Lesson Plans
( sort by: grade level | topic | learning standards )

The lesson plans listed below are designed to help teachers of grades K-12 incorporate earth science and anthropology into their classrooms. The lessons are designed to go hand-in-hand with the GeoGallery of object images from the ISM’s geology and anthropology collections. While written, for the most part, by teachers for grade levels matching their areas of expertise, you will find most lessons can easily be adapted to other grade levels.

Lessons sorted by topic:

Anthropology

• 4.6: Contain Yourself: Changes in the Use of Containers by Native Americans (grades 3-4)

Geodes

• 8.4: Project Geode (grades 7-8)

Glaciers

• 6.1: Gliding Glaciers (grades 5-6)

Illinois Rocks & Minerals

• 8.3: Sediment Sleuths (grades 7-8)
• 8.5: Evaluating an Illinois Earthquake (grades 7-8)
• 12.3: How Old is Illinois? (grades 9-12)
• 12.4: The Rocks Under Illinois (grades 9-12)

Introduction to Minerals

• 0.3: Minerals—The Building Blocks of Rocks (kindergarten)
• 1.1: Rocks & Minerals (grade 1)
• 4.1: Museum Adventure WebQuest (grades 3-4)
• 4.4: Exploring Minerals (grades 3-4)
• 8.2: Mighty Minerals (grades 7-8)
• 8.4: Project Geode (grades 7-8)

Introduction to Rocks

• 0.1: Collecting Rocks (kindergarten)
• 1.1: Rocks & Minerals (grade 1)
• 2.1: Rocks, Rocks, and More Rocks (grade 2)
• 4.2: Exploring Rocks (grades 3-4)

Landforms

• 6.2: Landforms of Illinois (grades 5-6)
• 12.5: Three Dimensional Geology (grades 9-12)

Plate Tectonics

• 1.2: Our Everchanging Earth (grade 1)

Rock Cycle

• 6.4: Ride the Rock Cycle (grades 5-6)

Rock Formation

• 4.3: Exploring How Rocks are Formed (grades 3-4)
• 8.4: Project Geode (grades 7-8)
• 12.4: The Rocks Under Illinois (grades 9-12)

Technology

• 6.6: Using KidPix (kindergarten - grade 6)
• 8.6: Using Hyperstudio (grades 2-8)
• 12.6: Using Inspiration (grades 4-12)
• 12.7: Creating Spreadsheets—AppleWorks (grades 6-12)
• 12.8: Creating Spreadsheets—Microsoft Excel (grades 6-12)

Types of Rocks

• 0.2: Sorting Rocks (kindergarten)
• 2.2: Sedimentary Rocks (grade 2)
• 2.3: Igneous Rocks (grade 2)
• 2.4: Metamorphic Rocks (grade 2)
• 12.1: Igneous Rocks (grades 9-12)
• 12.2: Sedimentary Rocks (grades 9-12)

Uses of Rocks & Minerals

• 0.4: Rocks & Minerals—Uses Past & Present (kindergarten)
• 4.5: Exploring Uses of Rocks & Minerals (grades 3-4)
• 6.5: A Burst of Light: Mineral Use in Fireworks (grades 5-6)

Weathering & Erosion

• 1.2: Our Everchanging Earth (grade 1)
• 6.3: Weathering & Erosion (grades 5-6)