Science — Earth Science

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We have compiled all of the worksheets used in this course. You can print them yourself or purchase them bound in book form. These are NOT a full offline course, just the worksheets used in this online course.

Level 1-4 — 1st through 4th

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Levels 5-8 — 5th through 8th

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Course Description: This course in earth science will engage students with experiments and projects. Students will also learn through text, video and online interactives. Their study of the Earth will include learning the rock and water cycles. They will study rocks and the makeup of the earth. They will learn about the types and causes of weather, as well as how to predict the weather. Students will follow and learn about the numerous types of bodies of water in our world. They will dive into the ocean and discover what’s hidden in its depths. Students will learn about the atmosphere and explore space.  They will study objects in space and learn the history of space exploration.

Note: As always, this course supports a literal interpretation of the Bible (that the Earth was created in six days). I bring this up with the students and make notes in the curriculum about it as it comes up. I also include links to Answers in Genesis and 4th Day Alliance.

Reading List

Level 1-4: The First Book of Water, Norling; Paddle to the Sea, Holling (partial)     

Level 5-8: Madam How and Lady Why, Kingsley (partial)

Materials:

Lesson 1 

Level 1-4* (Note that an asterisk * indicates that there is a worksheet on this lesson)

Welcome to your first day of school! I wanted to give you one important reminder before you begin. Many of your lessons below have an internet link for you to click on. When you go to the different internet pages for your lessons, please DO NOT click on anything else on that page except what the directions tell you to. DO NOT click on any advertisements or games. DO NOT click on anything that takes you to a different website. Just stay focused on your lesson and then close that window and you should be right back here for the next lesson. Okay?

  1. If you didn’t get here through My EP Assignments, I suggest you go there and create an account.
  2. Now’s the time to decide if you want to print out the worksheets you’ll be using in this course (now or as they come up in the course) or if you want to buy a workbook of all the printables.
    • Levels 1 – 4 buy
    • Levels 1 – 4 print
  3. This year you are going to be learning about the world. We’ll go into the earth, under the ocean, and even out into space. Let’s start with the world and look at a map.
  4. *Print out this map.
  5. Color on mountains and deserts. Color the mountain areas brown and the desert areas yellow.
  6. Spelling tip: desserts (as in a sweet treat after dinner) is spelled with 2 S’es (deSSert) because everyone wants more dessert.
  7. Now go to this map. Click on where you live. Keep clicking on where you live to zoom in. Can you find it? Are there any mountains or deserts near you? What about rivers or oceans?
  8. This is the end of your work for this course for your first day. You are allowed to move at your own pace (this is homeschooling), but it’s intended you complete one lesson a day.

Level 5-8* (Note that an asterisk * indicates that there is a worksheet on this lesson)

Welcome to your first day of school! I wanted to give you one important reminder before you begin. Many of your lessons below have an internet link for you to click on. When you go to the different internet pages for your lessons, please DO NOT click on anything else on that page except what the directions tell you to. DO NOT click on any advertisements or games. DO NOT click on anything that takes you to a different website. Just stay focused on your lesson and then close that window and you should be right back here for the next lesson. Okay?

  1. If you didn’t get here through My EP Assignments, I suggest you go there and create an account.
  2. Now’s the time to decide if you want to print out the worksheets you’ll be using in this course (now or as they come up in the course) or if you want to buy a workbook of all the printables.
    • Levels 5 – 8 buy
    • Levels 5 – 8 print
  3. This year you are going to be learning about the world. We’ll go into the earth, under the ocean, and even out into space. Let’s start with the world and look at a map.
  4. *Print out this map. You’re going to create a physical map. A political map shows countries and capitals. A physical map shows the physical lay of the land, the mountains, the rivers, etc.
  5. Use this atlas to label 5 mountain ranges and 5 rivers on your map. You have to click on the continent and then the country and then sometimes an area within the country before you can see the names. (Mts. is an abbreviation for mountains.) You can label them with numbers, and then on the paper write the number and then the name.
  6. Color in deserts on your map.  (It doesn’t have to be perfectly exact.)
  7. Label two deserts on your map.
  8. If you are having a difficult time with this, here’s another map.
  9. This is the end of your work for this course for your first day. You are allowed to move at your own pace (this is homeschooling), but it’s intended you complete one lesson a day.

Lesson 2

Level 1-4

  1. When we read about science, we often come across people saying that the world is billions of years old. People who believe this don’t believe that God created the world in six days as described in Genesis.
  2. Here’s what the Bible teaches about creation. How can we know what is true?
  3. There are resources online if your family wants to study more about creation and the age of the Earth. I have written about this in other science courses and have posted links to articles.
  4. You can talk with your parents about what they believe. When you come across mention of millions and billions of years, just remember that it’s just what that person believes. It doesn’t make it fact because they said it. How can those scientists and creationist scientists come to completely different ideas about how the world began? Because they come to the question with different assumptions. When you assume the Bible is true and the biblical story of creation is true, then you can view the scientific evidence as affirming that truth. When you assume that the Earth had to come from somewhere, that it couldn’t have been just created, then it doesn’t make sense that all of a sudden there was a whole earth and all the vegetation and all the animals, etc. They have to come up with an idea to explain it. It hasn’t been tested. It hasn’t been proven. Science is based on measurable observations. Scientists can’t observe the creation of the world. It’s an idea that they have to have faith in. I would rather have faith in God and the Bible.

Level 5-8

  1. When we read about science, we often come across people saying that the world is billions of years old. People who believe this don’t believe that God created the world in six days, as described in Genesis.
  2. Here’s an overview of what those who don’t believe in a literal six-day creation believe on the beginnings of the universe.
  3. So, if they say our Earth and things like mountains took millions of years to form, what’s an alternative view?
  4. There are resources online if your family wants to study more about creation and the age of the Earth. I have written about this in other science courses and have posted links to articles.
  5. You can talk with your parents about what they believe. When you come across mention of millions and billions of years, just remember that it’s just what that person believes. It doesn’t make it fact because they said it. How can those scientists and creationist scientists come to completely different ideas about how the world began? Because they come to the question with different assumptions. When you assume the Bible is true and the biblical story of creation is true, then you can view the scientific evidence as affirming that truth. When you assume that the Earth had to come from somewhere, that it couldn’t have been just created, then it doesn’t make sense that all of a sudden there was a whole earth and all the vegetation and all the animals, etc. They have to come up with an idea to explain it. It hasn’t been tested. It hasn’t been proven. Science is based on measurable observations. Scientists can’t observe the creation of the world. It’s an idea that they have to have faith in. I would rather have faith in God and the Bible.

Lesson 3

Level 1-4

  1. Read about hot and cold deserts. Did you know there were cold deserts? How can that be? A desert is where there is very little precipitation, meaning very little rainfall (or snowfall).
  2. Look up the highest high and the lowest low temperatures in Fahrenheit.
  3. Tell someone how there can be cold deserts. What else did you read about deserts?

Level 5-8

  1. Back to earth. Now that you know where the deserts are, learn these desert terms: arroyo, desert varnish, detritus, dune, semiarid.
  2. Read about the desert.
  3. Tell someone what the words mean. What types of deserts are there?

Lesson 4

Level 1-4

  1. One exciting area of the Earth is the Amazon rain forest.
  2. Why do you think they call it a rain forest? (hint)
  3. Explore the rain forest. Use the links on the left.
  4. Where is the Amazon rain forest?

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about rain forests.
  2. See how much rain the rain forests get each year. How does that compare to deserts?
  3. Explore the rain forest some more.

Lesson 5

Level 1-4

  1. One more day in the rain forest. Then we’ll go down into the earth.
  2. Play Amazon Explorer.

Level 5-8

  1. Journey into Amazonia. Read the info on the link. Then choose one of the other links to read more on animals or plants or the water.
  2. If you read at least two of the other links, you can play this game if you like.

The Earth’s Crust

Lesson 6

Level 1-4

  1. Read this page about the layers of the Earth.
  2. Label the layers of the Earth.

Level 5-8

  1. Read the first 10 pages of Madam How and Lady Why. Please ignore the silly mention of a fairy. These are metaphorical “women,” like “Wisdom” in the book of Proverbs in the Bible. Stop in the middle of page 10.
  2. There is an audio book, but if you use it, you’ll have to follow along to know where to stop and you’ll have to keep track of where to start the next day.
  3. Read this page about the structure of the Earth.
  4. Take a look at it on this page. Click on the “Earth’s Structure” tab.  Click on the titles of the layers to see the information.

Lesson 7

Level 1-4

  1. Read more about the Earth’s crust.
  2. Learn more about the Earth’s crust and mantle. (Read just the crust and mantle sections.)  This mentions that the Earth’s crust is actually broken into sections called plates. These plates float on the mantle level.
  3. How can the earth we stand on be floating!? Explain!

Level 5-8

  1. Read the next 10 pages of Madam How and Lady Why. Stop at the paragraph break on page 20.  (audio book)
  2. Read about what’s really going on with the Earth’s crust underneath our feet.
  3. Take a quiz on plate tectonics.

Lesson 8 

Level 1-4

 (Materials: play dough or salt dough of some sort, preferably in two colors, can be just a little, BUT on Lesson 9 they will be building a volcano and can use this dough)

  1. Learn about the movement of the Earth’s crust.
  2. You learned that there were different ways that the Earth’s plates moved. They could pull apart, crash together, or slide past each other.
  3. Take your dough and make two thick plates of the Earth’s crust out of them. Now smoosh them together a little bit to connect them. Now try the three ways of plates moving. What do you think would happen in those places where the plates were touching?
  4. You could save some for Lesson 9.

Level 5-8

  1. Read the next 10 pages of Madam How and Lady Why. Stop at the paragraph break in the middle of page 30.  (audio book)
  2. Read this page about how the different plates interact with each other.
  3. Draw a diagram of each type. What do you think might happen when each of those things occurs? There’s an illustration on this page that might help.

Volcanoes

Lesson 9

Level 1-4

  1. Read about what plate collisions can do.
  2. If you have dough from Lesson 8, form it into a volcano shape around a cup. Put baking soda into the cup. Pour in vinegar to make your volcano explode. Here are some directions. (She uses a soda bottle, not a cup; use whatever you have. Also, the first part of the directions is for making salt dough. You already should have that covered, but it is unnecessary for making the “volcano” explode.)

Level 5-8

  1. Read the next 10 pages of Madam How and Lady Why. Stop at the first paragraph break on page 40.  (audio book)
  2. Read the page on colliding plates. Click on Plates and Boundaries.
  3. What’s happening in each diagram?

Lesson 10

Level 1-4

  1. Read about volcanoes.
  2. Look at this list of all the volcanoes by country. Find your country. Did you realize that there were so many volcanoes?
  3. You can look at this map to see all of the volcanoes.

Level 5-8

  1. Read the next 10 pages of Madam How and Lady Why. Stop at the first paragraph break on page 50.  (audio book)
  2. Does this book always agree with what you read on modern websites? Why do you think there might be discrepancies?
  3. Read about volcanoes.
  4. Take the quiz.

Earthquakes

Lesson 11

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about earthquakes.
  2. How are earthquakes measured?

Level 5-8

  1. Read to the end of the chapter of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. Read about what happens when plates slide alongside each other. Click on Slip, Slide, & Collide.
  3. Slide the plates to see them in action.
  4. Take the plate challenge.  Click on the Test Skills tab.

Lesson 12

Level 1-4

  1. Read about earthquakes.
  2. In what country and state is the San Andreas Fault?
  3. What does it mean to the people living there that they are living on a fault line?  (answer: They can expect earthquakes.)

Level 5-8

  1. Read the next 10 pages of Madam How and Lady Why. Stop at the picture on page 68. (audio book)
  2. Read more about earthquakes.
  3. Take the earthquake quiz.

Lesson 13

Level 1-4

  1. Read about glaciers.
  2. Tell someone about glaciers.

Level 5-8

  1. Read the next 10 pages of Madam How and Lady Why. Stop at the bottom of page 78. (audio book)
  2. Read about glaciers. Read through the pages.

Lesson 14

Level 1-4

  1. Now read about another way the landscape is transformed — by rivers.
  2. Tell someone how rivers can change a landscape.

Level 5-8

  1. Finish the chapter on volcanoes in Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. Learn about the life cycle of a glacier.

Lesson 15

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about how caves are formed. Read this one page.
  2. Go on the natural wonders tour. You’ve been reading about how our world has been formed and how it has been changed, but don’t forget the magnificent Creator who is really behind the amazing world we live in.
  3. Would you add something else to the list?
  4. What do you think is the most wonderful wonder?

