Erosion in our World part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Erin Leitner, North Elementary School, Princeton, MN, an extenstion activity to go along with the Landforms unit from the FOSS Kit.
This activity is a field investigation where students observe evidence of erosion and deposition in the schoolyard or designated area.

Rock Characteristics Exploration at Minnehaha Falls part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Andrea Dugan Nicollet Junior High Burnsville School District, MN based on TIMES XIII
This activity is a field investigation where students observe and develop ideas about rock outcrops and rock characteristics.

What Happens to Water When it Hits the Ground? part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Debra Hornfeldt, Como Park Elementary School, St. Paul, MN based on the lesson How Thirsty is the Ground? In WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands, an educators guide. Britt Eckhardt Slattery, 1995 by Environmental Concern Inc., The Watercourse Page 239
Students will test the percolation rates of 6 different soil samples. Three of the samples are measured sand and clay and three are collected from the schoolyard and wetland.

Cloud Inquiry Investigation & I.D. part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Suzanne Bot
This activity is a lab and field investigation where students gather data on cloud types and identify properties of cloud formation.

Observational Skills: Observing and creating sketches of an outdoor environment part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Daryl ("Tish") Monjeau Bancroft Elementary School Mpls., MN
In this series of activities, students observe and sketch the environment outside their school using their senses. Students create a classroom book using one of their sketches.

Plant Identification part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Kristy Nelson
This activity is a field investigation where students identify native MN plants and record the common name, scientific name, and important information about each.

Leaf Walk: Observing and Investigating Leaves part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Kathleen Fischer Remer Elementary School Remer, MN Based on an original activity from the FOSS Kit, kindergarten investigation 2: Leaves
This activity is a field investigation where students compare leaves, share observations and develop an investigable question to be explored by the class in small groups.

Using Benthic Marcoinvertebrates Captured by Rock Baskets to Determine Biodiversity in a River. part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Amanda Meyer
In this ecology investigation, students will build and place rock baskets to collect benthic macroinvertebrates in a local waterway. They will observe and identify their macroinvertebrates and use the data to determine the pollution tolerance index for various areas of a river.

Comparing Two Leaves part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Kong Yang Glacier Hills Elementary Eagan, MN
This is an inquiry where students will be comparing and contrasting two different types of leaves with a partner.

Classroom Phenology: Using the Environment as a Source of Data and Observations part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Carrie Otis Minnesota Internship Center English Language Academy Minneapolis, Minnesota
This activity is a classroom and schoolyard investigation where students collect daily temperature and precipitation readings, weather observations, and weekly phenology reports in a phenology binder and in nature journals. Students then analyze this data and compare to recorded values in the Weatherguide calendar.