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Postcards from California: A Unit on Geography, Social Studies, History and California's Resources
Fourth graders examine patterns that influence population density in the various regions of California. The unit's three lessons utilize graphic organizers for the interpretation and presentation of data.
Columbus City Schools
Constructive and Destructive Geologic Processes
Show the class the world as they've never seen it before—from way above! Learners try to unravel the mysteries presented by rich satellite imagery, learn to interpret topographic maps, and study erosion by constructing their very...
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Glaciers and Icebergs
Students conduct an experiment on glacial scraping. For this glacial scraping lesson, students create a small glacier in a plastic cup. Students remove the cup and scrape the glacier across wood and note the markings. Students then make...
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Floodplain Modeling
Students simulate the impact of fluctuating river volumes on structures and landforms. They experiment with table top-sized riverbed models and water. Students consider how human design can help mitigate the effects of a flood.
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Cookie Topography
Young scholars construct a cross section diagram showing elevation changes on a "cookie island." Using a chocolate chip cookie for an island, they locate the highest point in centimeters on the cookie and create a scale in feet. After...
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Creeping Sheets of Ice
Students conduct scientific investigation in which they observe glacial
effects on landscape, develop and explain their own theories of how glaciers change land, and demonstrate understanding and explain basic motion and force principles.
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Changing Ways
Third graders examine hard boiled eggs as possible models for the earth's layers.
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Soil Composition: Then and Now
Students identify the location of their school from a 1926 digitized Soil Sample map. Using remaining landforms, they determine the type of soil identified during that time, and compare it to the soil currently found near the school.
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The Magic School Bus Rocks and Rolls
Students participate in a science experiment to show them the power that water erosion has to sculpt stone. They explore how running water moves earth and creates new landforms.
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Virtual Field Trip
Fifth graders are introduced to the concepts of weathering and erosion. In groups, they rotate between different stations to discover how each process effects different landforms. To end the lesson, they discuss each change in the...
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Wright Brothers Centennial: North Carolina, Geography and History
Fourth graders identify symbols, people and events associated with North Carolina history. Using this information, they focus on the Wright brothers and their first flight. They answer questions related to the event and discuss how...
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Science: Draining the Land - the Mississippi River
Students use topographic maps to identify parts of rivers. In addition, they discover gradient and predict changes in the channels caused by variations in water flow. Other activities include sketching a river model with a new channel...
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Ocean Color
Students examine NASA's SeaWiFS Project Web site to explore how the SeaWiFS Project monitors environmental and climatic changes in the oceans and atmosphere. They answer questions and write a summary in support of continued funding for...
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Aqualung , the New Age Garden
Students examine how underwater landscape could be used for food production in the future. They discuss underwater landforms, draw a picture of an underwater landscape and a type of technology to use underwater, and write a description...
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Glaciers and How They Form lands
As a whole class, the students define glacier and perform an experiment involving glaciers. The students brainstorm ideas of what a glacier is, and narrow the ideas down to a definition. The students then participate in an activity that...
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The Landscape Through Geographer's Eyes
Students examine different types of landscapes through a geographer's eye. Using a city block or a suburb, they organize their thoughts and take notes to survey a site. They discuss what they have seen and write about how looking at...
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Watersheds:Stream Channels And Post-fire Stream Flows
Students draw cross sections of a stream channel from field data. In the field, using a GPS, they determine the depth of a stream channel and use a spreadsheet to graph the stream channel.
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California Poppy Postcards
What a great lesson! Learners discuss California history, including the state flower, the poppy, and then engage in an art activity. For the activity, they learn about value, shading, layering, blending etc. to produce a realistic...
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Factors That Affect Climate
Fifth graders use captured portions of the Internet ("mininets") to perform research into climate. They create graphs of the data recorded using latitude as the independent variable and temperature as the dependent variable.
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Sandscapes to Landscapes
Students explore landscapes and create their own in a creative project.
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Weathering and Erosion
Students conduct two experiments. In this weathering and erosion lesson, students identify the different ways that weathering occurs, name the natural elements of weather and explain the process of erosion. Students watch a PowerPoint on...
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Windbreakers; Earth Science, Topography, Weather
Students consider how topography affects weather and human activity. Students simulate a mountain range and observe surrounding wind patterns.
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Deforestation
Pupils identify the different tropical rainforests in the world using a map. In this ecology lesson, students describe the different methods of deforestation. They create a memo and present it to class.
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Era of Self-Sufficiency - Pre-1890
Students investigate the relationship between physical geography and Utah's settlement. In this Utah land instructional activity, students view a PowerPoint about Utah land and work in groups to answer questions about the uniqueness of...