Level 5-8

    1. Learn about how caves are formed. Read this one page.
    2. Go on the natural wonders tour. You’ve been reading about how our world has been formed and how it has been changed, but don’t forget the magnificent Creator who is really behind the amazing world we live in.
    3. Would you add something else to the list?
  1. What do you think is the most wonderful wonder?

Lesson 16 

Level 1-4

(Materials: They are going to be building a model in Lesson 18. When your child has chosen his/her topic, you can talk about how he/she might make the model: clay, box, construction paper. It should just be something simple.)

  1. Choose caves, mountains, rivers, glaciers, or volcanoes to learn more.
  2. Research them.
  3. Find out the superlatives, meaning the biggest, the longest, the oldest, etc.
  4. What’s coming…
    • Write a few sentences about your topic. (Lesson 17)
    • Build a model. (Lesson 18)
    • Make a diagram of how it is formed.  (Lesson 19)
    • On Lesson 20 present your model and explain it. (If you need more time for your model or diagram, you can work on it on this day too.)
  5. Today choose a topic and research it. Here are some sites to help you get started:

Level 5-8

(Materials: They are going to be building a model in Lesson 18. When your child has chosen his/her topic, you can talk about how he/she might make the model: clay, box, construction paper. It should just be something simple.)

  1. Choose caves, mountains, rivers, glaciers, or volcanoes to learn more.
  2. Research them.
  3. Find out the superlatives, meaning the biggest, the longest, the oldest, etc.
  4. Take notes and write down your sources.
  5. What’s coming…
    • Write a good paragraph about your topic. Add lots of details. It can be a long paragraph. (Lesson 17)
    • Build a model. (Lesson 18)
    • Make a diagram of how it is formed.  (Lesson 19)
    • On Lesson 20 present your model and explain it.  (If you need more time for your model or diagram, you can work on it on this day too.)
  6. Today choose a topic and research it. Here are some sites to help you get started:

Lesson 17

Level 1-4

  1. Use the information from what you learned on Lesson 16.
  2. Write a few sentences about your topic.

Level 5-8

  1. Use the information from what you learned on Lesson 16.
  2. Write a good paragraph about your topic. Add lots of details. It can be a long paragraph.

Lesson 18 

Level 1-4

(Materials: model making materials, for instance: clay, box, construction paper. It should just be something simple.)

  1. Build a model for the project you have been researching.

Level 5-8

(Materials: They are going to be building a model (on Lesson 18) in a couple of days. When your child has chosen his/her topic, you can talk about how he/she might make the model: clay, box, construction paper. It should just be something simple.)

  1. Build a model for the project you have been researching.

Lesson 19 

Level 1-4

  1. Did you choose caves, mountains, rivers, glaciers, or volcanoes? Make a labeled diagram of how the one you picked is formed.

Level 5-8

  1. Did you choose caves, mountains, rivers, glaciers, or volcanoes? Make a labeled diagram of how the one you picked is formed.

Lesson 20

Level 1-4

  1. Present your model and explain it.
  2. If you need more time for your model or diagram, you can work on it on this day too.

Level 5-8

  1. Present your model and explain it.
  2. If you need more time for your model or diagram, you can work on it on this day too.

Lesson 21

Level 1-4

  1. Review what you’ve learned about the earth.
  2. Listen to the layers of the Earth song.

Level 5-8

  1. Read the first 10 pages of the next chapter of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. Review what you’ve learned about the Earth.
  3. Label the layers of the Earth.

Rocks

Lesson 22  

Level 1-4

(Materials: Start a rock collection. Hunt around for different looking rocks. We’ll study them soon.)

  1. We’ve learned about ways major landforms are formed. What about just one rock? Things like rivers and volcanoes create rocks too.
  2. Read about what makes up the Earth’s crust.
  3. Read this page on the rock cycle.
  4. Copy down the names of the three types of rocks.
  5. Start a rock collection. Try to get a variety of different looking rocks. Hold onto them through Lesson 35.

Level 5-8

(Materials: Start a rock collection. Hunt around for different looking rocks. We’ll study them soon.)

  1. Read the next ten pages of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. Learn about the rock cycle and the three types of rocks.
  3. Start a rock collection. Try to get a variety of different looking rocks. Hold onto them through Lesson 35.

Lesson 23

Level 1-4

  1. Watch the animation of how each of the three types of rocks are formed.
  2. Watch the animation on how they are transformed in the rock cycle.
  3. Describe each kind of rock. What makes each unique?

Level 5-8

  1. Read the next ten pages of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. Learn about the rock cycle. Take the quiz after you watch the video. If you get any wrong, make sure to review your answers.
  3. Scroll down to “What is pumice?” Read the description and look at the picture. What type of rock is it?
  4. Read the “Rocky’s Roots”  story.

Lesson 24

Level 1-4

  1. Let’s look at igneous rocks first.
  2. Here’s a reminder of how igneous rocks are formed and what they look like.
  3. Read about igneous rocks.
  4. You can listen to the song too.
  5. If your parents will let you, shake up soda and let it explode. (If not, here’s a video. Not the most fun example, but all I could find.) Why does it explode and what does that have to do with igneous rocks?

Level 5-8

  1. Read the next ten pages of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. Let’s look at igneous rocks first.
  3. Read about igneous rocks.  Click on How Rocks Change, and click Next to get to the page about Melting and Cooling.
  4. Read some more! (just the one section on “Igneous rocks”)
  5. What makes igneous rocks unique? How can you identify one?

Lesson 25 

Level 1-4

(Materials: clear jar or bottle or glass, dirt)

  1. Let’s look at sedimentary rocks next.
  2. Here’s a reminder of how sedimentary rocks are formed and what they look like.
  3. Read about sedimentary rocks.
  4. You can listen to the song again if you like.
  5. Gather up some dirt, rocky dirt if you can, into a jar or clear bottle or glass. Add water. Stir. Let sit. Watch the sediment fall into layers.

Level 5-8

  1. Read the next ten pages of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. Let’s look at sedimentary rocks next.
  3. Read about sedimentary rocks.  Click on How Rocks Change then click Next twice to get to the page about Weathering and Erosion.
  4. Read the one section about sedimentary rocks.
  5. What makes sedimentary rocks unique? How can you identify one?

Lesson 26 

Level 1-4

  1. Let’s look at metamorphic rocks next.
  2. Here’s a reminder of how metamorphic rocks are formed and what they look like.
  3. Read about metamorphic rocks. What do the pictures show?
  4. You can listen to the song again if you like.
  5. How do you think you might identify a metamorphic rock?

Level 5-8

  1. Read the next ten pages of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. Let’s look at metamorphic rocks next.
  3. Here’s a reminder of how metamorphic rocks are formed and what they look like.
  4. Read about metamorphic rocks.  Click on How Rocks Change and read the introduction and the section about Heat and Pressure.  View the animations.
  5. Read the one section about metamorphic rocks.
  6. Take the quiz.
  7. How do you think you might identify a metamorphic rock?

Lesson 27

Level 1-4

  1. Review the rock cycle.
  2. Make a rock cycle diagram. (Here are pictures of some. You can use the shapes given or make your own. If you find this complicated, you can draw pictures to show how each type of rock is formed as in the one picture.)

Level 5-8

  1. Read the next ten pages of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. Review the rock cycle.  Click the Rock Cycle Diagram tab.
  3. Make a rock cycle diagram. (example)

Lesson 28  

Level 1-4

(Materials: Your goal is to have three different kinds of rocks.)

  1. View the slideshow on sedimentary rock.
  2. Look at examples of sedimentary rocks. Make observations.
  3. What do you think are the defining characteristics of sedimentary rocks? Draw a picture of what you think an sedimentary rock would look like. (You can invent a rock.) Do you think you have any sedimentary rocks in your rock collection? (Are you working on your rock collection? We’ll be using it in coming lessons.)

Level 5-8

(Materials: Your goal is to have three different kinds of rocks.)

  1. Read the next ten pages of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. View the slideshow on sedimentary rock.
  3. Look at examples of sedimentary rocks. Make observations.
  4. Look at sedimentary rocks under the microscope.
  5. What do you think are the defining characteristics of sedimentary rocks? Write a description of what a sedimentary rock looks like. Do you think you have any sedimentary rocks in your rock collection? (Are you working on your rock collection? We’ll be using it in coming lessons.)

Lesson 29

Level 1-4

  1. View the slideshow on igneous rock.
  2. Look at examples of igneous rocks. Make observations.
  3. What do you think are the defining characteristics of igneous rocks? Draw a picture of what you think an igneous rock would look like. (You can invent a rock.) Do you think you have any igneous rocks in your rock collection?

Level 5-8

  1. Read to the end of the chapter Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. View the slideshow on igneous rock.
  3. Look at examples of igneous rocks. Make observations.
  4. Look at igneous rocks under the microscope.
  5. What do you think are the defining characteristics of igneous rocks? Write a description of what an igneous rock looks like. Do you think you have any igneous rocks in your rock collection?

Lesson 30

Level 1-4

  1. View the slideshow on metamorphic rock.
  2. Look at examples of metamorphic rocks. Make observations.
  3. What do you think are the defining characteristics of metamorphic rocks? Draw a picture of what you think a metamorphic rock would look like. (You can invent a rock.) Do you think you have any metamorphic rocks in your rock collection?

Level 5-8

  1. View the slideshow on metamorphic rock. (alternative link to avoid image of the Venus de Milo, parents may want to preview the main link)
  2. Look at examples of metamorphic rocks. Make observations.
  3. Look at metamorphic rocks under the microscope.
  4. What do you think are the defining characteristics of metamorphic rocks? Write a description of what a metamorphic rock looks like. Do you think you have any metamorphic rocks in your rock collection?

Lesson 31   

Level 1-4 

  1. Here is a list of ways you can identify rocks and a Moh’s hardness scale. This is for helping you decide your rock’s hardness number.
  2. Here are some descriptions of common rocks and how to identify them.
  3. Identify these rocks.
  4.  In the next lesson, you’ll be identifying the rocks in your collection.

Level 5-8

  1. Read pages 172 and 173 of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. Read about different ways to identify rocks and look at the Moh’s hardness scale.
  3. Here are some tables of common rocks to help you.
  4. Identify these rocks.
  5. In the next lesson, you’ll be identifying the rocks in your collection.

Lesson 32

Level 1-4*

(Materials: nail, penny)

  1. *You are going to fill out a chart for one of your rocks. You are trying to identify what kind of rock it is.
  2. Here is a list of ways you can identify rocks and a Moh’s hardness scale. This is for helping you decide your rock’s hardness number.
  3. Here are some descriptions of common rocks and how to identify them.
  4. Here’s a list of common rocks and their properties.
  5. When you are done, write in the box under or above your drawing what type of rock you think it is.

Level 5-8*

(Materials: nail, penny, vinegar)

  1. Read from the end of page 173 to the last paragraph on page 175 of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. *You are going to fill out a chart for one of your rocks. You are trying to identify what kind of rock it is.
  3. Read about different ways to identify rocks and look at the Moh’s hardness scale.
  4. Here are some descriptions of common rocks and how to identify them.
  5. Here are some tables of common rocks to help you.
  6. I know this is a lot of links for a day, but I think it will be easier to understand the properties if you just start trying to identify them in your rock.
  7. When you are done, write what type of rock you think it is.
  8. Hint: A sedimentary rock should fizz when put in vinegar.

Lesson 33

Level 1-4*

(Materials: nail, penny)

  1. *You are going to fill out a chart for another one of your rocks. You are trying to identify what kind of rock it is.
  2. Here is a list of ways you can identify rocks and a Moh’s hardness scale. This is for helping you decide your rock’s hardness number.
  3. Here are some descriptions of common rocks and how to identify them.
  4. Here’s a list of common rocks and their properties.
  5. When you are done, write in the box under or above your drawing what type of rock you think it is.

Level 5-8*

(Materials: nail, penny, vinegar)

  1. Read from the end of page 175 to the last paragraph on page 177 of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. You are going to fill out a chart for another one of your rocks. You are trying to identify what kind of rock it is.
  3. Read about different ways to identify rocks and look at the Moh’s hardness scale.
  4. Here are some tables of common rocks to help you.
  5. I know this is a lot of links for a day, but I think it will be easier to understand the properties if you just start trying to identify them in your rock.
  6. When you are done, write what type of rock you think it is.
  7. Hint: A sedimentary rock should fizz when put in vinegar.

Lesson 34

Level 1-4*

(Materials: nail, penny)

  1. *You are going to fill out a chart for another one of your rocks. You are trying to identify what kind of rock it is.
  2. Here is a list of ways you can identify rocks and a Moh’s hardness scale. This is for helping you decide your rock’s hardness number.
  3. Here are some descriptions of common rocks and how to identify them.
  4. Here’s a list of common rocks and their properties.
  5. When you are done, write in the box under or above your drawing what type of rock you think it is.

