Describes a scavenger hunt activity that has been used successfully with middle school students in an earth science course. This activity includes items that call for library research rather than the collection of objects, emphasize real-world connections, are skill-oriented, ask for originality and creativity, and are just for fun. (JRH)

Mount Jefferson State Natural Area is located in the southern Blue Ridge highlands of North Carolina and covers 489 acres, which includes peaks and upper slopes to the Mount Jefferson mountain. This document introduces students to the geology of Mount Jefferson State Park and focuses on the geologic processes and rocks and minerals of Mount…

This publication presents a science activity and instructional information on mechanics of granular materials, interparticle friction and geometric interlocking between particles which is a fundamental concept in many fields like earthquakes. The activity described in this document focuses on the principal strength of granular materials,…

This teacher guide presents a unit on plate tectonics and introduces hands-on activities for students in grades 6-8. In each unit, students act as real scientists and gather evidence by using science process skills such as observing, graphing, analyzing data, designing and making models, visualizing, communicating, theorizing, and drawing…

Presents an activity in which water temperature is investigated in relation to water depth, weather patterns, land use, time of year, and other factors students choose to investigate with data collected from the Internet. Uses the Great Lakes as the setting for this investigation and examines how and why the temperature of a body of water changes…

This book suggests an approach to science instruction that integrates literature as an alternative form of instruction or to enrich textbook instruction. It uses conceptually and factually correct works of fiction and outlines activities where students are allowed to do the majority of the work and the teachers act as facilitators. Though the…

Explains an activity in which students construct a simulated ice core. Materials required include only a freezer, food coloring, a bottle, and water. This hands-on exercise demonstrates how a glacier is formed, how ice cores are studied, and the nature of precision and accuracy in measurement. Suitable for grades three through eight. (Author/PVD)

Part of the Delaware Department of Education's ongoing efforts to provide assistance and support to local school districts in their development of a standards-based curriculum, this document presents the eight science standards for middle school. The standards for grades 6-8 are: (1) nature and application of science and technology; (2) materials…

This book is a collaborative project between the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). It has two complementary goals: to provide classroom-tested lessons that effectively model the vision of the NCTM Standards and to focus on the exciting problems that arise out of NASA's…

Describes CD-ROM-based program called Joint Education Initiative that was started by U.S. Geological Survey. The culmination of the collaborative effort includes three compact discs and a teacher activity book. The discs contain several databases, geophysical data that can be superimposed over satellite images of North America, images from the…

These materials were developed for use at the Ocean Institute at Sandy Hook Park in New Jersey. They are used by the students in Brookdale College's Project Impact, an early intervention program for sixth- and seventh- grade students. These activities are designed to help students learn more about the history, geology, biology, and career…

Project AIMS (Activities to Integrate Mathematics and Science) has as its purpose the integration of subject matter in grades K-9 on the premise that such integration enriches and makes learning meaningful and holistic. In fact, extensive field testing of the curriculum materials produced by AIMS has confirmed that integration produces the…

This document contains a student guide and a teacher guide on the topic of waves. The investigation includes three activities which lead students to an understanding of how waves are formed and how they move in water. Activity A introduces students to the parts of a wave. A demonstration using a stream table leads them to discover different…

Listed in this science syllabus are concepts and understandings in five areas of astronomy (earth, studying the heavens, earth's moon, the sun and other stars, and the solar system) and two areas of aerospace science (flight in air and flight in space). Included with these The booklet also includes questions for students to answer and, when…

The videos in this educational series, for grades 4-7, help students understand the science behind weather phenomena through dramatic live-action footage, vivid animated graphics, detailed weather maps, and hands-on experiments. This episode (23 minutes) gives concise explanations of the various types of precipitation and describes how the water…