Earth Sciences: Curriculum Resources and Activities for School Librarians and Teachers

by Amy Bain, Janet Richer, Janet Weckman

Overview

Everything you need to create exciting thematic science units can be found in these handy guides. Developed for educators who want to take an integrated approach, these teaching kits contain resource lists, reading selections, and activities that can be easily pulled together for units on virtually any science topic. Arranged by subject, each book lists key scientific concepts for primary, intermediate, and upper level learners and links them to specific chapters where resources for teaching those concepts appear. Chapters identify and describe comprehensive teaching resources (nonfiction) and related fiction reading selections, then detail hands-on science and extension activities that help students learn the scientific method and build learning across the curriculum. A final section helps you locate helpful experiment books and appropriate jourbanals, Web sites, agencies, and related organizations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781563086786
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/15/2001
Series:	Curriculum Resources and Activities for School Librarians and Teachers
Pages:	165
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.39(d)
Age Range:	5 - 13 Years

About the Author

AMY BAIN is a teacher, Miami Elementary School, Milford, Ohio, and president of Solomon Publishing.

JANET RICHER has worked extensively writing and presenting training workshops and videos for homeschooling families throughout the Midwest.

JANET WECKMAN is a teacher at Blanche Moore Elementary School, Corpus Christi, Texas, with more than 20 years of teaching experience, including work with hearing-impaired students.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	xi
	Experiments and the Scientific Method	xv
Section 1	The Earth
	Key Concepts	3
	Primary Concepts	3
	Intermediate Concepts	3
	Upper Concepts	4
	Comprehensive Teaching Resources	7
Chapter 1	Rocks, Minerals, and Soil	9
	Teaching Resources	9
	Reading Selections	10
	Science Activities	12
	Soil Comparisons	12
	How Soil Is Made	12
	What Is Soil Made Of?	12
	How Much Air Is in the Soil?	13
	Soil Content	13
	Soil Samples	13
	Soil Protection	14
	Minerals	14
	Human Requirements	14
	Famous Rock Formations	14
	Rocks and Energy	14
	Comparing Rocks	15
	Coal Products	15
	Coal Mining	15
	Math Games	15
	A Magical Crystal Garden	16
	Another Crystal Garden	16
	Make Your Own Crystals	17
	Weathering	17
	Creative Writing Activities	17
	Art Activities	18
Chapter 2	Bodies of Water	21
	Teaching Resources	21
	Reading Selections	22
	Science Activities	26
	Riverboats	26
	Water Power	26
	Flotation	26
	Continental Divide	26
	Name That Body of Water	26
	Flooding	27
	Canals	27
	Rivers and History	27
	Water Supplies	27
	Freshwater Versus Saltwater	28
	River Pros and Cons	28
	More Flooding	28
	Water and Gravity	28
	Creative Writing Activities	29
	Art Activities	30
Chapter 3	Oceans	33
	Teaching Resources	33
	Reading Selections	34
	Science Activities	37
	A New World	37
	Saltwater	38
	More Saltwater	38
	Making Waves	38
	Rock the Boat	38
	Bermuda Triangle	38
	Ocean Versus Sea	39
	Ocean Resources	39
	Ocean Currents	39
	On the Beach	39
	Creative Writing Activities	39
	Art Activities	40
Chapter 4	Landforms and Geological Processes	43
	Teaching Resources	43
	Reading Selections	44
	Science Activities	47
	Making a Mountain Out of a Mole Hill	47
	Types of Mountains	47
	Measuring Mountains	47
	Locating Mountains	47
	Natural Giants	48
	Mountain Climbing	48
	Glaciers	48
	Locating Glaciers	48
	Blast from the Past	48
	Volcano in a Bottle (Experiment 1)	49
	Volcano in a Bottle (Experiment 2)	49
	Watch Out!	49
	Volcano Pie	49
	Speleothems	50
	Bats and Caves	51
	Cave Trivia	51
	Stalagmites and Stalactites	51
	Island Paradises	51
	Making a Relief Map	52
	Scientific Theory	52
	Earthquakes	53
	Creative Writing Activities	53
	Art Activities	54
	Additional Resources	57
	Experiment Books	57
	National Geographic Articles	57
	Bodies of Freshwater	57
	The Ocean	58
	Landforms	58
	Magazine Articles	58
	Organizations	58
	The Ocean	58
	Landforms	59
	Water	59
	Geology	60