Level 5-8*

(Materials: nail, penny, vinegar)

  1. Read from the end of page 177 to the middle of page 180 of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. You are going to fill out a chart for another one of your rocks. You are trying to identify what kind of rock it is.
  3. Read about different ways to identify rocks and look at the Moh’s hardness scale.
  4. Here are some tables of common rocks to help you.
  5. I know this is a lot of links for a day, but I think it will be easier to understand the properties if you just start trying to identify them in your rock.
  6. When you are done, write what type of rock you think it is.
  7. Hint: A sedimentary rock should fizz when put in vinegar.

Lesson 35

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about the uses of various kinds of rocks.
  2. Take a piece of paper. Fold it in half in both directions to divide the paper into four boxes. In each box draw a picture of a rock (maybe in the top outer corner) and then draw a picture of how it is used. You can write its name in the box or on the back. You choose which four you want to do.

Level 5-8*

  1. Read from 180 to the middle of 183 of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book) 
  2. *Print out and fill in this worksheet on the uses of common rocks.
  3. Here is a site to help you, but you may need to do some research to complete the page.

Lesson 36

Level 1-4

  1. Read the lesson on geodes.
  2. Draw a picture of a geode.

Level 5-8*

  1. Read from the middle of 183 to the bottom of 185 of Madam How and Lady Why. (audio book)
  2. *Cut and assemble the shapes of mineral crystals.

Environmental Issues

Lesson 37

Level 1-4

  1. God created the Earth and all that was in it, and then gave man charge over it. It’s up to us to take care of it.
  2. Read this page and learn about recycling.
  3. Recycle. You need to reorder the trash cans to collect the falling trash. You reorder them by dragging and dropping the can into place. You have to drop the can. You can’t be touching it with the trash hits it.

Level 5-8

  1. What can we do to stop disasters?
  2. Play the game to find out.

Lesson 38

Level 1-4

  1. Take the recycling challenge.
  2. There are lots of things to click on. Go through them all.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about water conservation. Read “Why Save?” And then click on the “Simple Ways to Save” tab and read that part as well.
  2. Wasting water is weird. Watch the commercial.
  3. You can read about water projects around the world providing clean, safe drinking water.  WaterAid

Lesson 39

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about planting trees.
  2. You can also finish your game from Lesson 38.

Level 5-8

  1. Lack of safe water is a serious issue in many places of the world.
  2. Many people also deal with a lack of adequate food as well.
  3. Play this game to learn about these issues facing our world that cause a lack of adequate food and water.
  4. You can watch the video on this page and see some issues faced by those without access to water or clean water. The man who started this charity is someone I have babysat for. His wife and I were in a young mother’s Bible study together years ago.

Lesson 40  (Optional Experiment Materials: plastic bottle, 2 clear jars, sand, gravel, cotton wool (or cotton ball to substitute), paper towels, soil)

Level 1-4(*) Note that an asterisk in parenthesis (*) indicates an optional page to print.

  1. Let’s continue learning about water. Next, we are going to learn about the water cycle (you know, rain!).
  2. Watch the video about clean water.
  3. Then either do the water cleaning experiment or play the (*)water treatment game.

Level 5-8(*) Note that an asterisk in parenthesis (*) indicates an optional page to print.

  1. Let’s continue learning about water. Next, we are going to learn about the water cycle (you know, rain!).
  2. Watch the video about clean water.
  3. Then either do the water cleaning experiment or play the (*)water treatment game.

The Water Cycle

Lesson 41

Level 1-4

  1. Learn the water cycle. What are the four parts?
  2. Answer these questions about the water cycle. (You can just tell someone the answers.) Watch the water cycle animation again if you need help with any of the answers. There are two answers that aren’t in the animation, but they are things you’ve learned about this year already. They start with G and R.
  3. You are going to be reading a little a day from the book, The First Book of Water. Today, start at the top of page 7, on the right-hand side, and read pages 7 and 8.

Level 5-8

  1. Watch the water cycle video.
  2. Read about the water cycle.
  3. Click on the video on dead trees and dirty water.
  4. Write a paragraph or explain to someone the water cycle and some of the ways it can be affected.

Lesson 42  

Level 1-4

(Materials: paper towel or coffee filter with markers with a jar and clothespins OR sugar cubes and food coloring with a shallow dish — If you don’t have a jar and clothespins, you can do without.

  1. Read the next couple pages of The First Book of Water, 9-10.
  2. We’re going to explore and experiment with each part of the water cycle. We’re going to start with infiltration, where water goes into the soil.
  3. Gravity pulls water down into the soil, but water can also be pulled in other directions through the soil. Observe this. It’s called capillary action. Below are a couple of different ways to observe this.
    • With paper towel or coffee filter
      1. Cut the paper towel or coffee filter into a few strips.
      2. Put a dot with marker toward the end of each strip. If you can, use different colors.
      3. Put a little water in the bottom of the jar.
      4. Clip the strips onto  the jar so that it just touches the water.
      5. Observe the water and color climb the strip.
      6. Here’s a picture.
    • With sugar cubes
      1. Make a short stack of sugar cubes in a shallow dish.
      2. Pour in some water colored with food coloring.
      3. Observe the water climb through the cubes. 
  4. You could take a picture of this to include in your portfolio.

Level 5-8

(Materials: clear jar/glass/cup, gravel/sand/rocks/dirt)

  1. We’re going to explore and experiment with each part of the water cycle. We’re going to start with infiltration, where water goes into the soil and into water storage.
  2. Follow the directions on this page to make an aquifer in a cup. Then explain, using your experiment, the following terms:
    • surface water
    • water table
    • saturation zone
    • unsaturated zone
  3. “Background Information on the Importance of Groundwater Resources: Water is
    an essential resource for all living things. Half of the drinking water for United States comes from groundwater sources, water stored underground in cracks and spaces in soil and rocks. An aquifer is a geologic formation made of a layer of permeable rock that has large pockets of water. Water can enter an aquifer through faults, fractures, sinkholes, or percolation through the soil in a process called recharge. How we live on our watershed, the area of land that drains into a body of water, can impact water quantity and quality. It is important to maintain the quantity and quality of groundwater in aquifers in order to be able to continue to use this resource.” (from)
  4. Design an experiment to test what affects surface runoff and groundwater recharge (draw or write).
  5. Give this to a parent to include in your portfolio.

Lesson 43

Level 1-4

 (Materials: materials that you can get wet; some ideas are paper towel, wash cloth and twig)

  1. Read the next couple pages of The First Book of Water, 11-12.
  2. Next in the water cycle is evaporation and transpiration.
  3. Experiment: Wet different materials and set them out in the sun. Observe how long they take to dry. Where did the water go? (You can do this indoors if you need to.) Ideas for materials: paper towel, washcloth, twig

Level 5-8

(Materials: jar, plastic wrap, rubber band, plant materials such as leaves and stems) 

  1. Next in the water cycle is evaporation and transpiration.
  2. Observe transpiration.
    1. Put plant materials in a jar. You can break up larger plants.
    2. Cover with plastic wrap. Hold it on with a rubber band to keep it on tight.
    3. Place the jar in a warm area, on a warm surface and place in the sun or under a lamp.
    4. Watch for water to form on the plastic. This will not happen quickly. Do something else in the meantime. 🙂

Lesson 44

Level 1-4

(Materials: glass or jar, dish, ice, warm water — see directions, you might want to plan ahead on this one)

  1. Read the next few pages of The First Book of Water, 13-15, stopping at the heading.
  2. The next phase of the water cycle is condensation, where water vapor cools into water droplets and forms clouds.
  3. Make a cloud in a glass. (If you can’t do it, there’s a video on this page.)
    1. Choose a clear glass and a small dish that fits over top of it.
    2. Place the dish in the freezer. (You want it to be cold.)
    3. Pour a small amount of warm water into the glass.
    4. Cover it with the cold dish.
    5. Observe the cloud that forms near the dish.
    6. Why does the cool dish make a cloud appear?  (Answer)

Level 5-8

(Materials: 2 liter bottle and matches OR glass jar with lid, boiling water and aerosol can)

  1. The next phase of the water cycle is condensation, where water vapor cools into water droplets and forms clouds.
  2. Make a cloud in a glass. There are two methods below.
    1. 2 liter bottle and matches
    2. glass jar with lid, boiling water, aerosol can
  3. What did you observe?
  4. Why did it happen?

Lesson 45  

Level 1-4

(Materials: glass jar, dish, hot water, ice)

  1. Read the next three pages of The First Book of Water., 15-17, starting at “It’s Raining.”
  2. What happens when you heat ice? Click on water from the list. Click on “solid,” “liquid,” “gas.” Compare what they look like. The difference is how much movement is in the molecules.
  3. What happens when you heat liquid? What happens when you cool steam? What happens when you cool liquid?
  4. The last stage of the water cycle is precipitation. You are most familiar with this. It means when the water falls from the sky as rain, snow, or even hail.
  5. What happens before it rains? Clouds form. You are going to make it rain by doing a version of the same experiment from Lesson 44.
  6. What did you observe?
  7. Why did it happen?

Level 5-8

 (Materials: cup, plastic wrap or baggie, tape or rubber band)

  1. What happens when you heat ice? Click on solid, liquid, and gas to view what it looks like in each state. Imagine those blue balls are water. When water is a solid, it is ice. When it’s a gas, it’s steam. Heat and cool and watch the changes from solid to liquid to gas and from gas to liquid to solid.
    • What happens when you heat liquid?
    • What happens when you cool steam (gas)?
    • What happens when you cool liquid?
  2. The water cycle is a cycle, right? All the parts are related. You are going to do an experiment that’s sort of a continuation of your transpiration experiment.
  3. Make it rain. (This again will take some time.)
  4. What did you observe?
  5. Why did it happen?

Lesson 46

Level 1-4(*)

  1. Read the next couple pages of The First Book of Water., 18-19, stopping after the first full paragraph on page 19, after “for their food,” before it starts talking about the mountains.
  2. Review the rock cycle by singing karaoke.
  3. Review the water cycle.
  4. (*)Make a water cycle diagram or color this one. (Answers) *PARENTS: please check the answers using a separate/different browser from the one your child uses for school.

Level 5-8

  1. Review the rock cycle.  Click the Test your skills tab.
  2. Review the water cycle. Click on “test yourself.”
  3. Draw a water cycle diagram. Label it with evaporation/transpiration, condensation, infiltration and precipitation.

Weather

Lesson 47 

Level 1-4

  1. Read the next couple pages of The First Book of Water., pages 19-21, starting where you left off at the second paragraph and stopping at the break in the page where there is a heading.
  2. Read about humidity.
  3. What makes us have chapped lips?
  4. What makes it feel sticky?
  5. What’s the humidity today where you live? Type your city into the search box. Click on “EXPAND WEATHER DETAILS” immediately below the Current Conditions.

Level 5-8

 (Materials: piece of cardboard, tape, two tube thermometers–to measure air temperature, cotton ball, rubber band — you can substitute for the cotton ball and rubber band if necessary. You don’t have to tape the thermometers to the cardboard. If you only have one thermometer, then you can just do the wet thermometer and compare it to the starting temperature. You are going to repeat the experiment on Lessons 48 and 51.)

  1. Read about humidity.
  2. Relative humidity is given as a percent. It has to do with the temperature outside, how the amount of moisture in the air compares to the temperature, showing if the humidity is high for that temperature or not.
  3. What is humidity?
  4. Measure the relative humidity where you are.
    • Question: What is the current relative humidity?
    • Procedure:
      1. Tape two thermometers to a piece of cardboard.
      2. Record their identical temperatures.
      3. Attach something like a warm, wet cotton ball to the bulb of the thermometer. You could use a rubber band.
      4. Record the temperatures in 5 minutes.
      5. Enter the information onto this page on humidity. Enter the dry and wet bulb temperatures and click on “compute.” The info will be at the bottom of the box.
    • Conclusion: What was the relative humidity?
  5. Compare your results to what the news says. Type your city into the search box. Click on “EXPAND WEATHER DETAILS” immediately below the Current Conditions.
  6. Remember that yours was not as precise, but it was up to the minute. You are also not at the same location where they are measuring.

Lesson 48  

Level 1-4

(Materials: glass or metal cup, tube thermometer to measure the water temperature, ice)

  1. Read the next few pages of The First Book of Water, 21- 23, starting after the heading and stopping in the middle of page 23.
  2. Read about condensation and dew point. 
  3. Experiment:
    1. The dew point is defined as the temperature at which water vapor begins to condense.
    2. Question: What is the dew point right now? (At what temperature does water vapor begin to condense?)
    3. Procedure:
      • Take a metal or glass cup and add room temperature water. (It’s okay if it’s a little warm.)
      • Measure the water temperature.
      • Add ice a bit at a time and watch the outside of the cup.
      • As soon as you see condensation (water appearing on the outside of the cup), record the temperature of the water.
    4. Conclusion: That’s the dew point, the temperature at which water vapor in the air begins to condense into liquid.

