Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat Up the Floating Plates

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders research the connection between the convection currents within the mantle of the earth and the moving of Earth's plates. A connection to lessons at previous grade levels on the rock cycle and important background...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Night Sky: Fall/Winter

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explain how moon phases occur. They explain three ways that the night sky has been used through history. Students locate some of the constellations in the night sky. They discuss stories and myths surrounding stars.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environment" The Mining Cycle

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars explore the world of mining and explain its importance in daily life. After describing how companies search for mineral deposits, they examine the environmental consequences of mining as well as the positive aspects. The...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Phase In, Phase Out, the Magnificent Moon

For Teachers 1st
First graders discuss why the moon appears to change shape. They use flashlights and balls to simulate the sun's light shining on the moon during its different phases. They read books, paint pictures and write sentences about the moon.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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
Curated OER

Gallery Walk Questions about Energy and Material Cycles

For Teachers Higher Ed
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How to Recycle a Rock

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore the rock cycle and explore how rocks are made, changed, destroyed and recreated. They create representations of these processes with hands-on activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Erosion And the Cycling of Rocks And Minerals

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the concept of erosion by water in a problem solving activity. In small groups, they are assigned either sand, potting soil or rocks to construct a mountain that will hold up to a sprinkler can of water dripping on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Take a Rock Apart

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Young scholars take a crushed rock and sort the remains of the rock minerals into different categories based on the different properties. In this sorting lesson plan, students learn what makes up a rock and how to sort something into...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wonderful world of Water

For Teachers 1st
First graders examine the water cycle through readings and experiments. In groups, they conduct interviews with others and use the information to create a chart displaying the various uses of water. After brainstorming lists of ways to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth System Science

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the Earth and its ability to support life. They discuss the geosphere and the water cycle and complete the Water Wonders activity. After completing the activity, they respond in their journals and reflect upon the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water, Water Everywhere

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students study the location of Earth's water and study the water cycle using a terrarium. In this water study lesson, students study a model globe for the Earth and find Alaska. Students locate the bodies of water and study an overhead...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classroom Aquaponics: Exploring Nitrogen Cycling in a Closed System

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate nutrient cycling in a simplified desktop ecosystem involving aquarium and hydro-ponically grown plants. They set up an aquarium with 10 gallons of water at least a week before the lab is planned and place...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Structure of the Earth System

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders describe the steps in the water cycle. They discuss factors that affect runoff and explain the differences between stalactites and stalagmites. They discover the importance of ground water.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Terrariums: A Look at the Living and Nonliving World

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine life in a terrarium and relate it to life in a larger environment. In this terrarium lesson, 3rd graders examine how living and non-living things work together by examining the changes in a terrarium. They make...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Famous Rock Groups

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students define igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary, and use rock identification books to identify igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Students then discuss which rocks early man would have found useful for tool creation.
Lesson Plan
Project SMART

Rocks and Minerals: Touch the Earth

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners complete a unit of lessons on rocks and minerals. They conduct research, write e-mail questions to geologists, write daily journal entries, label maps demonstrating types of rocks/minerals found, and create a web page that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life Cycles

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Learners identify and explain the parts of a flower and their role in the life cycle of flowering plants. In this online plant biology lesson, students explore the processes of pollination, seed dispersal, and germination. Extension...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Florida's Springs

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students illustrate how water is stored and the water cycle. They discover how underground water can become contaminated.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Pennsylvania Watersheds, Many Ways to the Sea"

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students trace a molecule of water through the water cycle including each of its three loops. They describe why evapotranspiration demands the largest portion of total precipitation falling on a forested watershed.
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

The Earth Has Many Layers

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
Young scholars conduct an experiment. In this Earth's layers lesson, students learn about soil, sand and rock. They complete their own Jell-O Mountain and investigate the Earth's layers on-line.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When Disaster Strikes! Rocks, Minerals, Erosion and Weather

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students pretend the area they live in is subject to wind, waves and rain. In groups, they pretend they are a groups of meteorologists or geologists and are to report on the weather and damage that could occur there. Each group develops...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Metamorphosis Magic

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students play rock-paper-scissors and create a play to demonstrate the butterfly life cycle. In this butterfly life cycle lesson plan, students also plant a butterfly garden with plants that attract butterflies.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Properties of Rocks

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students compare the properties of rocks. They identify objects made of rocky materials such as walls, sidewalks, etc. Students describe and group rocks based on their characteristics.

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