Curated OER
Trembling, Spewing Earth: Impacts on Human Activity
Seventh graders study to identify patterns in earthquake activity and impacts on human behavior. They also develop plans to cope with such natural disasters.
Curated OER
Getting Fired Up
Students explore first-person accounts of volcanic eruptions throughout time and use second-hand information about volcanoes. They use both types of accounts to write news articles covering the events of a historic volcanic eruption as...
Curated OER
Active Faulting in Idaho
Students use CAD maps to explore active faults in Idaho. Through observation of maps, they explore the layers of the Quaternary and Holocene faults. Individually, or in groups, they identify characteristics of faults such as scarps,...
Curated OER
Buddy, Are You Ready?-Preparing for School Emergencies
Pupils explore natural disasters by reading stories about volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. They explore safe behaviors in order to understand what to expect in a catastrophe. Students practice safe evacuation procedures...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 1
How do scientists provide evidence to support the theories they put forth? What clues do they put together to create these theories? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation class members engage in a series of...
Curated OER
Build It With Lincoln Logs!
Students use primary sources to analyze advertisements, prices, and styles of Lincoln Logs from Carson Pirie Scott catalogs from 1952 to 1960. Students then compare modern-day toy to Lincoln Logs of the 1950s by analyzing differences in...
Curated OER
Volcanoes and People
Students discover that volcanic eruptions are geologic events that take place within the upper part and on the surface of the Earth's lithosphere. They explain how volcanoes are related to the Earth's lithosphere. They focus on the May...
Curated OER
Sun and Weather
How is the Earth's weather created? Middle schoolers will explain how the Sun's energy is transformed into different forms. They will perform mathematical calculations of volume, mass, and temperature. They they will explain the...
Curated OER
Meet Geodesy-The Science Behind GPS
Students discover how a datum of reference points are used to to describe a location. In this Earth Science lesson, students will simulate how a GPS accurately determines the location of reference points within a datum.
Curated OER
Pangaea Puzzle: Exploring the Tectonic Forces That Shape the Earth
Sixth graders follow in the footsteps of early scientists as they put the pieces of Pangaea back together and discovered the forces that create the variety of landforms and sea-floor features of our Earth.
Curated OER
Slave Culture during the Age of Jackson
Students consider slave culture during the time of Andrew Jackson. In this lesson on slavery, students watch a PowerPoint presentation, take notes, then analyze an extensive list of primary sources in order to understand what and how...
Curated OER
Maps with a "Spin"
Students, in groups, research and map the effects of a proposed airport three miles outside of town. They prepare a presentation based on a set of maps they make and explains its different points of view from the viewpoints of the town...
Curated OER
Life on Two Colonial Plantations in South Carolina
Fourth graders compare two colonial plantations. In this South Carolina history lesson, 4th graders compare the Drayton Hill plantation of Charleston Co. to the Walnut Grove Plantation of Spartanburg Co. This lesson plan uses primary and...
Curated OER
Geography and Architecture
Young scholars discuss how terrain and climate affect the design of houses and commercial structures and thus influence the way architects design buildings in this elementary lesson plan.
Curated OER
Science: 4 X 4
Pupils generate four statements and four questions based on their current level of understanding of the article from the engage instructional activity. They
evaluate the statements and questions that they have generated and those of...
Curated OER
Lost Roman Treasure
Students simulate what it would be like to be archeologists. They evaluate a quadrant area of a lost Roman treasure map. They generate their findings on the map into specific categorizes.
Curated OER
Natural Disasters
Students compose essays outlining the effects of floods on humans and their environments. Included in their essays are methods explaining how people have tried to adapt to floods. Using the Internet or provided written materials,...
Curated OER
How Do We Forecast Weather?
Third graders investigate how scientists collect weather data in order to forecast the weather. They work in small groups in order to research one type of weather technology such as, satellite images, radar, surface observations, or...
Curated OER
Tracking the Weather Using Technology
Fourth graders explore the use of technology to monitor and forecast weather. They investigate the different types of weather monitoring and forecast tools. Students interpret radar images and discuss the traditional types of weather...
Other
Digital Library for Earth System Education: Living in Earthquake Country
An inquiry unit that teaches students about the how and why earthquakes cause damage and about life in earthquake country. Students specifically learn about: earthquake damage, where earthquake occur, earthquake patterns, seismic waves,...
PBS
Pbs News Hour Extra: You Don't Need a Seismograph to Study Earthquakes
Three part lesson plan will provide students with information about earthquakes and how to predict them using various Web sites. Activities include historical background on major earthquakes, investigating mechanical waves, and...
Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association: Notable Earthquakes Shake Texas [Pdf]
An activity guide where learners refer to the Texas Almanac, which is free to download, for information needed to complete assigned tasks. In this lesson plan, they research earthquakes that have taken place in Texas, and the risk of...
PBS
Pbs News Hour Extra: Preparing for the Ongoing Impact of Tsunamis and Earthquakes
Using geologist's tools and the lessons from the historic Japan earthquake of 2011, students predict when a disaster will hit and the need for disaster preparedness in communities.
Choices Program, Brown University
Choices: Teaching With the News: The Haitian Crisis: Thinking Historically
Lesson from 2010 using multi-media resources, including video, audio, and primary sources which challenge students to think beyond the earthquake and consider the role of Haiti's rich history in the crisis.