Level 5-8

  1.  Read about dew point.
  2. What is dew point temperature?
  3. Read more about humidity and dew point.
  4. Repeat the experiment from Lesson 47.
  5. Enter the numbers again and this time pay attention to the relative humidity and the dew point temperature. The info is at the bottom of the box.
  6. If you have younger siblings, you can compare your dew point results with theirs. If you don’t and you want to find the dew point temperature on your own, here’s an experiment.

Lesson 49  

Level 1-4*

  1. Read the next few pages of The First Book of Water, 23-25, starting in the middle of the page and ending at the paragraph break.
  2. Read the page about clouds.
  3. *Cut out four cloud pictures.
  4. Glue them onto a piece of paper or cardboard or poster board so you don’t lose them. On Lesson 50 you’ll have four more to add.
  5. What kind of clouds are outside now?

Level 5-8*

(Materials: brass fastener)

  1. Read about clouds.
  2. *Put together the cloud finder.
  3. What kind of clouds are outside now?

Lesson 50

Level 1-4*

  1. Read the next few pages of The First Book of Water, 25-27, starting at the new paragraph in the middle, and stopping in the middle of page 27 at the paragraph break where it says, “sandbars.”
  2. *Cut out four more cloud pictures.
  3. You can glue them on with the others.
  4. Every time you see one of the types of clouds, put a tally mark under that cloud picture.

Level 5-8*

  1. *Start filling in your cloud and weather chart. Fill in the first line, but leave blank the last spot. You can fill that in later in the day. Observe the clouds and predict the weather. Use your cloud finder to help you. Check later to record what really happened with the weather.
  2. Try these cloud matching quizzes.
    • one  (This one requires you to turn off your Adblocker.)
    • two
    • three

Lesson 51

Level 1-4

  1. Read the next few pages of The First Book of Water, pages 27-29, starting in the middle at the paragraph break and stopping at the heading.
  2. Every time you see one of the types of clouds, put a tally mark under that cloud picture.
  3. Make a picture of each of three main types of clouds: cumulus, stratus and cirrus. You can just draw or paint. Or, if you have the materials, you can try a puffy paint project. Here are two ways to do it.

Level 5-8

  1. Fill in the next line on your cloud and weather chart.
  2. Repeat the experiment from Lesson 47.
  3. Enter the information into the cloud altitude calculator.
  4. You can read about this calculator and its accuracy at the bottom of this page.
  5. Observe what type of clouds are in the sky.
  6. On this page about clouds, you can read on the chart the heights of various types of clouds.
  7. Does your calculated estimate fit in the normal range for the type of cloud?

Lesson 52

Level 1-4

  1. Read the next couple pages of The First Book of Water, 29 and 30, starting after the heading.
  2. Every time you see one of the types of clouds, put a tally mark under that cloud picture.
  3. Read about snow, sleet, rain and hail.
  4. What does the second graph show? Hint: the bottom letters are months of the year.
  5. Draw pictures of different types of snow.

Level 5-8

  1. Fill in the next line on your cloud and weather chart.
  2. Read about precipitation.
  3. How many water droplets are in a raindrop? (answer: millions!)
  4. Do most raindrops start as water or ice? (hint: water)

Lesson 53  

Level 1-4(*)

(Materials: glass jar)

  1. Read the next couple of pages, The First Book of Water, 31-32.
  2. Every time you see one of the types of clouds, put a tally mark under that cloud picture.
  3. Learn about measuring precipitation.
  4. Make a rain gauge. If you are getting snow, allow the snow to melt to measure the precipitation amount. (*)If you want, you can tape a paper ruler to the jar. Cover the ruler with tape completely to protect it from the rain.
  5. Look at today’s precipitation in America. Where is it precipitating the most?
  6. If you are in America, you might like to see an average precipitation map. Find your state.

Level 5-8*

  1. Fill in the next line on your cloud and weather chart.
  2. Read about annual precipitation.
  3. Make a map that shows the places in the world with the most and least precipitation.
  4. Look up the average rainfall where you live. Type the place name in the box to search for it. You may need to choose a close location from options. Scroll down to average precipitation.
  5. Make a bar or line graph of average rainfall for where you live.

Lesson 54  

Level 1-4

  1. We’re not going to finish the book, but if you’d like to, here’s the link. There are about ten pages left.
  2. Every time you see one of the types of clouds, put a tally mark under that cloud picture.
  3. Read about temperature.
  4. Drag the slider up and down the thermometer to see what average temperatures are for various things, both in Fahrenheit and in Celsius.
  5. What’s the current temperature where you are?
  6. Find your current temperature on the other scale, either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
  7. Sometimes the temperature feels different than it is. When you are out in the sun it feels hotter than in the shade. Wet your hands and wave them around to act like wind is blowing on them. Do they feel colder? We call that wind chill. When it’s windy, it feels cooler.

Level 5-8

(Materials: clear small plastic bottle, rubbing alcohol, clear plastic straw, clay/play dough, food coloring) 

  1. Fill in the next line on your cloud and weather chart.
  2. Read this page on temperature.
    • Enter different amounts into the calculators to see how they come out.
    • You can use your temperature and dew point measurements from the other days to find the heat index.
  3. Make a thermometer. (Different version of the same experiment. They use a jar instead.)

Lesson 55   

Level 1-4

(Materials: small coffee can–can substitute something else, plastic wrap, straw, index card–can substitute, rubber band)

  1. Every time you see one of the types of clouds, put a tally mark under that cloud picture.
  2. Now we’ll learn about what causes the wind in the wind chill.
  3. Read about air pressure and how to measure it.
  4. Make a barometer.

Level 5-8

(Materials: peeled hard-boiled egg, bottle or jar with opening slightly smaller than the diameter of the egg, paper/lighter or matches or very hot water or very cold liquid)

  1. Fill in the next line on your cloud and weather chart.
  2. Read the pages about air pressure and how to measure it. Stop when you get to wind. (Ignore the Flash symbol. It’s just a page reader, not content you are missing.)
  3. Read about this experiment and then try it. You are changing the air pressure to suck an egg down inside a bottle. Here’s another explanation of the experiment. If you can’t do it, here’s a video of it to watch.

Lesson 56  

Level 1-4

(Materials: index card, paper clip, straw, straight pin, pencil with eraser, clay/play dough)

  1. Every time you see one of the types of clouds, put a tally mark under that cloud picture.
  2. Read about the wind and how to measure it.
  3. Make a weather vane.
    • Cut a triangle out of the end of an index card.
    • Attach a paper clip to the end of the triangle.
    • Tape them onto both ends of a straw.
    • Use a straight pin to attach the straw to a pencil eraser.
    • Stand the pencil up using some kind of clay.
    • Put it outside.
    • When the wind blows, which way is it blowing?

Level 5-8*

  1. Fill in the next line on your cloud and weather chart.
  2. Read about wind. There is a LOT on this page. You don’t have to know the names of every type of wind.
  3. Tell someone what the following are: the jet stream, sea breeze, trade winds, and monsoon.
  4. Knots are how wind speed is measured. It is abbreviated “kts.” On this site, look for the wind speed in your location and in another location far away from you. What are the speeds and where are they on the Beaufort Scale?
  5. *Print out this map of the world. Draw on the global wind patterns from your reading today. Where does your country fall in the pattern?

Lesson 57 

Level 1-4(*)

  1. Read about a blizzard.
  2. Try cloud matching.
  3. Read the story of visiting the National Weather Service. (*)If you like, print a page or all of it for coloring. (alternate link)

Level 5-8

(Materials: 5 little paper cups, sharpened pencil with eraser, push pin (tack), 2 straws)

  1. Make an anemometer.
  2. Measure the wind speed. Use the directions on the page to figure out the speed.
  3. If you can’t make the anemometer, use the internet to find the current wind speed in your area. Use the direction on the anemometer page to figure out how many times your anemometer would have spun around (and how big it would be) to measure that wind speed.

Lesson 58

Level 1-4

  1. Try this tricky water cycle game. Aim the mirror at the sun rays. In the second level, jump and over and avoid the runoff.
  2. What is evaporation and runoff? Why are they an important part of the water cycle?

Level 5-8

  1. Read about fronts and masses. Look at the images to see what’s happening.
  2. Explain what air masses are, what the different fronts are and what they mean to our weather.
  3. What can you see happening on this weather map (scroll down a little to the map). H is a high pressure area. L means low pressure. Fronts are marked with blue and red lines, blue for cold and red for warm.

Lesson 59  

Level 1-4

  1. Watch the story. (from Tellitagan)
  2. Read about tornadoes.
  3. What kind of weather warnings do you see on this map? (changes daily)

Level 5-8

(Materials: clear jar, vinegar, clear liquid soap, optional food coloring)

  1. Read about tornadoes.
  2. Create a tornado in a jar.

Lesson 60

Level 1-4*

  1. Read about tornadoes.
  2. *Answer the questions about tornadoes. (Answers)

Level 5-8

  1. Watch the tornado chasers. Listen for the conditions in the atmosphere and cloud formations.

Lesson 61

Level 1-4

  1. Read about lightning.
  2. Here is another version of the type of map on the second page. This is a lightning density map. It shows how many flashes there are in any given area in a year. Zoom in to the United States of American until you can see the individual states. Which state sees the most lightning? What part of the country sees the least? If you live in America, what is it like in your state?

Level 5-8

  1. Materials: blue food coloring
  2. Read about lightning. Don’t use the links on the page.
  3. Explain to someone what lightning is.
  4. Here’s one of the links from the page you read. It shows if there has been any recent lightning activity. Look for big circles to grow and shrink around a new lightning bolt. The color shows how long ago it happened. Refer to the key on the page. The numbers at the bottom are the current time in those places when you opened the page.
    • Has there been any lightning activity?
    • Where? When? How much?
  5. Make some blue water ice cubes. Add food coloring to some water. It doesn’t matter the color, but blue will represent cold fronts the best. Freeze into an ice cube tray. You just need a few.

Lesson 62  

Level 1-4*

  1. Read the booklet on lightning.
  2. *Complete these worksheets based on what you read. (Answers)

Level 5-8

(Materials: plastic container shoe box sized, food coloring — the blue ice cubes you made on Lesson 61)

  1. Read this page on powerful storms. (Just read this one page for now.)
  2. Show how cold and warm fronts interact to cause thunderstorms.
  3. Do the experiment and explain it.

Lesson 63  

Level 1-4

(Materials: balloon, florescent light bulb, brown paper lunch bag or you can just use the balloon)

  1. Make lightning.
  2. Make thunder.

Level 5-8

  1. Watch this video on lightning.
  2. Watch this lightning video on upward lightning. How can that happen?
  3. You can watch videos on this page as well, but DON’T download any. Just click on ones that say, “Watch this video.”

Lesson 64

Level 1-4

  1. Read about hurricanes.
  2. What do you notice about the names of hurricanes? There are two patterns to notice. (answer: They choose names in alphabetical order, first an A name, then a B name, etc. They also alternate between boy and girl names. Can you think of a reason to alternate between boy and girl names? hint: Hurricanes are not nice things.)

Level 5-8

  1. Read about hurricanes.
  2. You can use the links on the page to see maps and learn more.

Lesson 65

Level 1-4*

  1. Read about hurricanes.
  2. *Complete these worksheets based on what you read. (Answers)

Level 5-8

  1. Watch the video on hurricanes. (Alternate link)

Lesson 66

Level 1-4

  1. Read about how hurricanes form and die.
  2. Write or tell how hurricanes form and get stronger and then how they slow down and stop.
  3. Create a hurricane. Choose the easier level.
  4. How do the high and low pressure areas affect the path of the storm?

Level 5-8

  1. Read about the eye of the hurricane.
  2. Create a hurricane. Choose the hard level.

Lesson 67

Level 1-4*

  1. Read about winter storms.
  2. *Complete these worksheets based on what you read. (Answers)

Level 5-8

  1. Read about ice and snow, just this one page.
  2. Read about forecasting (one page).

Lesson 68

Level 1-4*(*)

  1. *Print out the thermometers.
  2. Each day (for five days) you will write on the date and time under one thermometer.
  3. See online the current temperature at your location, or read a thermometer you have at home.
  4. Color in the thermometer to match the temperature.
  5. (*)On the back, you can write, draw, or glue on a picture to show what it is like outside.
  6. Tell someone what you predict the weather will be like tomorrow. This is called forecasting the weather.

