Georgia Perimeter College
Earth image
Integrated Science
Life/Earth Science


Dr. Pamela J. W. Gore
Georgia Perimeter College

Course Syllabus and Schedule Fall 2012
Course Syllabus Fall 2009
Weekly Course Schedule 2009
Course Syllabus Fall 2008 
Weekly Course Schedule 2008

Weekly Course Schedule 2007
PowerPoint ISCI 2001
Common Course Outline - Objectives for the Course
Teaching in the Schools Project     General Tasks Template     Rubric for Task Assessment
Georgia Performance   Standards (GPS) for Science- Georgia Department of Education
GPS Frameworks and Tasks for K-12 - Georgia Department of Education
Georgia Infant to 3-year-old Education Standards      Pre-K Education Content Standards
Gwinnett County - Science Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) 2009-2010
Helpful web resources for all topics in Science
Background Reading Activities, Assignments and Quizzes More Information -
Related Web Sites and
Elementary Education websites

Template

Attitude Assessment
Self Assessment GPS
Self Assessment CCO

Online Biology Book by Michael Farrabee
Fun Science Gallery - Environmental Education and Biology
PowerPoint Games (Jeopardy, etc.)

CRCT Content Descriptions Based on the GPS (Science Grades 3-8)

NASA Kids Science News Network

MUSE - Modeling for Understanding in Science Education

Tools of Science
Metric System

Science and Measurement 

 

Measurement Assignment and Animations
National Institute for Standards and Technology page on International System of Units (SI)
Metric converter
Metric information
Chem Tutor - units and measures
Metric conversion calculator
Science made simple online metric convertor
Conversion of units
All you need to know about metric for everyday life
Metric chocolate chip cookies
NIST Metric Pyramid (copy master)
Scientific Method

Scientific Method - Seedlings

Scientific Method handout

Mystery Bags


A New Model for Inquiry - Is the Scientific Method Dead?

What is Science? Bruce Railsback, UGA
PB&J Assignment.
Another PB&J
Still another PB&J

Nature of Science

 

Sequencing activity - Little Red Riding Hood and the Tree Little Pigs cartoon activity

Ordeal by Check: An introductory activity about the Nature of Science
Logic cubes with names 1

Logic Cubes
Sequencing Events - Cartoon Activity - see Student Handouts

 

Earth Science
1.  Atmosphere
Basic introduction to weather Weather assignment

Clouds and Weather Data activity

Cloud tutorial - NASA S'cool

Clouds
NASA S'Cool online cloud chart
GLOBE cloud exploration
NASA S'Cool materials for teachers
NASA CERES S'Cool Project - students cloud observations online

Observing, Describing, and Identifying Clouds
Estimating Cloud Cover
Observing Visibility and Sky Color

Hands-on Minds-on Meterology (U. Ill. Urbana-Champlaign)

Cycles of the Earth and atmosphere
Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network
Intellicast weather - see forcast and radar for your zip code
Weather Channel
Weatherbug
American Meteorological Society DataStreme Atmosphere, Realtime weather data and maps for K-12 teachers
Online Meteorology Guide
Air masses and fronts
Penn State virtual reality weather site

Meteorological Dictionary

Weather Maps Outline map of U.S. states  for students to fill in; project on board

Contouring weather data (temperatures, etc. on map of US)

 
Reading Weather Maps- U. Illinois (Zulu time, surface observation symbols, reading maps - click arrows at bottom of page)
Temperature Maps
Pressure Maps
Pressure and Infrared Satellite Maps
Observation Maps
Wind Speed Maps
Weather Projects and Activities

Contouring weather data using the computer
Contour real data or here key
See also this site

Weather forecasting
Weather Map 1
Weather Map Symbols
Weather Maps


 

 


Wind and Global wind systems

Thunderstorms, tornadoes, & hurricanes

 


Weather Assignment - Hurricanes


 

Weather instruments and measurements Optional:  collect weather data during the semester Make your own weather station!
Make your own hygrometer
Make your own weather station
Make your own weather vane
Make your own compass
Make your own hygrometer
Make your own rain gauge


