Curated OER
Planet Oit!
Twelfth graders use this game to find minerals given rocks and outcrops in a plausible (but not real) geologic setting. They play without outside encouragement for hours as the world is fun to explore and the scoring system encourages...
Curated OER
Science: What Is the Carbon Cycle?
Students examine the carbon cycle while identifying its sources, sinks, and release agents. Using magazines and newspapers, groups of students design collages illustrating the carbon cycle. Finally, they write responses to several...
Curated OER
Finding the Ages of Rocks and Fossils
Young scholars practice dating fossils. They learn the concept of "deep time"--that earth was formed billions of years ago. They experience excellent hand-outs and virtual age tutorial links.
Curated OER
Rust Never Sleeps
High schoolers investigate oxidation-reduction reactions involving iron by conducting an experiment in which they expose iron filings to different atmospheric and ocean conditions. They relate the results to the oxidation banding...
Curated OER
Disappearing Sand
Students discover what sand looks like, how sand dunes form and what minerals can be found in sand. They also examine how beach erosion occurs. They explore how to stay safe at the beach.
Curated OER
Solid Earth Socratic Questions
Students participate in a whole class discussion to relate what they know about earthquakes to the processes of plate tectonics. They respond to prompts that lead them to conclusions about the layers of the earth.
Curated OER
Blast It! (Learning About Copper)
Opening with background information on copper use and mining, this worksheet assesses junior geologists' reading comprehension. A map activity is available, but the map is not. There is a useful set of vocabulary matching cards and a...
Curated OER
Rock Cycle: The Story of a Rock
Pupils examine the rock cycle by watching videos and then use creative storytelling techniques to tell the story of a rock as it undergoes geologic changes.
Curated OER
Quartz
In this quartz activity, students read about the chemical structure and properties of quartz and its commercial applications. Then, students complete 7 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Pond Ecosystem Field Trip
Students investigate the environment by participating in a class trip. In this pond ecosystem lesson, students define a list of vocabulary terms associated with ponds such as invertebrate and metamorphosis. Students attend a field trip...
Curated OER
Mineral Replacement in Fossil Formation
Fourth graders explore fossils and how they are formed. They create their own "fossils" out of plaster of Paris. They record their findings in their science journals.
Curated OER
Earth's Surfaces
Students identify and define geology and earth surface vocaulary and their meanings to classify rocks and explore caves and their properties. Students find rocks and test them according to Moh's scale. They create a color coded earth...
Virginia Department of Education
Metamorphic Rocks
Rocks can bend? Pupils investigate how heat and pressure produce metamorphic rocks by modeling them using clay, and then categorize samples based on observable characteristics. The instructional activity ends with a metamorphic rock...
Virginia Department of Education
Igneous Rocks
High schoolers explore igneous rocks by observing rock samples and considering cooling rates and composition. The third installment of a five-part geology series culminates in an activity where learners use igneous rock characteristics...
Curated OER
BOWEN'S REACTION SERIES
Learners research Bowen's Reaction Series and recreate the process in an experiment which details the crystallization sequence of minerals that can be observed in nature.
Curated OER
Moh's Scale of Hardness
Students investigate how to use Moh's Hardness Scale. In this geology lesson, students examine several minerals and develop a hypothesis about which mineral is the hardest. Students use the Moh's Scale Identification Chart to determine...
Curated OER
Sedimentary Rocks
Fourth graders discuss the basic properties of rocks, the processes
involved in the formation of soils, and the needs of plants provided by soil. They write descriptions in their Science journal and identify and discuss each type of...
Curated OER
SCRUMPTIOUS SOIL
Learners engage in investigations that lead to the discovery that earth materials consist of rocks, soils, water, and air. They build models of soil profiles, using breakfast cereal and other edible materials. They observe how water...
Curated OER
Gallery Walk Questions about Energy and Material Cycles
Students state the physical, chemical or biological processes associated with these environments: Pelagic ocean zone, California coat Cave, Indiana Barrier island beach, North Carolina Sand dune, Dunes National Park, Colorado Wetland and...
Curated OER
The Discovery of OXygen
Students conduct experiments to identify the different properties of oxygen. For this chemistry lesson, students examine its importance to life on Earth. They explore the historic dispute about oxygen's discovery.
Curated OER
Saltwater Science
Students conduct an experiment that shows them how salt water allows things to float. In this salt water lesson plan, students mix ingredients together to create salt water and observe how it makes the oceans dense. They then interpret...
Curated OER
Exploring Meteorite Mysteries: Building Blocks of Planets
Students simulate the formation of chondrites and asteroids. In this astronomy lesson, students demonstrate accretion using balloons and static electricity. They compare and contrast their models to the actual process of chondrites and...
American Museum of Natural History
Grow Rock Candy
The best way to study crystals is to make your own! A hands-on lesson shows learners how to make their own rock candy from household materials. While they watch the crystals grow, they discover their structure and can even eat their...
Curated OER
Igneous Rocks
In this igneous rocks worksheet, students identify the lave that cools quickly and entraps air and other gases. Then they describe the molten material found below the Earth's surface. Students also give another name for the mineral...