Level 5-8*

  1. *Print out this weather chart.
  2. For the next five days you will fill it in according to the day’s forecast. Find your local forecast.
  3. Each day you will also make a prediction of what the next day’s forecast will be. Write down your prediction. Judge each day how accurate your prediction is. DO NOT look at the five-day forecast before you predict.

Lesson 69

Level 1-4

  1. Write the date and time on one thermometer from the page you printed on Lesson 68.
  2. See online the current temperature at your location, or read a thermometer you have at home.
  3. Color in the thermometer to match the temperature.
  4. On the back, you can write, draw, or glue on a picture to show what it is like outside.
  5. Tell someone what you predict the weather will be like tomorrow. This is called forecasting the weather.

Level 5-8

  1. Fill in your chart according to the day’s forecast. Find your local forecast.
  2. Each day you will also make a prediction of what the next day’s forecast will be. Write down your prediction. Judge each day how accurate your prediction is. DO NOT look at the five-day forecast before you predict.
  3. See if you can find any patterns. Try to use what you have observed and learned about clouds, humidity, pressure, etc. as well.
  4. Save all of your weather data.
  5. Read these tips for forecasting.

Lesson 70

Level 1-4

  1. Write the date and time on one thermometer from the page you printed on Lesson 68.
  2. See online the current temperature at your location, or read a thermometer you have at home.
  3. Color in the thermometer to match the temperature.
  4. On the back, you can write, draw or glue on a picture to show what it is like outside.
  5. Tell someone what you predict the weather will be like tomorrow. This is called forecasting the weather.
  6. Does knowing one day’s temperature and conditions help you know what the next day will be like?

Level 5-8

  1. Fill in your chart according to the day’s forecast. Find your local forecast.
  2. Each day you will also make a prediction of what the next day’s forecast will be. Write down your prediction. Judge each day how accurate your prediction is. DO NOT look at the five-day forecast before you predict.
  3. See if you can find any patterns. Try to use what you have observed and learned about clouds, humidity, pressure, etc. as well.
  4. Read about meteorologists’ tools in forecasting weather.

Lesson 71

Level 1-4

  1. Write the date and time on one thermometer from the page you printed on Lesson 68.
  2. See online the current temperature at your location, or read a thermometer you have at home.
  3. Color in the thermometer to match the temperature.
  4. On the back, you can write, draw, or glue on a picture to show what it is like outside.
  5. Tell someone what you predict the weather will be like tomorrow. This is called forecasting the weather.

Level 5-8

  1. Fill in your chart according to the day’s forecast. Find your local forecast.
  2. Each day you will also make a prediction of what the next day’s forecast will be. Write down your prediction. Judge each day how accurate your prediction is. DO NOT look at the five-day forecast before you predict.
  3. See if you can find any patterns. Try to use what you have observed and learned about clouds, humidity, pressure, etc. as well.
  4. Read about forecasting.

Lesson 72

Level 1-4

  1. Write the date and time on one thermometer from the page you printed on Lesson 68.
  2. See online the current temperature at your location, or read a thermometer you have at home.
  3. Color in the thermometer to match the temperature.
  4. On the back, you can write, draw, or glue on a picture to show what it is like outside.
  5. How did you do in forecasting the weather? We’re going to learn more about forecasting.

Level 5-8

  1. Fill in your chart according to the day’s forecast. Find your local forecast.
  2. How did you do in your predictions? We’re going to be learning more about forecasting and hopefully you’ll get more accurate.
  3. Save all of your weather data.
  4. Do level 2 and level 3 of “Report the Weather.” You can move around the map! You need to move the map until you see where the light bulb question is centered.

Lesson 73

Level 1-4

  1. Do level 1 of “Report the Weather.”
  2. You can move around the map! You need to move the map until you see where the light bulb question is centered.

Level 5-8

  1. Do level 1 of “Predict the Weather.”
  2. You can move around the map! You need to move the map until you see where the light bulb question is centered.

Lesson 74

Level 1-4

  1. Do level 2 of “Report the Weather.”
  2. You can move around the map! You need to move the map until you see where the light bulb question is centered.

Level 5-8

  1. Do level 2 of “Predict the Weather.”
  2. You can move around the map! You need to move the map until you see where the light bulb question is centered.

Lesson 75

Level 1-4*

  1. *Print out a map of your region:
    West
    Midwest
    South
    Northeast
    Focus on your own state. Make a weather map like the ones you made online. Put on the temperature and a picture of what it is like. (If you are outside the US, you can find other maps here.)
  2. You can use this site to see your current temperature and conditions.
  3. Then you can use this global current temperatures map to fill in some of the areas around your location. Scroll down and choose your location from the list.

Level 5-8

  1. Do level 3 of “Predict the Weather.”
  2. You can move around the map! You need to move the map until you see where the light bulb question is centered.

Lesson 76

Level 1-4*

  1. *Make a weather map that shows your forecast for tomorrow. Print a map of your region:
    West
    Midwest
    South
    Northeast
    (If you are outside the US, you can find other maps here.)

Level 5-8*

  1. You are going to present a five-day forecast on Lesson 80.
  2. Record the daily temperature, conditions, winds and whatever information you think is helpful.
  3. Observe the clouds.
  4. You can look at this site to see temperatures, precipitation, and winds in the areas surrounding you.
  5. Track everything on maps. Make a weather map each day that shows how conditions are changing (like when you “reported the weather”).
  6. *You can print out your region: west, midwest, south, northeast (or here’s a site if you’re in another country) and label temperatures, conditions, and how they are moving. (Print 4 maps.)
  7. By Lesson 80 you will make a poster that shows your five-day forecast.

Lesson 77

Level 1-4*

  1. *Print out a map of your region:
    West
    Midwest
    South
    Northeast
    Focus on your own state. Make a weather map like the ones you made online. Put on the temperature and a picture of what it is like. (If you are outside the US, you can find other maps here.)
  2. You can use this site to see your current temperature and conditions.
  3. Compare it to your map from Lesson 76.
  4. You could include this in your portfolio.

Level 5-8*

  1. You are going to present a five-day forecast on Lesson 80.
  2. Record the daily temperature, conditions, winds and whatever information you think is helpful.
  3. You can look at this site to see temperatures, precipitation, and winds in the areas surrounding you.
  4. *Track everything on maps. Print out a map of your region:
    West
    Midwest
    South
    Northeast
    (If you are outside the US, you can find other maps here.)

Lesson 78

Level 1-4

  1. Review the cloud poster you made.
  2. Can you identify the clouds?
  3. Read the weather comic strip.
  4. Make your own if you like.

Level 5-8

  1. You are going to present a five-day forecast on Lesson 80.
  2. Record the daily temperature, conditions, winds and whatever information you think is helpful.
  3. You can look at this site to see temperatures, precipitation, and winds in the areas surrounding you.
  4. *Track everything on maps. Print out a map of your region:
    West
    Midwest
    South
    Northeast
    (If you are outside the US, you can find other maps here.)

Lesson 79

Level 1-4*

  1. *Try the word search.

Level 5-8

  1. Prepare your five-day forecast and poster to present it.

Lesson 80

Level 1-4

  1. Read the weather jokes.
  2. Tell your favorite two weather jokes to someone and explain them.

Level 5-8

  1. Present your five-day forecast.
  2. Take a picture for your portfolio.

Review

Lesson 81

Level 1-4

  1. Try to unscramble these weather words.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about becoming a meteorologist.

Lesson 82

Level 1-4

  1. Listen to the rock cycle song.
  2. Explain the rock cycle to someone.

Level 5-8

  1. Make observations. What do you notice about these weather stats on Antarctica?

Lesson 83

Level 1-4

  1. Listen to a song about the Earth’s layers.
  2. Tell someone what the layers are and what you remember about them.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about clouds and answer the questions.

Lesson 84

Level 1-4

  1. Listen to a song about rain and the water cycle.
  2. Tell someone about the water cycle. How does the rain get up in the sky and why does it fall back down?

Level 5-8

  1. Explain the rock and water cycles.

Lesson 85

Level 1-4

  1. Listen to the song about lightning and read along with this explanation of lightning storms.
  2. What makes lightning? What makes storms?

Level 5-8

  1. Use the interactive.
  2. What causes weather? Explain.

Science Fair

Lesson 86

Level 1-4

(Materials: Students get to choose and/or create an experiment.)

  1. Choose a question to answer.
  2. Design an experiment to answer the question. You can use an existing experiment if you like. (You should finish this step today.)
  3. On Lessons 87 – 90…
    • Do the experiment.
    • Record the experiment.
    • Present your experiment on Lesson 90. You could make a video, a poster, a book or use this experiment book to write and draw in for your project.
  4. Here are some experiment ideas based on what we’ve just been learning…and more ideas.

Level 5-8

(Materials: Students get to choose and/or create an experiment.)

  1. Choose a question to answer.
  2. Design an experiment to answer the question. You can use an existing experiment, but think of a way to expand it and try it with new things or in a new way. (Finish through this step today, Lesson 86.)
  3. On Lessons 87 – 90…
    • Do the experiment.
    • Record the experiment.
    • Present your experiment on Lesson 90. Make a video, poster, book…show others what you did. Include your question, your hypothesis, best guess as to what the answer will be, and a complete list of materials. Include as many detailed steps as possible for how you did it. Include as many observations as possible. Make a chart of any data you collected, measurements you took. Write a great paragraph explaining your conclusion.
  4. Here are some experiment ideas based on what we’ve just been learning…and more ideas.

Lesson 87 

Level 1-4

  1. What you need to be working on…
    • Do your experiment.
    • Record the experiment.
    • Present your experiment on Lesson 90. You could make a video, a poster, a book or use this experiment book to write and draw in for your project.

Level 5-8

  1. What you need to be working on…
    • Do your experiment.
    • Record the experiment.
    • Present your experiment on Lesson 90. Make a video, poster, book…show others what you did. Include your question, your hypothesis, best guess as to what the answer will be, and a complete list of materials. Include as many detailed steps as possible for how you did it. Include as many observations as possible. Make a chart of any data you collected, measurements you took. Write a great paragraph explaining your conclusion.

Lesson 88 

Level 1-4

  1. What you need to be working on…
    • Do your experiment.
    • Record the experiment.
    • Present your experiment on Lesson 90. You could make a video, a poster, a book or use this experiment book to write and draw in for your project.

Level 5-8

  1. What you need to be working on…
    • Do your experiment.
    • Record the experiment.
    • Present your experiment on Lesson 90. Make a video, poster, book…show others what you did. Include your question, your hypothesis, best guess as to what the answer will be, and a complete list of materials. Include as many detailed steps as possible for how you did it. Include as many observations as possible. Make a chart of any data you collected, measurements you took. Write a great paragraph explaining your conclusion.

Lesson 89 

Level 1-4

  1. What you need to be working on…
    • Do your experiment.
    • Record the experiment.
    • Present your experiment on Lesson 90. You could make a video, a poster, a book or use this experiment book to write and draw in for your project.

Level 5-8

  1. What you need to be working on…
    • Do your experiment.
    • Record the experiment.
    • Present your experiment on Lesson 90. Make a video, poster, book…show others what you did. Include your question, your hypothesis, best guess as to what the answer will be, and a complete list of materials. Include as many detailed steps as possible for how you did it. Include as many observations as possible. Make a chart of any data you collected, measurements you took. Write a great paragraph explaining your conclusion.

Lesson 90 

Level 1-4

  1. Present the experiment you’ve been working on. You could make a video, a poster, a book or use this experiment book to write and draw in for your project.

Level 5-8

  1. Present the experiment you’ve been working on. Make a video, poster, book…show others what you did. Include your question, your hypothesis, best guess as to what the answer will be, and a complete list of materials. Include as many detailed steps as possible for how you did it. Include as many observations as possible. Make a chart of any data you collected, measurements you took. Write a great paragraph explaining your conclusion.

Hydrosphere

Lesson 91

Level 1-4

  1. We are going to now focus on water on the planet Earth. 70% of the Earth is covered in water. Here’s a picture of 70%. The blue part shows how much of the Earth is covered in water. The rest is the land. There is more than twice as much water as there is land!
  2. Some of this is review.
  3. Today read the first four topics under freshwater systems. You will read about watersheds, streams becoming rivers and rivers traveling into the ocean. Click on the links to the left. (Stop where there is a break, before river zones.)

Level 5-8

  1. Read the introduction to the hydrosphere.
  2. After you read, take the quiz.
  3. List as many types of bodies of water that you can think of (for example, lake). Click on some of the list of links on this page for more ideas of types of bodies of water.

