We may know where the Columbia River is, but do we know how it was formed? Why is the Willamette Valley such a great place to raise crops? Why is the landscape of Central and Eastern Oregon so different from the rest of the west side of the state? Students learn the answer to these questions and more! The readings are written to teach middle school students about the three major catastrophic geological factors that created the landscape we see in Oregon and throughout the Northwest today.

Join one of our virtual field trips live or view one of the recorded experiences! Students get the opportunity to explore various agricultural farms, business and processing plants through a behind-the-scenes virtual tour.

This hands-on experiment demonstrates soil’s function as a water filter, as well as other physics concepts like hydrophobicity, soil absorption and adsorption, soil as a storage container for water, and the positive and negative charges of soil and contaminants.

Google Slide version of student worksheet available for elearning purposes. 

Students learn about the challenges of planning for development while still protecting important farmland, forestland and wildlife habitat. This two-part lesson allows students to brainstorm creative solutions using critical thinking, math, teamwork and problem solving skills.

Yeast Blow up! Is yeast alive? What does yeast need to live? How does yeast help bread rise? A great interest approach for Food Science: Bread Dough Challenge lesson from the Curriculum Matrix!

Use this activity as an interest approach to the   Food Science: Bread Dough Challenge lesson from the Curriculum Matrix here.

Making yogurt is a tasty and interactive way to learn about helpful microorganisms in the food supply. This demonstration lesson with lecture content, uses powdered milk and requires no cooking. It’s prefect for a classroom.