Students will make predictions about what they think they will find in a sample of soil. They will investigate the sample and sort out the various items they find. Next they will spend time outside observing one or more sites to see what they find... (View More) in the soil. After recording and sharing their observations they will create their own stories about the things they found in the soil. Uses commonly available or inexpensive materials (e.g., a soil sample from near the school, tweezers, toothpicks, eye droppers, magnifying glasses, rulers, pencils, markers, trowel or shovel). This is the 2nd of 3 sets of learning activities that are companion activities to the Elementary GLOBE children's book, The Scoop on Soils. Includes a teacher implementation guide. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)

Each student will explore three activities that promote understanding of and respect for soil. They will generate responses to the following questions: "What makes up soil?" and "What lives in the soil?" Next the students will watch a demonstration... (View More) of how much soil there is on Earth that is available for human use. Last they will create their own soil connection sentences. Uses commonly-available or inexpensive materials (e.g., chart paper, markers, apple). This is the 3rd of 3 sets of learning activities that are companion activities to the Elementary GLOBE children's book, The Scoop on Soils. Includes a teacher implementation guide. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)

Using information from their own observations, students construct a sky scene with trees and buildings as reference points on the ground and cloud types ordered by altitude in the sky. Students will describe clouds and then correlate their... (View More) descriptions with the standard classifications of cloud types used by The GLOBE Program. Uses commonly-available or inexpensive materials (blank wall chart paper, cotton pillow batting, wax paper, white sheet, sheer white fabric, glue, markers or pencils, scissors, rulers). Includes a teacher implementation guide. This is the 2nd of 3 sets of learning activities that are companion activities to the Elementary GLOBE children's book, "Do You Know That Clouds Have Names?" GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)

Students will learn about magnification and how a magnifying lens works. They will examine a variety of different objects, first without a magnifier and then with a magnifier, and compare what they observe. They will practice observing details of... (View More) these objects with a magnifying lens. Students will use various objects in the classroom to experiment with nonstandard measurement. They will make estimates and test them out. Then, working in pairs or small groups, students will use a ruler or a measuring tape to become familiar with how to use these tools for standard linear measurement. Uses commonly available or inexpensive materials (magnifying glass, construction paper, scissors,salt and sugar, crayons or chalk). This is the 2nd of 3 sets of learning activities that are companion activities to the Elementary GLOBE children's book, Discoveries at Willow Creek. Includes a teacher implementation guide. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)

In these activities, students continue to explore the idea of interaction among Earth components as they identify processes in the Earth system and indicate how they illustrate an interaction between two of the Earth system components. Uses commonly... (View More) available materials (e.g., markers, colored pencils, blank wall chart paper, overhead transparency sheets). This is the 2nd of 3 sets of learning activities that are companion activities to the Elementary GLOBE children's book, All About Earth: Our World on Stage. Includes a teacher implementation guide. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on, K-12 school-based science education program. (View Less)

In this investigation, students are introduced to types of water bodies. Seven types are defined and each is then located on NASA satellite images and maps. Students also use maps to identify and compare bodies of water in their state with those of... (View More) other states, noting also how water availability in different regions impacts people, animals and plants. The consequences of changes in those bodies of water, such as pollution, oil spills and water flow, are also analyzed. The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. This is Investigation 3 of four found in the Grades K-4 Module 2 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the four investigations in Module 2, while related, can be done independently. Please see Investigation 1 of this module for a two-page module overview and list of all standards addressed. (View Less)

Satellite images of Mercury and Mars are used to illustrate craters and generate a discussion about their cause. After comparing those images with one of Earth, students explore the reason for the lack of visible craters on our planet. The abundance... (View More) or lack of water becomes the focal point of this investigation. The role that water plays in obliterating craters is investigated through an activity using sand, marbles and water. The crater discovered beneath Chesapeake Bay is used to illustrate the fact that Earth's oceans conceal impact craters. The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. This is Investigation 2 of four found in the Grades K-4 Module 2 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the four investigations in Module 2, while related, can be done independently. Please see Investigation 1 of this module for a two-page module overview and list of all standards addressed. (View Less)

Students will complete several activities in which they will describe, draw, examine and explore paths. Activities range from describing, drawing and exploring local paths (roads/sidewalks to school, hiking trails, trails in the local school... (View More) environment, etc.) to comparing and contrasting larger-scale paths (streets, bridges, runways, rivers) on maps and in satellite images of three major world cities. NASA satellite images of Boston, Paris and Houston are included in the lesson. This investigation also introduces students to the need for "ground truthing." The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. The teacher's guide will begin with a two-page module overview and list of all standards addressed. This is Investigation 1 of four found in the Grades K-4 Module 4 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the four investigations in Module 4, while related, can be done independently. (View Less)

Using both literature (a book featuring a path, such as Little Red Riding Hood) and satellite images, students will identify paths, observe and analyze them from different altitudes, and distinguish natural paths from those made by humans. Students... (View More) will learn how images can inform the building, use and maintenance of paths. The URL opens to the investigation directory, with links to teacher and student materials, lesson extensions, resources, teaching tips, and assessment strategies. This is Investigation 2 of four found in the Grades K-4 Module 4 of Mission Geography. The Mission Geography curriculum integrates data and images from NASA missions with the National Geography Standards. Each of the four investigations in Module 4, while related, can be done independently. Please see Investigation 1 of this module for a two-page module overview and list of all standards addressed. (View Less)