Lesson 92

Level 1-4

  1. Click on river zones on the menu on the left side of the screen. Study the picture.
  2. Follow the directions and answer the questions on the page with your thoughts on the matter.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about freshwater.
  2. Read about the anatomy of a river.

Lesson 93

Level 1-4*

  1. *Print out a map of the world.
  2. Read about hydroelectric plants.
  3. Read the chart about the longest rivers.
  4. Draw the rivers onto your map as best as you can. You could draw each with a pencil and number them on the map and write their names with their numbers at the top of the map.
  5. You can use this atlas to help you. Search the river names if you don’t know where they go.
  6. Hold onto this map.

Level 5-8

  1. *Print out a map of the world.
  2. Draw at least six rivers onto your map. Draw at least one in the country where you live. You must also draw at least one on six different continents.
  3. Label the rivers. Either make a key by color or number the rivers and make a key that way.
  4. You can use this atlas to help you.
  5. Hold onto this map.

Lesson 94

Level 1-4

  1. Clean the watershed.
  2. If you were successful, read a comic.

Level 5-8

  1. Rock your watershed.
  2. If you were successful, read a comic.

Lesson 95

Level 1-4

  1. Read all about ponds and lakes. Click on that second link in the sidebar. Tell someone the differences between a pond and a lake.
  2. Read about pond succession. Click on that link on the left side of the page. What is pond succession?
  3. Fold a piece of paper in half in both directions. It now has four boxes. Number them 1 – 4. Draw four pictures showing what happens to ponds. The fourth should be a swamp. The third should be a marsh. What happens before those?

Level 5-8

  1. Read about groundwater and groundwater use.
  2. Take the quiz.

Lesson 96

Level 1-4

  1. Read about oxbow lakes. Click on it from the list over on the left.
  2. Here are some pictures: photograph, diagram.
  3. How are these lakes created?
  4. Look at the chart of the largest lakes in the world.
  5. Draw these lakes onto your map. Color in the area and number each. Make a lake key on your map (from lesson 93). Write their names with their numbers.
  6. You can use this atlas to help you. Search the lake names if you don’t know where they go.

Level 5-8

  1. Read “What is a stream?”
  2. What is an oxbow lake and how is it created?
  3. Click on the link to read about life in the mainstream.

Lesson 97

Level 1-4

  1. Click on the link about The Great Lakes.
  2. Use the link at the bottom of that page to see how they look from space. See if you can identify the lakes in the pictures. Maybe this image will help you.
  3. Click on the Five Largest Lakes link on the left and look at the table. How many of the Great Lakes are on the largest lakes of the world list?  (answer: 2)
  4. Read about lake effect snow. (Use the arrows to read about it.) What causes it?

Level 5-8

  1. Read about the Great Lakes. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on each lake name.
  2. Label them on your map (from lesson 93).
  3. Take your time and read this chart about the physical characteristics of the Great Lakes.
  4. Click on “How the Great Lakes Look from Space” and see if you can identify them.

Lesson 98

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about the pond as an animal habitat. What animals live there?
  2. Explore a pond.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about the lake zones. This is technical. You don’t have to know all those big words. But if you use one in a sentence, get a high five and/or hug.
  2. What kind of life can live where in a lake? Why can’t it live elsewhere? What’s the difference between the zones?

Lesson 99

Level 1-4

  1. Read the introduction and the first three links (on the left) about wetlands. Click on the link “deltas” when you see it to look at the pictures.
  2. What is a delta?  (answer: A delta is a land formation, triangular in shape, made up of sand and sediment. It forms at where a river flows into a body of water such as a lake or ocean.)
  3. What are the wetlands? Why are they important? What dangers do they face?

Level 5-8

  1. Read about the wetland biomes.
  2. Name the different types of wetland biomes.
  3. Are there more types of bodies of water than you thought originally?
  4. Read the first two paragraphs on this page about freshwater biomes and estuaries.
  5. What is an estuary?

Lesson 100

Level 1-4

  1. Watch the wetlands show.

Level 5-8

  1. Read “What is a wetland?” (Scroll down a bit to find it.)
  2. Where are the wetlands?
  3. Put the Everglades on your map (from lesson 93).

Lesson 101

Level 1-4

  1. Use the menu on the left and read about estuaries, salt marshes, mud flats, mangrove forests.
  2. What are each of these things? What is unique about each one? How are mangrove forests helpful? How are they endangered?

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about currents.  (alternate link)
  2. Click on the arrow to turn the page through the presentation.
  3. Then use the three activity links below it. You don’t have to write out answers. You can read the questions and answers.

Lesson 102

Level 1-4

  1. Use the menu on the left to read about currents and waves. (Density is related to how heavy something is.)
  2. Read more about waves and currents.
  3. Draw currents onto your map (from lesson 93). Use lines and arrows to show how water moves around the world. You don’t have to draw as many arrows as they have. Where they have three all going around the same way, you can just draw one to show the direction. Then your map won’t be so cluttered.

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about waves.  (alternate link)
  2. Click on the arrow to turn the page through the presentation.
  3. Then use the three activity links below it. You don’t have to write out answers. You can read the questions and answers.

Lesson 103

Level 1-4

  1. Choose Tides from the menu on the left and read about tides. (You aren’t going to do the tide activity.)
  2. See the bulge of the tide as the moon orbits the earth.
  3. Watch the tide come in. Be patient. Click towards the top of the picture and drag your mouse down across the picture to bring in the tide. Click toward the top and do it again and again until the water is all in.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about tides; click on tides on the left. (We’ll save the Tide Activity for Lesson 104.)
  2. Watch this tide explanation. What’s happening? Why are there high tides twice a day?
    • Explain it to someone or write an explanation.

Lesson 104
Level 1-4

  1. Read the first part of “The Wave.”

Level 5-8

  1. Click on “Tides” on the left side and then scroll down on the Tides page and click on the “Try a Tide Activity!” link and follow the directions. The links there may not be working. This is a good site to use: Tide Times. Click on two of the dots to get your data. Choose two that are far apart. Here’s an example of a location. You can use the calendar on the side to see different days.
  2. Write down the data, times, and depths from two locations for five days.
  3. Then put it on a graph. The bottom could be hours starting at 0, which could be midnight the first day. 1 would be 1 AM. The side could be the depths. You could use a line graph, which would show the ups and downs of the tide over the five days.
  4. You might want to print the graph for your portfolio.

Lesson 105

Level 1-4

  1. Finish reading “The Wave“.
  2. Here’s Bondi Beach which the story will talk about. It’s in New South Wales, Australia (look in the bottom right).

Level 5-8

  1. Read about the oceans.
  2. On your map (from lesson 93) label the oceans, three seas, three bays, and three  lakes. See if you can place them on seven continents.
  3. You can use this atlas to help you.

Lesson 106

Level 1-4

  1. Read about the oceans.
  2. On your map (from lesson 93), shade each ocean a different color. Use crayon or colored pencil. Tell someone each ocean’s name and point to it on your map.

Level 5-8*

  1. You are going to be making a lapbook about oceans.
  2. Read the Frequently Asked Questions. Find the link to read it over on the left.
  3. *Today you can do these pieces.

Lesson 107

Level 1-4

  1. Read about the Earth’s water. Read the introduction on the page and then click on “Frequently Asked Questions” from the list on the left.
  2. What fifth ocean does this site talk about? (answer: Southern Ocean)
  3. Shade it in on your map (from lesson 93).
  4. Mark the three largest seas on your map. Color them, outline them or label them. You can use the atlas to help you find them.
  5. You could put your map in your portfolio. Give it to a parent to hold onto.

Level 5-8*

  1. Click on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans page.
  2. *Here are your lapbook pieces for today.

Lesson 108

Level 1-4

  1. Read about ocean light zones. Click on it in the menu.
  2. If you can find it, you can watch an episode of Wild Kratts where they go down to the floor of the ocean where there is no light. Search for the Seasquatch episode online or through your TV and local PBS station.

Level 5-8*

  1. Read about zonation and light zones.
  2. *Complete the piece on the ocean zones.

Lesson 109

Level 1-4

  1. Look at the depths of the oceans. Click on “data.” The oceans aren’t flat. Look at the  average depths and then the deepest points.
  2. Look at what the ocean floor can look like.
  3. Click on the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean link.
  4. What facts did you learn from these pages?
  5. Take a look at these pictures of underwater volcanoes.

Level 5-8*

  1. Read the data page.
  2. *Here is the lapbook piece for today.
  3. Here are the instructions:
    1. Cut along the black outline of the whole piece.
    2. Fold the paper in half so that the words are on the outside.
    3. Use the data to measure how far to cut for each ocean (approximate).
    4. Use the dotted guide lines to help you cut in the right place. You will cut in two places for each ocean. The wider spaces are the bars for the graph. The little spaces between the dotted lines are the spaces between the bars on the graph. Fold the bars down to crease at the end of where you cut. You could color the bars and the ocean names to match if you like.
    5. When you are done cutting, fold in half in the opposite direction so that the words are now on the inside. Push out your bars so that they pop out. Close the whole thing and crease everything well. Here’s how it will look.
    6. Cut out the rectangle title on the second page. Glue your graph into this. The
      words and picture will be behind the ocean names part of your graph.
      You can write in the space provided that 3/4 of the earth’s surface is
      oceans.

Lesson 110

Level 1-4

  1. Read about how the ocean refreshes itself.
  2. Draw a diagram of what happens. Explain your diagram to someone.
  3. You could save your diagram for your portfolio.

Level 5-8*

  1. Read about how the ocean refreshes itself.
  2. *Complete the piece about this.

Lesson 111

Level 1-4

  1. Read about the forests of the ocean.
  2. Take a look at these kelp forest photographs!

Level 5-8*

  1. Read about the forests of the ocean.
  2. *Complete the kelp piece.

Lesson 112 (Materials: aluminum foil, box)

  1. Make a map of the ocean floor by taking soundings. Boats use radar to send down signals which bounce off the ocean floor. They can then “see” how deep it is there. You’ve seen that the ocean floor isn’t like the floor in your house. It’s not flat! Not at all. Ask a parent to make an ocean floor or make ocean floors for each other if you have siblings to work with. (Directions are below.)
  2. Get some sort of box and put things of different sizes inside. Make valleys and mountains. Cover it with aluminum foil.
  3. Put holes in the foil spread out across the top, not too close together.
  4. You are going to take soundings. Drop a thread with a paper clip attached to it down holes in the cover. Measure how long the thread was when it hit bottom.
  5. Mark on your graph the depths of your “ocean” at each location across the box. The first hole is the first location. Above it on the graph put a dot at the right depth.
  6. Here are pictures of when our family did this. (Scroll down.)
  7. Maybe you’d like to keep this for your portfolio. Give it to a parent to save.

Lesson 113

  1. Solve the Mystery of the Deep. This needs some loading time. (Copy down the codes when you find them.)
  2. Do chapter 1 today. Search around for clues and info on where to go. Click on things to put them back (to close).

Lesson 114

  1. Solve the Mystery of the Deep. Do chapter 2.

Lesson 115

  1. Solve the Mystery of the Deep mysteries. Do chapter 3.

Lesson 116

  1. Solve the Mystery of the Deep mysteries. Do chapter 4.

Lesson 117

Level 1-4

  1. Watch the first half of the story, “Paddle to the Sea.” (until around 14 minutes)
  2. That will be about 4 minutes into the second video. We’ll finish it on Lesson 118.

Level 5-8

  1. Read the first three sections of “Ducks in the Flow” and answer the questions as you go.

Lesson 118

Level 1-4

  1. Watch the second half of the story, “Paddle to the Sea.” (from about 14 minutes)
  2. Start where you left off, around 4 minutes into the second video.

Level 5-8

  1. Read the last two sections of “Ducks in the Flow” and answer the questions as you go.
  2. Choose something that floats. Fill the bathtub or basin with water. Make your floater travel by using currents. Can you get it to go where you want it to go? Move it from one end to the other. Is it easier or harder than you thought?

Lesson 119  

Level 1-4

  1. Use a map of your area (maybe you’d like to use this atlas) to answer the following questions as best you can.
  2. If we put a Paddle Person in a local stream, where would it go?
  3. What waterways would carry our Paddle Person toward the ocean?
  4. Is there anything along this route that could keep our Paddle Person from eventually reaching the ocean (a dam, for example)?
  5. Would it be possible for our Paddle Person to travel by more than one route? If so, where would the different routes carry our Paddle Person?
  6. What ocean would our Paddle Person reach?

(source)

Level 5-8(*)

(Materials: pencil with eraser works well for this, food coloring, Manila folder/cardstock cut into ~8 inch diameter, approximately — This paper needs to be stiff and absorb water.)