Measuring Relative Humidity - teacher sheet
Measuring Relative Humidity - student sheet
Printer-friendly sheet
Climate Weather, Water and Earth Systems Quiz NOAA Paleoclimatology
NOAA Paleoclimate Modeling
Climate data visualizations
Climate system
Exploring Weather & Climate Change Through the Powers of 10
Global Atlas of Paleovegetation Since the Last Glacial Maximum
Global land environments since the last interglacial
North America During the Last 150,000 Years

 
2. Earth Systems
Earth's Surface Features -
Size, shape, topography, distribution of oceans and continents, sea floor topography

The Earth Systems -  Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Geosphere, Biosphere

 

Earth Systems Activity - Visualizing Earth Earth Observation Day
Introduction to the Earth Assignment
Discover Our Earth
Earth's Cycles
Sea Surface Temperature Visualizations

Earth Systems in a Bottle - NSTA Place soil, plants, and insects inside a soda bottle to model biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and open and closed systems.


GLOBE
Earth System Resources
Earth System Science Activity Guide. Earth Science Learning Activities
GLOBE Earth Systems Poster
Interactive GLOBE Earth Systems Poster
GLOBE animations (solar energy, temp, precip, etc.)

GLOBE Earth as a System

Seasons and Effects of Environmental Change on Plants

Geoscience Images (title provided or enhanced by cataloger)
Earthweek Online
Alphabetized Earth Science Animations
Exploring Earth

K-4 Earth Science Modules

3. Hydrosphere

Water
Water Cycle Activity
Make a model of the water cycle
Follow a raindrop through the water cycle
EPA - Groundwater and drinking water
Water For Kids - Links to What you can do, Environmental Kids Sites, etc.
USGS Real time hydrologic data
Water Conditions in Georgia
Water use in the US
American waterworks association
The groundwater foundation
Drinking water and health
World Bank access to safe water
Water conservation in GA
GA water issues
USGS Groundwater
USGS Water science for schools
USGS Water science for schools - Earth's Water
Water science for schools - groundwater
US Drought Monitor
EPA Superfund list - pollution (click on GA)
National priority list superfund sites in GA

GLOBE Hydrology Chapter
GLOBE Hydrology Protocols

GLOBE Learning Activities


Observing the Water Cycle (K-1)

4. Exosphere (Astronomy)
Motion of objects in the sky

Seasons

Patterns in the day and night sky - length of day and night

Sun angle and sundial activity

Calculating Earth's Circumference

Sky and Telescope Almanac sunrise, sunset, moon rise and moon set times

Sunrise and sunset times for Georgia
US Naval Observatory Astronomical Data
Duration of daylight/darkness table

Angle of the Sun
What's your slant? (Sun angles)
Universe in the Classroom - To Every Season There is a Reason
Make a Sundial
Analemma
Where is the Sun? (sheet of paper and stick to measure shadow length - Berkeley)

Shadow Casters - teacher sheets
Shadow Casters - student sheets
Printer-friendly version

Bad Astronomy website (movies, TV, misconceptions, etc.)
Get a straight answer - Answers to your Astronomy questions

 

Moon

Phases of the Moon

Eclipses

 

Moon Journal and Phases of the Moon exercise

 

Moon journal activities
Tune into the Moon -Annenberg
Moon phase calculator
Virtual Reality Moon Phase Pictures
What the moon looks like today

Keeping A Moon Journal - teacher sheet
Keeping A Moon Journal - student sheet
Printer-friendly version

Making and using a clinometer and celestial measurements (GA Tech)
Making a clinometer (NASA Explores)
Making a simple astrolabe (Berkeley)
Using a simple astrolabe (Berkeley)

Lunar Eclipse August 28, 2007

Finding the size of the Sun and Moon (Berkeley)

Animation of Earth and Moon orbiting Sun

Introduction to Astronomy

The Planets

Comets, Asteroids,Meteors

 

Solar System Activities

 

 

Scale model of the solar system using toilet paper (Berkeley)
Build a scale model of the solar system (automatically calculates sizes and distances for the planets for whatever size Sun you specify)
The order of the Planets (Berkeley)
Lockheed Martin Space Day activities
Venus Express Lesson Plans (British National Space Centre)- Solar System to scale
Voyage of Discovery - A Scale Model of the Solar System Activity

A walking tour of the solar system in Gainesville, GA
An article on the solar system walk in Gainesville, with map

The Nine8 Planets - A multimedia tour of the solar system
Lunar and Planetary Science, Planet Fact Sheets, NASA
Your weight on other worlds

Exploring Meteorite Mysteries - Lesson plans from NASA
Meteorite slide set from NASA
Destination Mars - Lesson plans from NASA - includes soil, making and mapping a volcano, geologic sequence of craters and river channels, It's Alive - is there life in Martian soils?

