Science Center Units (Grade 5 - 6 Earth Science): Unit Resources

Unit - Kit Files
Ast. 5 Student Journal (adaptable) MSWord

Ast. 5 Student Journal (PDF)

Ast. 5 Blackline Masters (adaptable) MSWord

Ast. 5 Blackline Masters (PDF)

Ast. 6 Blackline Masters (PDF)

Resource Files
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Tips, Hints and FYIs
Some schools (districts) have adopted an Earth Science focus for their Gr. 6 Science. For schools whose Gr. 6 classrooms are focusing on Earth Science, we suggest combining the Gr. 5 and Gr. 6 Astronomy units for their Astronomy study.

Websites
ESA Kids - Our Universe

Ask an Astronomer for Kids

Google Sky

Space Place- links to activities, interactive games (probably all "off-site")

Multimedia (Web based)

Amazing History of the Telescope (video: NeoK-12)

Hubble History Told by Hubble Scienctists (NASA - YouTube)

Hubble - Space Shattering Discoveries (SpaceRip - YouTube)

Multimedia
Learn 360: Our Solar System (asteroids, meteroids, moon, planets and the Sun)[27:40]

Learn 360: What's Up in the Universe - Stars (stars, galaxies, telescopes, constellations) [11:57]

Learn 360: The Night Sky (SS connection) - Describes ancient beliefs and influences, along with giving a history of the night sky and showing some current tools used in astronomy

Learn 360: The Stars [18:59]

VITAL NY: Characteristics of the Sun [1:28]

VITAL NY: The Moon [3:53]

VITAL NY: Why Doesn't the Moon Fall Down? [1:37]

VITAL NY: Solar Eclipses [1:54

VITAL NY: Planets [3:26]

VITAL NY: Why Study Comets? [2:03]

VITAL NY: Scientist Profile: Galactic Astronomer [2:36]

VITAL NY: Scientist Profile: Space Research Scientist (humans and zero-gravity) [2:25]

VITAL NY: Scientist Profile - Space Suit Researchers [2:11]

MediaConnect Video (DVD): Astronomy (K01218)
Grade 6

MediaConnect Video (DVD): Stars & Galaxies (K01667) Grade 6

MediaConnect Video (DVD): Exploring Earth, Sun, Moon (K01641)

Informational Text Resources
Web Site: StarChild (NASA)

Web Site: Hubble Telescope (Hubble.org) - more complex informational text

Web Site: Cosmos 4 Kids , Site Map - Universe, Galaxies, Stars, Solar System, Space Exploration, Activities (contains "Quizes" which can be used as pre-assessments, and graphics related to each topic listed as "Wallpapers")

Professional Development(PD)
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PD Websites
Web Site: Space Place- links to activities, interactive games (probably all "off-site")

Web Site: Windows on the Universe 

Web Site: NASA for Educators Site

Web Site: Amazing Space

Web Based Videos:(Science 360)
Orion in a New Light (nebula)[3:24]
Voyager: Humanity's Farthest Journey [3:10]
Black Holes(condensed) [:55]
Black Holes [2:35]
Most Distant Quasar Found [4:51]

PD Multimedia
Learn 360: Cycles and Seasons : this video focuses on the cycles of day/night [00:00 - 6:5], moon phases and eclipses [6:50 - 10:55], seasons [10:55 - 15:00] and tides [15:00 - 19:40].

Unit - Kit Files
R&M Student Journal (adaptable) MSWord

R&M Student Journal (PDF)

R&M BLM (adaptable) MSWord

R&M BLM (PDF)

Resource Files
Light Your School (MEC) - an activity to calculate the amount of resources needed to light a school

Cell Phone Minerals Activity (MEC)

TV Minerals Activity (MEC)

VITAL NY: Erosion and Weathering (images with text) - You will need to Download, Unzip and view in Google Chrome (Adobe Flash).

Tips, Hints and FYIs
Web Site: Mining Education, Caterpillar Corp.- Caterpillar Corp. has made this video available (either on-line or as a DVD) and has built some lesson activities around the topic of mining, minerals, ... As a stand alone video, it is very well done with good content about: mining, mining and the environment, our dependency on mined materials. The lesson plans for "Ages 11 - 13: Geology" would provide some good extensions for the Rocks and Minerals unit.

Websites
Web Site: Minerals Database (pictures and short descriptions)

Web Site: Minerals in Your Life (MEC - Minerals Education Coalition) - PDF fact sheets of mineral found in items

Web Site: Rocks (Geology.com) - A page with rock types and rocks lists which are clickable to access additional information.