  1. (*)Study the Coriolis effect. You could print the last two pages or just answer the questions orally. Some need to be done BEFORE you make it and try it (and look at the pictures).
  2. Follow the directions and observe the pattern. Then go back to the worksheets to finish answering the questions.

Lesson 120

Level 1-4

  1. The little boat meets Niagara Falls. Read about this landmark.

Level 5-8

  1. Pretend you place something in a local stream. Where would it go? Would it end up in the ocean? Once in the ocean, where would it go? You can look at an atlas and also look at the currents map.
  2. This map can go into your portfolio. Give it to a parent to hold onto.

Space

Lesson 121  

Level 1-4

(Materials: clear 2 liter bottle–you can probably get away with a smaller bottle, flashlight, milk, and water)

  1. Read this page on rainbows and other sky lights. They exist because of the unique conditions in the atmosphere. The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surround the Earth. The air you are breathing right now is part of Earth’s atmosphere.
  2. Try this experiment showing why the sky is blue.

Level 5-8

  1. We started on the Earth, dove down into the ocean, now we’re going to soar up into space.
  2. On our way up from the Earth to space, we pass through the Earth’s atmosphere.
  3. Read about our atmosphere.
  4. What are the two main gases found in our atmosphere? Which is most prevalent?  (answer: nitrogen, oxygen; nitrogen)

Lesson 122

Level 1-4

  1. Read about the atmosphere.
  2. Try labeling the atmosphere layers. Don’t worry. It will help you get them in the right places.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about the layers of the atmosphere.
  2. Take this general atmospheric quiz. If you get one wrong, learn from your mistake and read the explanation.

Lesson 123

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about astronomy.
  2. Learn about three astronomers. Tell someone or write a sentence about each.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about the different types of astronomers.  Can you describe each type?
  2. Write a paragraph about ONE astronomer. Here’s a site that is useful for learning about astronomers.

Lesson 124

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about light years. If a star was 5 light years away, how many miles is that?
  2. This lesson was about big numbers. That’s because the universe is big. Don’t forget that God is bigger! Way bigger! He created it all, and in perfect balance, so that it all works together.
  3. Here’s a neat way to look at just how big some things in our universe are.

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about light years. If a star was 5 light years away, how many miles is that? How long would it take for the light to get to your eyes? (Answers: 30 trillion miles, 5 years)
  2. You were dealing with some pretty big numbers. That’s because the universe it that big! View the size of the universe. It just goes to show how big God is to create this enormous universe. We don’t even know how big it is!
  3. If you have questions about space from a creation point of view, here’s a website to visit, 4th Day Alliance.

Lesson 125  

Level 1-4(*)(*)*

  1. Constellations are like a map of the sky. They are pictures we imagine are made out of stars. Stars are fixed in place and only appear to move as the Earth is moving through space, so we can use them to map the sky.
  2. (*)If you want a map of the sky as it appears this month, print out a sky map. (If you are in the southern hemisphere, make sure you print out the map for the southern hemisphere.)
  3. (*) Maybe you’d like to make a star finder game.
  4. Work on finding Ursa Major (contains the Big Dipper).
  5. *You can lie on your back and hold this page (or your sky map) over your head. Use a compass or the rising and setting sun to point your map north.
  6. If you can’t see the constellation for whatever reason, here’s a night sky picture to use to find it. (My internet safety blocker warns about this site because it holds pictures. If a warning comes on, please allow your children to access the sky picture pages.)

Level 5-8(*)(*)*

(Optional materials: thin cardboard, aluminum foil)

  1. Constellations are like a map of the sky. They are pictures we imagine are made out of stars. Stars are fixed in place and only appear to move as the Earth is moving through space, so we can use them to map the sky.
  2. (*)If you want a map of the sky as it appears this month, print out a sky map. (If you are in the southern hemisphere, make sure you print out the map for the southern hemisphere.)
  3. (*)Maybe you’d like to make a planisphere.
  4. Work on finding Ursa Major (contains the Big Dipper).
  5. *You can lie on your back and hold this page (or your sky map) over your head. Use a compass or the rising and setting sun to point your map north.
  6. If you can’t see the constellation for whatever reason, here’s a night sky picture to use to find it. You may also just want to find it here first before you try outside. (My internet safety blocker warns about this site because it holds pictures. If a warning comes on, please allow your children to access the sky picture pages.)

Lesson 126

Level 1-4

  1. “Do you know where you live? You might live in a house or an apartment, a trailer or a log cabin. Your home is part of a larger community such as a country. Some of you live in the United States, some live in South America, as well as many other places around the world. These different nations are all part of the same world. All of us live on the planet Earth. But guess what? It goes even further. The Earth is part of a larger community. This community is called the solar system. There are eight planets in our solar system all together. Their names are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. On some sites you’ll see a ninth planet, Pluto. We used to count it as a major planet. Now we call it a dwarf planet.

Here is a sentence to help you memorize the order of the planets. The first letter of each word is the same letter as the first letter of each planet.

My Very Eager Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas // Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto

All of the planets except for Mercury and Venus have a system of moons. Think about that, eight planets circle the Sun. Most of those planets have moons which circle them. That’s a lot of worlds. There are over 60 known worlds in the solar system. The only difference between a planet and a moon is that a planet circles the Sun while a moon circles a planet. Everything else about them is similar. Seven of the moons in our solar system are even bigger than some of the planets. There are planets with atmospheres, volcanoes and even oceans.  (adapted from Astronomy Academy)

  1. Just an English note…I had to look this up. You do capitalize words like Sun and Moon when you are referring to our specific sun and moon because that is their name in astronomical context. When you are just talking about them in general, as in, “The sun and moon were out at the same time today,” then you don’t. Also, you do not capitalize “solar system.” You can read about the rules here.
  2. Let’s start with learning about the Moon.
  3. Learn about the Moon. Make it full screen or turn on theater mode. This is on youtube.
  4. What phase of the lunar cycle are you in now? (If you are in the southern hemisphere, please choose that from the drop down menu.)

Level 5-8

  1. “Do you know where you live? You might live in a house or an apartment, a trailer or a log cabin. Your home is part of a larger community such as a country. Some of you live in the United States, some live in South America as well as many other places around the world. These different nations are all part of the same world. All of us live on the planet Earth. But guess what? It goes even further. The Earth is part of a larger community. This community is called the solar system. There are eight planets in our solar system all together. Their names are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. On some sites you’ll see a ninth planet, Pluto. We used to count it as a major planet. Now we call it a dwarf planet.

Here is a sentence to help you memorize the order of the planets. The first letter of each word is the same letter as the first letter of each planet.

My Very Eager Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas // Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto

All of the planets except for Mercury and Venus have a system of moons. Think about that, eight planets circle the Sun. Most of those planets have moons which circle them. That’s a lot of worlds. There are over 60 known worlds in the solar system. The only difference between a planet and a moon is that a planet circles the Sun while a moon circles a planet. Everything else about them is similar. Seven of the moons in our solar system are even bigger than some of the planets. There are planets with atmospheres, volcanoes and even oceans.  (adapted from Astronomy Academy)

  1. Just an English note…I had to look this up. You do capitalize words like Sun and Moon when you are referring to our specific sun and moon because that is their name in astronomical context. When you are just talking about them regular, as in, “The sun and moon were out at the same time today,” then you don’t. You do not capitalize “solar system.” You can read about the rules here.
  2. Let’s start with learning about the Moon.
  3. Watch an animation of the Moon’s orbit and what it looks like from Earth.
  4. Answer the questions in this worksheet set on the lunar cycle. Just write your answers on a sheet of paper, no need to print. (Answers)

Lesson 127

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about Mercury.
  2. Compare the Moon and Mercury.
  3. Tell someone something they have in common and some way they are different.
  4. Find your weight and age on Mercury.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 0.38. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 0.241. Calculator

Level 5-8

  1. Read NASA’s overview of Mercury.
  2. Compare the Moon and Mercury.
  3. Tell someone something they have in common and some way they are different.
  4. Would you weigh more or less on Mercury? Would you be older or younger? Can you figure it out? Check your thoughts on this by finding your weight and age on Mercury.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 0.38. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 0.241. Calculator
  5. Write a short paragraph on Mercury or make a facts list. Make it short and what you think is most important/unique about Mercury. You are going to add this to a project later.

Lesson 128

Level 1-4

  1. Find another constellation. Find Ursa Minor and the star Polaris.
  2. If you can’t get out to see the constellation (though if at all possible try), you can find it in this night sky picture. Or, it might be a good idea to use the pictures I provide to practice finding the constellations before you try outside.

Level 5-8

  1. The Sun “travels” through certain constellations. People may ask you some day what your “sign” is. This is what they are talking about. People read something called horoscopes, which are predictions about what will happen to you based on your sign. This is fortune telling. No one knows the future but God, and you should never allow someone to tell you what to think about what’s going to happen.
  2. Find the Little Dipper and Polaris.
  3. If you can’t get out to see the constellation (though if at all possible try), you can find it in this night sky picture. Or, maybe you’d like to find it here first before you try outside.

Lesson 129

Level 1-4

  1. Compared to every other planet, the Earth is positioned just right so that life can exist on the planet.
  2. Learn about Earth as a great big planet. When it gives you the choice, pick Earth.

Level 5-8

  1. An ecosphere is the area around a star where a planet would be at the right distance to support life, theoretically. Earth is in just the right place so that life can exist on our planet.
  2. Learn about Earth as a great big planet.  Make sure you read about how Earth got its name.
  3. Use the “by the numbers” page to read how fast Earth travels in orbit.
  4. Write a short paragraph on Earth or make a facts list. Make it short and what you think is most important/unique about Earth. You are going to add this to a project later.

Lesson 130

Level 1-4

  1. Read about Venus.
  2. Did you realize that planets travel at tens of thousands of miles/kilometers per hour? Venus travels through space at 78,341 miles per hour.
  3. Tell someone something interesting about Venus.
  4. Find your weight and age on Venus.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 0.91. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 0.615. Calculator

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about Venus.
  2. Write a short paragraph on Venus or make a facts list. Make it short and what you think is most important/unique about Venus. You are going to add this to a project later.
  3. Find your weight and age on Venus.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 0.91. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 0.615. Calculator

Lesson 131

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about Mars.
  2. Tell someone something interesting about Mars.
  3. You can find your weight and age on Mars.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 0.38. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 1.88. Calculator

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about Mars.
  2. Write a short paragraph on Mars or make a facts list. Make it short and what you think is most important/unique about Mars. You are going to add this to a project later.
  3. You can find your weight and age on Mars.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 0.38. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 1.88. Calculator

Lesson 132

Level 1-4

  1. From what you have learned about Venus, Earth and Mars, what would you say they have in common? List as many things as you can.
  2. Read this to check your answers and to see what else they have common.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about Venus, Earth, and Mars.
  2. Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting Venus, Earth and Mars.

Lesson 133  

Level 1-4

(Materials: If you have them or can borrow them, binoculars. I wouldn’t buy these unless your child is super into this. You can see what you can see with the naked eye, and I will be posting pictures as well.)

  1. Use binoculars to find Jupiter and then look for its four moons, which will look like stars. To use binoculars, rest your elbows on something to keep your hands still. Lean against something as well or lie back.
  2. If you really can’t see them, here are some night sky pictures to try to use.

Level 5-8

(Materials: If you have them or can borrow them, binoculars. I wouldn’t buy these unless your child is super into this. You can see what you can see with the naked eye, and I will be posting pictures as well.)

  1. Use binoculars to find Jupiter and then look for its four moons, which will look like stars. To use binoculars, rest your elbows on something to keep your hands still. Lean against something as well or lie back.
  2. If you really can’t see them, here are some night sky pictures to try to use.

Lesson 134

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about Jupiter.
  2. Tell someone something interesting about Jupiter.
  3. You can find your weight and age on Jupiter.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 2.36. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 11.9. Calculator

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about Jupiter.
  2. Write a short paragraph on Jupiter or make a facts list. Make it short and what you think is most important/unique about Jupiter. You are going to add this to a project later.
  3. You can find your weight and age on Jupiter.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 2.36. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 11.9. Calculator

Lesson 135

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about Saturn.
  2. Tell someone something interesting about Saturn.
  3. Find your weight and age on Saturn.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 0.91. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 29.5. Calculator

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about Saturn.
  2. Write a short paragraph on Saturn or make a facts list. Make it short and what you think is most important/unique about Saturn. You are going to add this to a project later.
  3. Find your weight and age on Saturn.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 0.91. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 29.5. Calculator

Lesson 136

Level 1-4

  1. What are ways that Saturn and Jupiter are similar and in what ways are they different? How many can you think of?
  2. Read about how Saturn and Jupiter are similar.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about how Saturn and Jupiter are similar.
  2. How do these two planets compare and contrast with the others?