Photos of globes of the planets

Field trip to Fernbank Science Center Planetarium  (page 1)
(page 2 - schedule) Thursday or Friday night 8 pm, or The Sky Tonight on Saturday at 11 am. 
Observatory with 36" telescope on clear Thursdays and Fridays from dark to 10:30 pm


The sky and star charts
Field trip to planetarium and/or telescope

Astronomy Quiz

***Online Astronomy Quiz
***Solar system trading cards quiz game
Tonight's Sky  - animation
Sky Watch Podcasts
Explore the night sky with Google Earth

 

Astronomy.com
Sky and Telescope
Space.com


Heavens Above
Interactive sky chart
Space Weather - meteor shower info

This week's sky at a glance
Sun and moon rise and set data
Analemma
Space calendar
Online telescope that you can control

Paper plate astronomy activities

Teaching about constellations
Identifying Constellations - Orion, etc. 85 slides

5.  Lithosphere (Geology)
Minerals Ward's Know your Minerals Lab (from Ward's Natural Science)

Dr.Gore's handy-dandy guide to minerals
Mineralogy 4 Kids
Minerals: Building Blocks of Rocks (Tarbuck and Lutgens)
The Mineral Gallery
Physical Characteristics of Minerals
Minerals, Magmas, and Volcanic Rocks. Includes good diagrams of silicate tetrahedra.
Gems and Precious Stones Internet Course
Common objects made of minerals
Rock cycle

Igneous Rocks

How Are Minerals Used to Help Identify Rocks? - GPS Framework activity

Ward's Know your Rocks Lab (from Ward's Natural Science)

Activity - Describing candy bars using rock terms

Rocks and Technology - Show Rockman Video, RockMan's Rockin' Tune (Infinity Multimedia) and ask students how technology is used, and how rocks are used as shown in video

Rock activities for students, NYC
NYC Performance Stds
Interactive rock cycle experiments
Rock cycle

Rock Cycle Game

If You Bit a Rock lesson from GSA - Candy Bar descriptions
Exploring Meteorite Mysteries - Edible Rocks

 

Ancient lava flows and plutons
Minerals, Magmas, and Volcanic Rocks
Atlas of Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks, Minerals, and Textures

Sedimentary Rocks Sedimentary Rocks - GPC
Sedimentary Rocks Laboratory - GPC
Animation of sedimentary rock forming
How sediments are deposited
Animation of coal formation
Transport of sediment by flowing water

Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic rocks
GPC Metamorphic Rock Pictures
USGS Metamorphic rocks
Animation - How metamorphic rocks are formed
Metamorphic rocks
Metamorphic rock tour
RockDoctor presents metamorphic rocks
Constructive and Destructive Processes

Rock Weathering

Examine granite and granite saprolite
 

Examine sand samples with the microscope

 

Weathering of rocks and formation of sediment
Weathering of Rocks and Minerals
Acid rain and our Nation's Capital
Weathering & Soil - John Butler
Kaolin geology in middle Georgia
Kaolin mining photos
Why is the ocean salty?
Weathering mantles and the age of the Earth
Effects of mechanical weathering
Soil Soil activities

Collect soil samples. 

