Virginia Department of Education
Hurricanes: An Environmental Concern
Hurricanes, typhoons, and tropical cyclones are the same type of storm, but their names change based on where they happen. Scholars use a computer simulation to learn about hurricanes. Then they hypothesize ideas to prevent hurricanes...
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Charting Seasonal Changes
Students research the Earth's patterns of rotation and revolution, create a chart and graph of these patterns and use them to explain the causes of night and day and summer and winter.
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Building a Scale Model
Third graders create a model of the solar system. In this solar system lesson, 3rd graders create a scale model of the solar system. Working in pairs students solve mathematical problems to correctly measure the distance each planet is...
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Scientist Tracking Network
Students correlate surface radiation with mean surface temperature of several geographic regions. They observe how these parameters change with latitude and construct an understanding of the relationship of solar radiation to seasonal...
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Sky 3: Modeling Shadows
Students will construct models to demonstrate their understanding of shadows. Many questions and suggestions for variants on the activities are presented to allow you to tailor this lesson plan to your particular needs. It is best to...
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Seasons
Students identify and define the vocabulary words: summer, spring, fall, and rotation. They describe how the earth's rotation affects the seasons. Students match appropriate clothing with each season. They discuss why a particular...
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Seasonal Cloud Cover Variations
Pupils recognize different cloud types. They determine the seaonality of various types of clouds. They graph the data and determine if a correlation exists between season, cloud cover and type of clouds most prevalent during each season.
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Astrology: Fact or Fiction?
Students explore the topic of astrology and review the beliefs behind it. They read sample horoscopes. Using a portable digital planetarium, they view the night sky and the zodiac constellations. They examine and discuss the science...
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Seasons in 3D: Student Exploration
In this seasons exploration activity, students review vocabulary and answer prior knowledge questions, then use the Seasons in 3D Gizmo to complete exploration activities.
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How the Amount of Solar Energy Absorbed by the Earth is Dependent Upon the Earth's Position
Students investigate the angle of light and how it faces the earth. They conduct a series of investigations with the following two objectives. Students determine if the angle of light is a factor in the absorption of heat. They correlate...
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The Four Seasons with "Charlotte's Web"
Students explore the characters and plot of the story, "Charlotte's Web" through the twenty-two lessons of this unit. Characters, facts, and details of the story are recalled and discussed and form the basis of several activities in this...
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How Warm is the Water?
Students research how surface sea temperature changes throughout the year. They draw a time series of sea surface temperatures for each month of the year and a depth profile for a summer and winter month using an OceanExplorer Profiler...
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Sea Surface Temperature Trends of the Gulf Stream
Students explore the importance of the Gulf Stream. Using a NASA satellite images, they examine the sea surface temperature. Students collect the temperature at various locations and times. Using spreadsheet technology, they graph the...
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Heating Up: Direct and Indirect Sunlight
Students, by conducting simulations, explore the effects of direct and indirect sunlight on heating of the Earth.
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Reasons for Seasons
Learners track photoperiod (daylight hours) over time and predict how daylight change during different seasons. This helps build their understanding that ever-changing daylight is the driving force for migrations and all other seasonal...
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Weather through the Seasons
Students examine the year's cycles by observing the four seasons, their distinctive weather patterns that affect our activities and the weather changes that each brings. The fourteen lessons of this unit offer a good opportunity for the...
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Winter Lights: A Season In Poems & Quilts
Learners read the book Winter Lights: A Season in Poems & Quilts and do language arts and math activities that go with the book. In this language arts and math lesson plan, students read the book given and do activities that include...
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Celebrate The Four Seasons
Students investigate cause and effect and compare and contrast how recurring cycles are evident in multiple aspects of their education. They answer questions in the chosen field. Students model each aspect by interpreting, perceiving and...
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How The Weather Effects Us
Students discover how weather affects their lives. They review the climates of Florida, Alaska and New York. They need choose the place they would most like to live in based on the climate of that state.
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Charting Weather: Melbourne
In this earth science worksheet, students check the accuracy of the weather forecasts in their area for a week. Then they complete the chart by recording the forecast for the week's weather and then recording the actual weather for that...
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Alaska the 'Poster State" For Climate Concerns
Students read an article on Alaska and its climate concerns. In this research instructional activity students create a poster that contrasts Alaska then and now that pertains to climate change.
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Sunny Delight
First graders explore completing experiments through the scientific method.
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Weather Whys
Second graders experiment with a thermometer and water samples of varying temperatures. They examine the effect different colors and different fabrics have on retaining heat. They examine snow samples for water and dirt content. They...
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Animal Names
Students match animal pictures with animal words. In this farm animal lesson, students put together the parent and their offspring. Students should have prior knowledge of the basic needs of animals. Students write animal booklets.