Multimedia
MediaConnect Video (DVD): Weathering and Erosion (K01671)

MediaConnect Video (DVD): The Rock Cycle   (K01664)

MediaConnect Video (DVD): Dynamic Earth (K01220)

Learn 360: Real World Science - Rocks and Minerals (rock, mineral, rock types, soil, weathering, erosion, rock cycle) [15:42]

VITAL NY: Rocks and Minerals (Rock Types and Weathering) [1:56]

VITAL NY: Rock Climbing (and Rock Types) - Dragonfly TV [6:10]

VITAL NY: Sinkholes (Rocks and Erosion) Dragonfly TV [5:23]

VITAL NY: Scientist Profile - Volcano Scientist

VITAL NY: Scientist Profile - Minerologist [2:04]

VITAL NY: Scientist Profile - Earthquake Scientist [1:40]

Informational Text Resources

Web Site:The Earth - Nature's Storehouse (Minerals Ed. Coal.)

Web Site: Earth Structure and (Geography4Kids) - view the menu on the right hand side of the page.

Web Site: Biosphere: Erosion, Weathering, Soils (Geography4Kids) - view the menu on the right hand side of the page.

Professional Development(PD)
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PD Websites
Web Site: Mining Education, Caterpillar Corp

Web Site: American Geosciences Institute -
The education part of the AGI web site has content information that is written for K - 5 teachers. Related content on Fossils, Weather, Water, Rocks, Soil, and Climate. It has access to a very large collection of related graphics via the "Earth Science World Image Bank" (for just the right photo to start off that lesson), some activities that could be extensions to the unit and "Earth Science Images" for each topic which are collections of images in PDF or Power Point formats.

PD Multimedia
Learn 360: The Changing Earth - the first section of the video focuses on the dynamics of the Earth's "crustal motion" [start to 19:00], and weathering/landforms [19:00 to 23:40]. From 23:40 to the end the video focuses on the rock cycle and rock types.

Unit - Kit Files
Weather Student Journal (adaptable) MSWord

Weather Student Journal (PDF)

Weather BLM (PDF)

Weather BLM (adaptable) MSWord

Resource Files
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Tips, Hints and FYIs
A resource for integrating ELA and Art w/ Science:
Web Site: Windows to the Universe - Poetry and Pictures on Weather (ELA integration)

Web Site: Windows to the Universe - Clouds in Art

Websites
Web Site: Test Your Water Knowledge (EPA)

Web Site: National Weather Service (NWS) - good source of weather info and maps

Web Site: National Hurricane Center (NWS)

Web Site: Weather (You Tube -Schoolhouse Rock)

Web Site: S'cool (NASA) - technology integration
The S'COOL Project involves students in real science, making and reporting ground truth observations of clouds to assist in the validation of NASA's CERES satellite instruments. Teachers are welcome to register with the S'COOL project to join their students with others around the world who are learning about clouds.

Web Site: Environmental Monitoring Data (SUNY ESF) - data gathered by equipment placed at specific locations in Syracuse and the Adirondack Mts.

Multimedia
MediaConnect Video (DVD): Weather on the Move  (K01670)

Vital NY: Finding the Dew Point [2:45]

VITAL NY: Scientist Profile: Meterologist [2:07]

VITAL NY: Scientist Profile: Weather Scientist - NASA [2:34]

VITAL NY: Scientist Profile: Hurricane Researcher - NOAA [2:34]

Web Based Video: Water Cycle [6:46]

Informational Text Resources
Web Site: Weather - K-5GeoSource, American Geosciences Institute

Web Site: Atmosphere Basics (Geography4Kids) - view the menu on the right hand side

Web Site: The Active Atmosphere (NCAR, UCAR) - short reading about how the atmosphere cycles (warm and cold air) with graphic

Web Site: Weather Stories - Web Weather for Kids

Web Site: Web Weather for Kids
Hurricanes
Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
Blizzards and WInter Weather
Clouds
(Caution: Be careful about using the "Recipe for Weather" pages on this site, can be confusing)

Web Site: Dangerous Weather (NCAR, UCAR) - inofrmation about weather events, stories, safety tips

Web Site: Sky Diary Kid Storm
More challenging reading level and content level than "Web Weather for Kids".
Tornadoes, Lightning, Hurricanes, Storm Chasing

Professional Development(PD)
Weather Unit: an informative PDF with overviews, information, tips and short "How To Videos"

PD Websites
Web Site: Weather - K-5 GeoSource, American Geosciences Institute

Web Site: JetStream- On-line Weather School (National Weather Service) - topic matrix page, the sections are written for the general public and illustrated

Web Site: Univ. of Illinois - Meterology - a collection of web-based instructional modules that use multimedia technology and the dynamic capabilities of the web. These resources incorporate text, colorful diagrams, animations, computer simulations, audio and video to introduce fundamental concepts in the atmospheric sciences. The target audience for the Online Meteorology Guide is high school and undergraduate level students. However, these resources have been used by instructors throughout K-12, undergraduate and graduate level education.

PD Multimedia
Learn 360: Weather - this video discusses and shows visualizations of the topics: cloud formation, relative humidity, fog, dew and frost, air masses, weather fronts.

Learn 360: Air, Water Vapor and Weather [21:00]