Examine soil samples and potting soil with the microscope

Examine two simulated Martian soils, both of which exhibit a reaction when water is added (see p. 40-41 in NASA It's Alive website)

Dirt - Secrets in the Soil
*** It's Alive - Looking for Life in Martian Soils (from NASA)

GLOBE Soil Chapter
GLOBE Soil Protocols

GLOBE Soil Learning Activities

3rd grade soil resources - Cobb Co. Elementary Science

6.  Lithosphere (Geology) - Part 2 - Remains of Life and Earth Processes
Fossils and Geologic Time

 

Fossil activities

PowerPoint presentation of Fossils of GA and the SE, discuss physiographic provinces

Making fossil casts with plaster of Paris and rubber molds (available from Carolina Biological)

Picking fossils and finding sharks teeth in sediment available from PCS Phosphate Mine, Aurora, NC. Contact
cormond@pcsphosphate.com

Fossil identification with book

 

Sequencing Events - Three Little Pigs Cartoon activity - Learning to think like an evolutionary biologist
Student Handouts


Uncovering Florida's Fossil Past - Determining Fossil Ages
Worksheet with fossil horses and stratigraphy

Assembling fossil skeleton
Skeleton sheet
Another skeleton of Scaphognathus crassirostris
NSTA Reconstructing Scaphognathus crassirostris
Still another version

NSTA Adventures in Paleontology book

Adventures at Dry Creek
Radioactive dating simulation - Answers
Getting into the fossil record
Stories from the fossil record - paleoecology, geologic time, etc.
Univ. of Calif. Berkeley Paleontology Museum
Understanding evolution
Explorations through time
Learning from the fossil record
Life has a history
Fossil resources for K-12 teachers
Our changing continent - USGS
The paleontology portal
Paleo Ring - a collection of web sites
Fossils on the Internet
Invertebrate Macrofossils Lab
Fossil preservation lab
Evolution of the vertebrates lab
Discovering dinosaurs classroom activities
Dinosaur extinctions

Fossil Fuels, Energy Resources   Virtual Oil Well Game
Georgia Gas Prices - click on your nearest city, see graphs showing gas prices over time, and comparing gas prices in other areas
Gasoline, other fuels and you
Adventures in energy
Energy teaching tools
U.S. Petroleum Exploration & Production
Gasoline company imports - which gasoline companies import from which countries. See large Excel file.
Energy Information Administration
Kids Energy Page
Natural Gas
Tidal power - energy from the sea
The World of Oil
Human activities in the world around us - deforestation and energy use
Energy Resources
Constructive and Destructive Processes that shape the Earth

Erosion

Deposition

Background geologic information

Earthquakes

Volcanoes

Earth's Interior

Plate Tectonics

Map of five physiographic provinces of GA

Relief map of GA

Show 30 min video Georgia Outdoors "Beginners Guide to Georgia", ask students to take notes of places shown and plot each on a map of GA.  Then describe the constructive and destructive processes at each.

Label Georgia rivers on a map.

Relief Map of GA
Georgia Rivers Map (handout master)
Georgia state outline map (handout master)
Georgia Physiographic Regions Map (handout master)
Georgia county map - no names (handout master)
Georgia county map with names (handout master)

Beginners Guide to Georgia (Georgia Outdoors video)
Geologic History of Georgia: Overview (New GA Encyclopedia)
Geologic Regions of Georgia (New GA Encyclopedia)
New Georgia Encyclopedia - Earth Sciences
Georgia Maps

Human Impact on Erosion at Providence Canyon - GPS Framework Activity

Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, Volcanism and Tsunami Lab

Plate Tectonics - GPS Framework Activity 

Learn About the Environment in a Walk Across Georgia - Mountains to the Sea (Habitat website from the Garden Club

Life Science
1. Characteristics of Life

Characteristics of Life
 

Living vs Nonliving

Earth System Cards - Living Things vs. Land, Air and Water - an online game

Biotic or Abiotic - teacher sheet
Biotic or Abiotic - student sheet
Printer-friendly version
Observation of Pond Micro-organisms (Pond Scum Lab) A Virtual Pond Dip
Pond Life (with identification chart)
Pond Life 2 (with identification chart)
Pondering Protozoa
2. Biodiversity
Classification cards
Classification of Invertebrates
    

Study various ecosystems and microhabitats

 

Cladistics - Reconstructing Evolutionary History
Understanding Cladistics
Understanding Florida's Past: Classifying with Cladistics - Coins
Cladistics Worksheet 2 - Classifying Organisms
Diagram for Worksheet 2 - Animal cladogram with key
Organism picture cards for classification

Shoe classification
Another shoe classification

Hydroponic gardening

Hay infusion Hay! Isn't That a Protozoan?
Making a hay infusion
Hay infusion video
Microbes: Invisible Invadershttp://facstaff.gpc.edu/~pgore/ISCI.Amazing Allies (An activity guide for protozoans, yeast, fungus, and other microbes)