Lesson 137

Level 1-4

  1. Read about Galileo and Copernicus.
  2. Tell someone about these scientists.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about Copernicus and Galileo and Newton. (You can skip Newton’s childhood and college life.)
  2. Write or tell about the scientists.

Lesson 138

Level 1-4

  1. Take a look at this one page about how telescopes work.
  2. If you are really interested, you could consider downloading this virtual telescope.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about how telescopes work.
  2. If you are really interested, you could consider downloading this virtual telescope.

Lesson 139

Level 1-4

  1. Find Orion (my favorite because I think it’s the easiest to find).
  2. Here’s a night sky picture to find it in if you can’t find it in your night sky. (Some of you non-city dwellers may not realize that in some cities there is so much light pollution–meaning too many lights are on–that you can see hardly any stars.)

Level 5-8

  1. Find Orion (my favorite because I think it’s the easiest to find).
  2. Here’s a night sky picture to find it in if you can’t find it in your night sky. (Some of you non-city dwellers may not realize that in some cities there is so much light pollution–meaning too many lights are on–that you can hardly see any stars.)

Lesson 140

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about Uranus.
  2. Tell someone something interesting about Uranus.
  3. You can find your weight and age on Uranus.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 0.89. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 84. Calculator

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about Uranus.
  2. Write a short paragraph on Uranus or make a facts list. Make it short and what you think is most important/unique about Uranus. You are going to add this to a project later.
  3. You can find your weight and age on Uranus.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 0.89. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 84. Calculator

Lesson 141

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about Neptune.
  2. Tell someone something interesting about Neptune.
  3. You can find your weight and age on Neptune.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 1.12. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 164.8. Calculator

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about Neptune.
  2. Write a short paragraph on Neptune or make a facts list. Make it short and what you think is most important/unique about Neptune. You are going to add this to a project later.
  3. You can find your weight and age on Neptune.
    • To find your weight, multiply your weight by 1.12. Calculator
    • To find your age, divide your age by 164.8. Calculator

Lesson 142

Level 1-4

  1. What are ways that Uranus and Neptune are similar and in what ways are they different? How many can you think of?
  2. Read about how Uranus and Neptune are similar.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about how Uranus and Neptune are similar.
  2. How do these two planets compare and contrast with the others?

Lesson 143

Level 1-4

  1. Read about Pluto.
  2. We now call Pluto a dwarf planet, with the word “dwarf” meaning that it’s small.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about Pluto.
  2. Learn more about dwarf planets.

Lesson 144

Level 1-4

  1. Here are other constellations you can find.
  2. If you would like to find Scorpius in a photograph, here’s a night sky to use to find Scorpius. (This is maybe my least favorite constellation. We have had scorpions in our apartment in Turkey. Ick!)

Level 5-8

  1. Here are other constellations you can find.
  2. If you would like to find Scorpius in a photograph, here’s a night sky to use to find Scorpius. (This is maybe my least favorite constellation. We have had scorpions in our apartment in Turkey. Ick!)

Lesson 145

Level 1-4

  1. You are going to make a solar system. You can do this any number of ways. You can do it big; you can do it small. Here are some pictures for inspiration.
  2. You will continue to work on this on Lesson 146. You will present it on Lesson 147.
  3. When you present your project, you will tell the audience the name of each planet and something about it.

Level 5-8

  1. You are going to make a solar system. You can do this any number of ways. You can do it big; you can do it small. Here are some pictures for inspiration. Somewhere, somehow, on your project include the paragraphs/facts that you wrote about your planets. You could just put them all together and put it with your project.
  2. You will continue to work on this on Lesson 146. You will present it on Lesson 147.
  3. When you present your project, you will tell the audience the name of each planet and share your information about each planet.

Lesson 146

Level 1-4

  1. Continue to make a solar system. You can do this any number of ways. You can do it big; you can do it small. Here are some pictures for inspiration.
  2. You will present it on Lesson 147.
  3. When you present your project, you will tell the audience the name of each planet and something about it.

Level 5-8

  1. Continue to make a solar system. You can do this any number of ways. You can do it big; you can do it small. Here are some pictures for inspiration. Somewhere, somehow, on your project include the paragraphs/facts that you wrote about your planets. You could just put them all together and put it with your project.
  2. You will present it on Lesson 147.
  3. When you present your project, you will tell the audience the name of each planet and share your information about each planet.

Lesson 147

Level 1-4

  1. Finish your solar system.
  2. Present your solar system.
  3. When you present your project, you will tell the audience the name of each planet and something about it.
  4. Take a picture for your portfolio.

Level 5-8

  1. Finish your solar system.
  2. Present your solar system.
  3. When you present your project, you will tell the audience the name of each planet and share your information about each planet.
  4. Take a picture for your portfolio.

Lesson 148

Level 1-4

  1. Read about asteroids. Stop after reading about the asteroid belt.
  2. Here’s an image of where the Kuiper Belt is, and here’s one of the Asteroid Belt, and here’s another of the Oort Cloud.
  3. Explain to someone about astronomical belts.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about asteroids and asteroid belts.
  2. Here’s an image of where the Kuiper Belt is, and here’s one of the Asteroid Belt, and here’s another of the Oort Cloud.

Lesson 149

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about comets.
  2. What is a comet’s tail made of?  (answer: dust and gas)
  3. Interstellar dust falls to earth all the time. You can collect dust from the heavens by leaving a piece of white paper outside in the sun. After several hours collect the paper. What landed on your paper? You could use a magnet to remove anything magnetic. Any pitted spheres in what you collected are teeny, tiny meteorites!

Level 5-8

  1. Read about comets.
  2. Learn about comets and look at the pictures.

Lesson 150

Level 1-4

  1. Read about the other worlds in our solar system.
  2. Tell someone how many worlds are in our solar system and what the difference is between a planet and a moon.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about the other worlds in our solar system.
  2. Tell someone how many worlds are in our solar system and what the difference is between a planet and a moon.

Lesson 151

Level 1-4

  1. Find Sagittarius and Betelgeuse.
  2. If you want to find them in pictures (first, or only), here’s a picture of Sagittarius.
  3. Here’s Orion for finding Betelgeuse.
  4. If you are scanning the night sky, look for all of the constellations you’ve learned.

Level 5-8

  1. Find Sagittarius and Betelgeuse.
  2. If you want to find them in pictures (first, or only), here’s a picture of Sagittarius.
  3. Here’s Orion for finding Betelgeuse.
  4. If you are scanning the night sky, look for all of the constellations you’ve learned.

Lesson 152

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about the Sun.
  2. What is the Sun?  (answer:  a star)

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about the Sun.
  2. How big is the sun compared to earth?  (answer:  a million earths would fit in the sun)

Lesson 153

Level 1-4

  1. Learn more about the Sun.
  2. You may want/need to prepare clay or some sort of dough to use on Lesson 154 for your model.

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about the Sun.
  2. Get a high five and/or hug if you can figure out how to say how much it weighs. (hint: look under “facts and figures”)
  3. Take a look at tomorrow’s assignment and choose what you will do. If you are going to attempt the more difficult paper one, print it out today and maybe start on it.

Lesson 154  

Level 1-4

(Materials: toothpicks and playdough or some sort of clay in two to four colors)

  1. Make a model of the Sun.
  2. Here’s an explanation of the layers.

Level 5-8

(Materials: toothpicks and playdough/clay)

  1. Make a model of the Sun.
  2. Here’s an explanation of the layers.

Lesson 155

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about stars.
  2. Tell someone about what you learned.
  3. Maybe your family would be interested in an article about how light we see could have traveled for supposedly millions of years if the Earth is only thousands of years old.

Level 5-8

  1. Learn about stars.
  2. Take the quiz at the bottom of that page.
  3. Maybe your family would be interested in an article about how light we see could have traveled for supposedly millions of years if the Earth is only thousands of years old.

Lesson 156

Level 1-4

  1. Read about constellations and find the constellation Taurus and the Great Nebula.
  2. Here are some pictures:
    • Taurus
    • Nebula  (Nebula is an area of gas and dust visible in the night sky. This one is part of the Orion constellation.)

Level 5-8

  1. Read about constellations and find the constellation Taurus and the Great Nebula.
  2. Here are some pictures:
    • Taurus
    • Nebula  (Nebula is an area of gas and dust visible in the night sky. This one is part of the Orion constellation.)

Lesson 157

Level 1-4

  1. Read about galaxies.
  2. Your family may be interested in watching this nearly hour-long presentation on How Big is God.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about galaxies.
  2. Have you heard of the Big Bang theory? This is the idea that somehow some big event happened that started life in the universe, and then it somehow evolved and formed the entire orderly universe with everything in perfect balance as well as all life as we know it in all its perfectly unique and creative forms. (I don’t believe in this idea.) Read this article about the Bible and the Big Bang.
  3. Your family may be interested in watching this nearly hour-long presentation on How Big is God.

Lesson 158

Level 1-4

  1. Read about Andromeda.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about Andromeda.

Lesson 159

Level 1-4

  1. The Hubble Space Telescope is a telescope that is out in space, orbiting the Earth. It is a powerful telescope that we can use to see further out in space than ever before.
  2. How many objects can the Hubble Space Telescope see? Learn about what we’ve learned from using the Hubble Space Telescope.

Level 5-8

  1. Look at this image from the James Webb Space Telescope. It is a star forming.
  2. Explore black holes.

Lesson 160

Level 1-4

  1. We’re now going to travel into space. First, listen to the Apollo 8 crew read the beginning of the story of creation.
  2. Learn about weightlessness on the space station.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about satellites.

Lesson 161

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about how we explore Mars.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about spacecraft to Mars.

Lesson 162

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about the space shuttle.
  2. Read about becoming an astronaut and about their space wardrobe.

Level 5-8

  1. Use the rest of the links to read about missions to Mercury, Venus and outer planets.

Lesson 163

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about space shuttle missions.
  2. Tell someone about what you learned.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about the history of the space shuttle.
  2. Instead of using the movies on the page, you can watch President Kennedy‘s speech here that challenged the country to shoot for the Moon. (He makes it just after 3:00.)
  3. You can also read this real newspaper about the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon.

Lesson 164

Level 1-4

  1. Learn about space stations.
  2. Want to build a spacecraft? This is optional, just for fun. I suggest using the tutorial.

Level 5-8

  1. Read about Skylab and space stations.

Lesson 165

Level 1-4

  1. Design a space station. What does it need?

Level 5-8

  1. Plan a moon rescue mission.

Lesson 166

  1. You are going to be doing an end-of-the-year project.
  2. You are going to pick something from this year to learn more about. You will be doing research, making a project and doing an experiment on the topic as well.
  3. For example, you could choose earthquakes. You could research them and maybe build a seismograph to use for an experiment. You will present your research visually (poster, on the computer, etc.) and orally. You will demonstrate your experiment in front of an audience, or if that’s not possible, then you will explain what you did and what the results were.
  4. You can pick from what you learned about space, Earth, oceans. Or maybe it’s something we didn’t really learn about and you wonder about.
  5. Start thinking about a topic.

Lesson 167 

  1. Here are some sites that might help you: project ideas, research/ideas/projects/experiments for weather, space ideas, space links, ocean ideas.
  2. You don’t have to use these links. Choose something you are really interested in!

Lesson 168

Level 1-4*

  1. *Do research on your topic. I suggest taking notes. Always write down where you got the information. Here are Research Note Taker sheets.

Level 5-8*

  1. *Do research on your topic. I suggest taking notes. Always write down where you got the information. Here are Research Note Taker sheets.

Lesson 169

  1. Continue your research.

Lesson 170

  1. Start thinking about what experiment you might do that would be related. If you need materials, make sure you get them.
  2. Finish your research and start organizing it. Decide how you are going to visually present your information. Are you going to put it on a poster? a PowerPoint? Write an essay? Online? Start

Lesson 171

  1. Work on your project.
    • You need to show people what you learned in writing (poster, computer, essay, etc.).
    • You need to have an experiment.
    • You need to explain it all to an audience!

Lesson 172

  1. Work on your project.

Lesson 173

  1. Work on your project.

Lesson 174

  1. Work on your project.

Lesson 175

  1. Work on your project.

Lesson 176

  1. Work on your project. Try your experiment.

Lesson 177

  1. Work on your project. You should be finishing up.

Lesson 178

  1. Finish your project. Prepare to present.

Lesson 179

  1. Write a bibliography. Prepare to present.

Lesson 180

  1. Present!
  2. I’ll leave you with a site to read about 15 evidences that the Earth is young.

Congratulations, You’re done!

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