Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Rocks

For Teachers K
Students recognize differences in the size, shape, texture, and color of different rocks. For this rocks lesson plan, students also learn and repeat back how a volcano erupts and make one out of a toilet paper tube.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Organic Matter in Soils

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students recognize the presence of organic matter in soils from their immediate area and recognize which soil sample contains the highest concentration of organic matter.
Lesson Plan
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Insects: Grasshoppers

For Teachers K
Students examine grasshoppers as they practice following instructions. In this biology lesson plan, students identify the characteristics of grasshoppers and the functions of grasshoppers' external body parts.
Lesson Plan
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The"Dirt" on Soil

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the three different types of soil and their physical properties.  In this soil activity students design and implement a model of a water treatment plant. 
Lesson Plan
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Where Are the Dinosaurs?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students examine the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. In this living environment activity, students view dinosaur video clips and define the word "extinction." Students visit the "Zoom Dinosaur" website to investigate various...
Lesson Plan
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Rocks and Minerals

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners identify how weathering and erosion effect the Earth's surface. In this weathering and rocks lesson, students study various types of rocks in water and brainstorm ways the Earth's surface changes. Learners view an interactive...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Which Is My Peanut?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars observe peanuts. In this observation lesson, students get a peanut and write down the distinguishable characteristics. They weigh and measure their peanut, then try to identify it when it is put in a group with the rest of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Salty Sea Water

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students conduct an experiment to find out if there is salt in the ocean. In this scientific inquiry instructional activity, students pour a cup of salt water onto an aluminum plate and observe the changes over a few days. Students...
Lesson Plan
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Water Quality Survey

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the differences in the water quality of a stream and complete water testing.  In this water quality activity students collect aquatic insects and identify them. 
Lesson Plan
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From Flower to Fruit

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine how flowers have essentially four parts. They learn both the male and female reproductive parts of the flower, then explore self-pollination and pollination by insects and other animals.
Lesson Plan
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Lesson Five: Identifying Christmas Trees

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Stuudents distinguish between pines, spruces and firs they may see in their homes, by recognizing key characteristics such as shape, arrangement of needles and colouring. They recognize these same characteristics in trees growing outside.
Lesson Plan
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Jewel of the Earth

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students investigate several organisms, set sticky traps to collect them, and attempt to identify and classify them using a variety of sources. The origins of the organisms are traced and their adaptive features examined.
Lesson Plan
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Guess What?! (a lesson about atoms)

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Pupils investigate atoms as particles that make up all matter. They examine the mass of matter.
Lesson Plan
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The Lorax

For Teachers K
Students read The Lorax and discuss how human actions can affect the environment. They conduct a simple experiment to see how much air pollution is in the air that they breathe.
Lesson Plan
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Naturalist's Notebook

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students observe and record the behavior of a San Diego wetland animal and the characteristics of its environment. The amount of time that each animal spends resting, grooming, eating, flying, and social or individual play becomes the...
Lesson Plan
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Minerals- the Building Blocks of Rocks

For Teachers K
Pupils investigate how rocks are composed minerals by dissecting rock cookies.
Lesson Plan
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Our View of the Sun

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to safety rules for observing the Sun, how the distance of the Sun is measured using Kepler's Laws and identify the visible layers of the Sun. They discuss solar eclipses and view images of eclipses using the...
Lesson Plan
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Particle Depostition Lab

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners collect, study and observe the pollution in our air. They list three kinds of pollution that they think is in our air. Students comprehend that the atmosphere is almost completely made up of invisible gaseous substances. They...
Lesson Plan
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Introduction To Insect & Spider Body Parts

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students inspect several different specimens of insects and spiders to determine characteristics that are similar and different between the two groups. They identify the basic body structure of spiders and insects and then predict where...
Lesson Plan
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Peanut Processes

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students use the senses are to make observations about phenomena. They use a peanut and its shell as the object of a series of observations. In addition, they complete a drawing with their written observations to use as a guide to choose...
Lesson Plan
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Condensation and the Water Cycle

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the natural distallation process that occurs in the water cycle. They use plastic cups and cotton swabs to observe the condensation process that is evident in the water cycle.
Lesson Plan
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Hatching Brine Shrimp

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners experiment with temperature and salinity to detect favorable environments for hatching brine shrimp eggs. They make some predictions about which environments will yield the most hatched brine shrimp and record the number of...
Worksheet
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Barn Owl Pellet Lab

For Students 9th - 12th
In this lab worksheet, students dissect a barn owl pellet then identify the different small animals found in the owl pellet. Using class data they calculate percentage present as well as complete 8 post lab questions.
Worksheet
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Looking for Minibeasts

For Students 5th - 6th
In this minibeasts worksheet, students participate in a "minibeasts safari" where they collect a variety of different types of bugs in a jar, examine them and then return them to their original inhabitants.