Earth science lesson plans cover a variety of topics, including weather, natural disasters, terrain, and biomes. Hands-on activities, such as coloring diagrams and building models, help students retain information. Lesson plans can focus on different geological features and culminate in dioramas or science experiments.
Earth science covers a variety of topics, from the Earth’s different biomes to the layers of its crust. Many earth science lesson plans cover weather, natural disasters, different types of terrain, and how the moon guides the tides. One of the best things about Earth science is that it provides a lot of fodder for practical pursuits. Not only do students love to get up, but touching and visualizing lesson concepts also helps them retain the information. Teachers can often create dozens of earth science lesson plans around a single topic.
Introductory Earth science lesson plans can start with a cross section of the Earth. The teacher could explain to students that the world’s plants, animals, water, and humans live in the earth’s crust. Just below the crust is the hot, rocky mantle that contains all kinds of metal ore, gemstones, coal and oil. Under the mantle lies liquid magma that sometimes seeps through the mantle and crust through volcanoes. The center of the earth is made up of super dense, super heated material.
This introduction can be followed by a hands-on activity, such as coloring an Earth diagram. Older children can build a flat section of the Earth with paper and glue, while even older students can create a three-dimensional model with foam balls and clay. The goal is for each student to label the Earth’s layers correctly and understand what each layer is made of.
Subsequent Earth science lesson plans usually focus on one area of the Earth at a time. For example, studying biomes can be a single lesson divided into several smaller sections. In this lesson, students learn about the climate, animals, and terrain in different sections of the Earth. When finished, the teacher can use matching games to help students place animals, weather patterns, and plants in the correct biomes. For example, the teacher can make a biome chart on the board and give a student a picture of a seal. If the student places the seal on the Arctic biome, he will understand where he lives.
After the biomes unit, many teachers like to create earth science lesson plans that revolve around different geological features of the earth. One lesson might focus on fresh and salt water, geysers, rivers and ice, while another focuses on caves and volcanoes. The final two or three Earth science class plans might focus on the water cycle and how natural disasters happen. As a follow-up, the teacher can ask each student to create a diorama or science experiment inspired by one of the sections covered in the lessons.
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