Where is Water Found? part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This short demonstration will open students' eyes to the distribution of various water sources on our Earth, but also the limited amount of fresh water for our daily use.

Identifying plant family characteristics part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is designed for students to discover how making observations of the environment is the key to making sound predictions. Students will also learn how both positive and negative outcomes of these predictions can affect and shape future decisions.

Why are there seasons? A study of phenology part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation where students gather data to understand phenological changes.

In this activity students will observe and investigate rocks in order to classify them in terms of color, shape, texture and size. part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this activity students will observe and investigate rocks in order to classify them in terms of color, shape, texture and size.

Phenology Weekly part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Students will raise questions about the natural world and seek answers by making careful observations about the weather. Students will measure, record and describe weather conditions using common tools, like thermometer, anemometer, rain gauge and possibly, light meter.

Views of the Universe: Telescopes, Starlight and the Electromagnetic Spectrum part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This is a computer lab activity where students view images of stars, nebulas, and galaxies and discover factors in telescope design that allow scientists to study the universe. The students will write questions about the images and produce a power point presentation on features of the universe.

Investigating Moon Phases: Making a lunar flipbook part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a reinforcement activity where students will make a flipbook of the lunar phases.

Indentification of Earth Materials part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
By presenting the students with fossils and other earth materials and giving clues as to their origin, they will be able to identify the fossils and materials and be able to form a hypothesis as to how they were formed and what it was before preservation.

Geology of the Grand Canyon: Interpreting its rock layers and formation part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this culminating activity, students will be assessed on what they have learned during the Geology unit of their Earth Science class. After conducting classroom and field studies on geology students will utilize this knowledge to interpret the rock layers and formation of the Grand Canyon. Outside of class students will read/review a website and complete a study guide to be reviewed by the teacher to assess students' learning. Following teacher review of study guides, the next class period(s) will be a discussion and questioning session(s) on the formation of the Grand Canyon.

Investigating Karst topography and its connection to SE Minnesota sinkholes and cave formations. part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation where students will be able to observe sinkholes located in the southeastern Minnesota area and a cave system in Forestville State Park which will assist them in defining Karst topography.

The Rivers that Connect Us- Stories from the Land part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity takes students through the historical and geological events that shaped the areas near the Minnesota and Mississippi river confluence.

Topographical Maps, Contour Lines and Profiles part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation where students locate a given object using cartography tools, create a topographic map and profile of a designated area, and interpret the Earth’s surface in their area using a professional topographic map.

Virtual Inquiry Field Lesson part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
The use of new technological motion sensing cameras creates a motivation for students in this life science lesson.

Geology of the Credit River at Hidden Valley Park part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Short Description: This is an inquiry based field investigation where students gather data on the Credit River from the rocks in the river bed, water speed, and maps. Students interpret their findings and develop new questions.

Effectiveness of MN dams in water retention/ Efectividad de represas en Minnesota con respecto a la retencion de agua part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field trip investigation where students gather stream flow, volume, depth & height (area) data on Ramsey County dams (Keller and Round lake), interpret their findings and make in-depth observations in order to assess the effectiveness of dams through the season and estimate the life-spam of the dams in years.

Investigating Stream Characteristics and Discharge: An Interdisciplinary Approach part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a interdisciplinary field investigation where students will form observations and make calculations about stream characteristics and stream flow.

Water Runoff: How the Ground Water in Your Community is Affected part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a 3 part lab activity where students create a model of an area in a community. The students test how dirty water flows through their models observing where water is filtered or not. Using what was learned by the models, students will draw a community scene that has man made areas alongside areas that benefit groundwater filtration.

Field Activity: Exploring Glaciers, Ancient Seas, and Volcanism part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In a field investigation to Interstate State Park, students determine lava flow boundaries and observe an ancient rift valley. They also examine differential erosion rates that create a waterfall, and examine the local basalts for evidence of glaciation, including the world-famous potholes.

Cloud Study Final Art Project part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is an art project completed at the end of a study of weather and clouds. Using home-made puffy paint, the students paint clouds on a piece of construction paper and write 2-3 facts about each cloud type on a note card that is glued on construction paper next to the appropriate cloud.

Investigating the Long Meadow Lake Unit of the MN Valley National Wildlife Refuge to Determine if the Bass Ponds Trailhead Wetlands is a Stable Ecosystem part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this investigation, students gather biotic and abiotic data and samples in the field, develop an experiment to test another abiotic factor in the lab, synthesize group data, interpret their findings and make a claim on the health of the wetland ecosystem.