	Videos/Films	60
	Software	60
	Web Sites	61
Section 2	Ecology
	Key Concepts	65
	Primary Concepts	65
	Intermediate Concepts	65
	Upper Concepts	67
	Comprehensive Teaching Resources	69
Chapter 1	Endangered Animals	71
	Teaching Resources	71
	Reading Selections	73
	Science Activities	75
	Protecting Endangered Animals	75
	Animal Time Line	75
	Profile of the Endangered Animal	75
	Where Are They?	76
	Lives for Sale	76
	What's Happening in Your Town?	76
	The Bald Eagle	76
	Alligator Versus Crocodile	76
	The American Bison	76
	Sea Turtles	77
	Creative Writing Activities	77
	Art Activities	78
Chapter 2	Diminishing Resources	81
	Teaching Resources	81
	Reading Selections	84
	Science Activities	86
	Packaging Demonstration	86
	Paper Production	87
	Ecological Bingo	87
	Careers	87
	Bags, Bags, and More Bags	88
	Plant a Tree	88
	Old for New	88
	Recycling	88
	Aluminum	88
	U. S. National Forests	89
	Do Your Part	89
	Hot Dogs Anyone?	89
	Water Conservation	89
	Conservation Calculations	89
	Hunger	90
	Should It Be Law?	90
	We Can Make It Happen!	90
	Creative Writing Activities	90
	Art Activities	91
Chapter 3	Pollution	93
	Teaching Resources	93
	Reading Selections	95
	Science Activities	97
	Water Filtration	97
	Biodegradable?	98
	Decomposition	98
	Toxins	98
	Oil Spill	98
	More with Oil	99
	Chlorofluorocarbons	99
	Test Your Air	99
	Pollution Password	99
	The Greenhouse Effect	99
	The Greenhouse Effect and the Oceans	99
	More on the Greenhouse Effect	100
	Toilet Paper is Not All the Same	100
	Is It All Garbage?	100
	Acid Rain	100
	Rusty Liberty	101
	Earth As an Apple	101
	Get Involved	101
	Creative Writing Activities	102
	Art Activities	103
	Additional Resources	105
	Experiment Books	105
	National Geographic Articles	106
	Endangered Animals	106
	Diminishing Resources	106
	Pollution	106
	Agencies and Citizens' Groups	107
	Water Pollution	107
	Air Pollution	107
	Ozone	107
	Hazardous Waste	108
	Endangered Animals	108
	Environmental	109
	Magazines	110
	Videos/Films	110
	Producers of Films and Videos	111
	Web Sites	111
Section 3	The Weather
	Key Concepts	115
	Primary Concepts	115
	Intermediate Concepts	115
	Upper Concepts	116
	Comprehensive Teaching Resources	117
Chapter 1	The Sun and the Seasons	119
	Teaching Resources	119
	Reading Selections	120
	Science Activities	122
	The Sun and Climates	122
	The Sun and Shadows	122
	Weather's Influence in History	122
	Weather When Traveling	122
	The Seasons' Effects on Our Bodies	122
	The Seasons' Effects on an Apple Tree	122
	Changing Temperatures	123
	The Holiday Season	123
	Creative Writing Activities	123
	Art Activities	124
Chapter 2	Air, Temperature, and Wind	127
	Teaching Resources	127
	Reading Selections	128
	Science Activities	130
	Heat Intensity	130
	Comparing Temperatures	130
	Conserving Energy at Home	130
	Wind and the Weather	130
	Observing Wind Velocity	130
	Let's Go Fly a Kite	130
	Sailboat Race	130
	The Existence of Air	130
	Air Pressure 1	131
	Air Pressure 2	131
	That's Strong Air!	131
	Creative Writing Activities	131
	Art Activities	132
Chapter 3	Precipitation	135
	Teaching Resources	135
	Reading Selections	137
	Science Activities	140
	Precipitation Around the World	140
	Precipitation in the United States	140
	Precipitation on Kapiti Plain	141
	Precipitation and Graphs	141
	Evidencing Evaporation and Condensation at Home	141
	Demonstrate Condensation	142
	Stove-Top Evaporation and Condensation	142
	Factors That Affect the Rate of Evaporation	142
	Fog and Geography	142
	Weather Charts	142
	Cloud Watching	142
	Clouds and Math	143
	Hurricanes and Their Effects	143
	Locations of Tornadoes	143
	Rate, Distance, and Speed Calculations	143
	Making a Tornado	143
	Tornado Safety	143
	Make Your Own Lightning	143
	Grounding	143
	Be Prepared	144
	Practice Measuring Skills	144
	Critical Thinking Challenge 1	144
	Critical Thinking Challenge 2	144
	Critical Thinking Challenge 3 (Advanced)	144
	Creative Writing Activities	144
	Art Activities	145
	Additional Resources	149
	Experiment Books	149
	Magazine Articles	149
	Weather	149
	The Sun and the Seasons	149
	Air, Temperature, and Wind	149
	Precipitation	150
	Clouds and Fog	150
	Storms	150
	Government Agencies	150
	Web Sites	150
	Index	153
	About the Authors	165