Fast plants

Fast Plants
Growing Instructions
Growth and Development
Growth, Development, and Flowering
Leaf collection

Insect identification

GLOBE Leaf Classification
3. Interdependence of Life/Ecology
Lab ecology activities



Uncovering Florida's Fossil Past - Naturally Selecting Insects

Naturally Selecting Insects Worksheet

This Old Habitat Interactive Game
Kids do science - predator-prey game
Kids do science - predator-prey interactions
Web of predators and prey
Food web activity
Evolution simulation - predator-prey
Evolution simulation predator-prey lab

Evolution lessons

MACROEVOLUTION: Patterns, Trends, and Rates of Change (Snail Lab)

Glossary of Ecological Terms
 

Pond/wetland ecology study

Nature Preserve Handout

Georgia Adopt-A-Lake
Secchi dip-in - volunteer lake water monitoring
Water sampling procedures - secchi dip-in

A Virtual Pond Dip

Water quality analysis
Aquatic organism identification
Dissolved oxygen test
Biochemical oxygen demand (light and dark bottles)
Phosphate test
Nitrates test
pH test
Temperature test
Turbidity test
Fecal colliform test
Water quality index

Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve Decatur, GA - pond, wetlands, etc.
Map1, Map 2, Aerial photo

Hands on experiments to test for acid mine drainage
Mercury in Schools and in the Community - A National Issue

4. The Cell


Cells

Microscopic observation of cells  

Winogradsky Tube experiments
Investigating Bacteria with the Winogradsky Column
Microbial Life - Winogradksy tube
Winogradsky tube - NASA
Bacteria That's Not Afraid of the Dark - teacher sheets - allow 6 weeks
Bacteria That's Not Afraid of the Dark - student sheets
Printer-friendly version

Gram stain for bacteria

Cell structure - an animated lesson
Studying cells Tutorial

Microorganisms in the Macrocosm

Cell division

DNA

See short video about cell division

Examine prepared slides for stages of cell division

Online onion root tips - p. 1
Online onion root tips - p. 2 description
Online onion root tips - p. 3 determining time spent in different phases of the cell cycle

Mitosis and Meiosis interactive tutorial


Cells Alive
Online Service for Cell Biology
BiologyMad.com
 

Microorganisms in the Macrocosm

 

 

Inheritance

 

Heredity - A link to your past
5. Energy Flow

Cellular respiration experiments with yeast 

 


Biology lab calorimetry

The respiration process


Cellular Respiration (yeast in flask with balloon) - teacher sheet
Cellular Respiration (yeast in flask with balloon) - student sheet
Printer-friendly version

Yeast food (determining conditions for yeast to grow) - teacher sheet
Yeast food (determining conditions for yeast to grow) - student sheet
Printer-friendly version

Yeast Blow-up

 

Calorimeter exercise - burning of food  
Photosynthesis lab activities

 

Chromatography
 

GLOBE Beginning Look at Photosynthesis
GLOBE Investigating Leaf Pigments
Global Patterns in Green-up and Green-down
Temperature and Precipitation as Limiting Factors in Ecosystems

6. Biosphere
    NASA Mission Biomes
Semester Summary (last day activity)

U.S. Math & Science students news article summary
 

 

Discussion of news articles and worksheet  and summarize on the board U.S. teens trail the pack in math, science ratings
Science courses nearly extinct in elementary grades, study finds
Science, Math Not a Priority, Say Parents, Students
It’s Important… But Not for Me (Press release)
It’s Important… But Not for Me (full report)

 


Return to Georgia Geoscience Online


Page created by Pamela J. W. Gore
Georgia Perimeter College,
Clarkston, GA

Page created April 28, 2007
Updated May 7, 2007
Updated August 9-20, 2007
Updated September 1, 2007
Updated September 22, 2007
Updated October 16, 2007
Updated December 5, 2007
Web links updated June 10, 2008
Updated for Fall 2008 - August 14, 2008
Link updated September 22, 2008
Revised September 24, 2008
Updated March 25, 2009
Revised and links updated October 30, 2009
Updated November 20, 2009
Updated October 19 and 22, 2012