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3.2.6 Describe how the properties of earth materials make them useful to humans in different ways. Describe ways that humans have altered these resources to meet their needs for survival. Sticky Note: This would also be a great activity to attach to fractions because you have to be able to understand fractions to put the ingredients in the correct places. It could also be used in younger grades where groups are making one together or the class creates one together and discusses our responsibilities to keep the earth clean.

VERY cool Earth Science/Space crossover project.  Students can send in a rock from their area, and NASA will use a special tool (like the one on the Mars Exploration Rovers) to tell you what it's made of.  Students could compare rocks on Earth to the rocks found on Mars.   Class can view and print various rock pictures from this website and create their own rock book, differentiating by ability.  (could be categorized by color, composition, geographic location, etc.)  It can be expanded as needed.  Kindergarten example would be to create a journal entitled "My Rock Collection."  They would find pictures of rocks that are blue, red, yellow, green, purple, etc and categorize them.  

state standard: 3.2.6 Great activity to show where the air comes from. It can be connected with earth week, or ways to help the earth. This is a great way to explain and show photosynthysis in action.

Forecast the Weather with a Weathervane - 4th Grade Learn about Earth Science as well as meteorology through making your own unique weathervane! Supplies: Old business card, 1 straw, ruler, scissors, clear tape, pencil, stickpin, 1 liter plastic bottle, sand, compass, black permanent marker.

In this activity students use the relationship between the earth and sun and their movements through space to determine the size of the earth.

Construct a Weather Spinner: - Earth Science Intro to Natural Sciences - your child will learn to see details and patterns in atmospheric conditions.  A simple weather spinner provides an accessible tool for your child to improve her observation and analysis ability, important scientific skills she will use for the rest of her life. Supplies: White tag board or poster board, pencil, crayons, markers, or colored pencils, and a metal brad.

Keep a Horizon Calendar - Earth Science Many cultures used the rising and setting sun to create calendars. Observe the setting sun once a week for as long as you can to come up with your own calendar. Supplies: 11 X 17 inch piece of white paper, pencil, compass, watch, and clear view of the western horizon (where the sun sets)

Earth Science Activity which includes exploration and exercise. Children will be engaged because they are exploring the outdoors. They will find one object from nature that begins with 1 letter from the alphabet and put these items in a flip book, and write about the items. Great for alphabet skills, earth science skills, and writing skills.

Earth Friendly Birdhouse: Design Process - choosing specific materials for the design in mind and function. You have also been talking about resources and know that conserving resources by recycling, reusing, and reducing waste is important. Now you will have a chance to put what you know to use. Design Challenge:Design and build a birdhouse that will attract a bird in your neighborhood. The bird you plan the house for should be about the size of a tennis ball. Criteria:Your birdhouse must have a door that is big enough for a golf ball to fit through. Have a perch inside. Have a perch outside the door. Be able to hang from a tree or other support for 5 minutes with a golf ball inside. Keep birds safe from rain and wind. Be squirrel and cat proof.

Multiple grade levels can do this project, but differentiation would be required for skill and developmental level. Younger grades would require more help and modeling of project.

This site doesn't provide specific activities; however, I would design earth science activities to assist kids in researching this park, and the surround area.  We would discuss how and why the area has these deposits, the history of the area, and how to go about finding diamonds and other cool rocks.   Extension activity:  Order bags of dirt from Crater of Diamonds park and have the kids sift through to find and identify various rocks and minerals.   Standards: 3.2.1:  Examine the physical properties of rock samples and sort them into categories based on size using simple tools such as sieves. 3.2.2:  Observe the detailed characteristics of rocks and minerals.  Identify rocks as being composed of different combinations of minerals. 3.2.3:  Classify and identify minerals by their physical properties of hardness, color, luster, and streak.  

5.2.1 Recognize that our earth is part of the solar system in which the sun, an average star, is the central and largest body. Observe that our solar system includes the sun, moon, seven other planets and their moons, and many other smaller objects like asteroids and comets. Sticky Note: This activity could be differentiated so that each group was working with a different planet in the solar system so that when the exhibits were displayed the class would see the whole solar system.

Adaption: SEE "MOON PHASES ACTIVITY-PHRASES FOR PHASES: A MOON TUNE. Extensions: You can extend this activity for 6th grade my having them creat a model of the moon and it's phases and demonstrating their understanding through a presentations. ( I would group them and have each person write about their part of the demonstration and that it what they present) You can extend it you younger grades by having them draw the phases of the moon and with parents (as homework) go outside at night and dermine which phase the moon is in and drawing a picture of that phase on the claendar. 5.2.4 Use a calendar to record observations of the shape of the moon and the rising and setting times over the course of a month. Based on the observations, describe patterns in the moon cycle. 5.2.1 Recognize that our earth is part of the solar system in which the sun, an average star, is the central and largest body. Observe that our solar system includes the sun, moon, seven other planets and their moons, and many other smaller objects like asteroids and comets.

Students explore the differences and similarities between rocks and minerals by investigating samples of these earth materials, performing a series of tests similar to geologists' field tests, and reading about rocks and minerals and how they are used.

From the DNR / State of Indiana, this website provides many links to educational programs offered by DNR and our State Forestries.  In particular, I like the free tree seedlings for Indiana third graders.  I could see this one "gift" developing into a unit on conservation of resources.  Specifically, standard 3.2.6:  Describe how the properties of earth materials make them useful to humans in different ways.  Describe ways that humans have altered these resources to meet their needs for survival.  We could discuss the lumber industry, and how it benefits human-kind.  Moving on from there, we can discuss how to replenish the supply.  

state stndard: 5.4.2 This would be a great activity to do around earth day. As finding ways to help the enviornment become more necessary, this idea of recycling paper is quite important.

Have students keep track of the phases of the moon by using marshmallows glued to construction paper. The students observe the moon each night, and bite the marshmallow into a replica of what they observed.