Curated OER
Volcanoes-Viscosity Demonstration
Students engage in a lesson which demonstrates that volcanism is the process whereby materials formed inside the Earth come out onto the surface. They participate in a simple, yet effective, activity which demonstrates how volcanoes...
Curated OER
Hawaiian Hot Spots
Students discuss how plate tectonics and volcanic activity have affected Hawaii. In this Hawaiian lesson, students look at maps and photographs of Hawaiian Islands and discuss their formation through multiple volcanic eruptions. They...
Curated OER
Our Changing View of the Earth
Students explore the theory of Plate Tectonics. They participate in a simulation in which they re-enact the debate over Plate Tectonics vs. traditional beliefs of stationary continents that were widely accepted during the 1800's and...
Curated OER
Marine Environmental Geology
Students take this course as an introduction to the aspects of marine geology and oceanography that affect the environment and marine resources. Topics include estuarine oceanography and sediments, eutrophication of coastal waters,...
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Third Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Introduce third graders to energy waves with a hands-on geology activity, in which they answer questions and compare seismograms in the San Francisco Bay area. After a demonstration that shows how bigger waves indicate a high-intensity...
Curated OER
Hazards: First Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Examine the environmental hazards associated with volcanoes with a three-part science lesson. In the pre-lab, first graders learn that gas, landslides, ash, and lava are all hazards that come from volcanoes. They then explore hazardous...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics
Students complete a data sheet. In this Earth composition lesson, students learn what happens when the Earth's plates push against each other. They watch a teacher demonstration and complete a data sheet.
Curated OER
New Zealand Subduction Zone Model
Students explore world geography by creating a model in class. In this tectonic plate lesson, students identify diagrams which discuss the tectonic plates in New Zealand and how they affect everyday life. Students utilize cardboard,...
Curated OER
Get the Drift?
The anticipatory set is clever: give groups five minutes to work on the puzzle and then discuss what strategies they used to match the few that connected. This introduces middle schoolers to the concept of continental drift. A portion of...
Curated OER
Volcanoes: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
In the pre-lab, kindergarteners mimic the movements of the eruption of a volcano and discover various volcanoes around the United States. Then, pupils sort different types of volcanic rocks in the lab before learning how volcanoes grow...
Curated OER
Hazards: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
The last unit in the series allows kindergarteners to see the dangers and hazards associated with each of the natural disasters learned so far in the series—earthquakes and volcanoes. They listen to sounds associated with the disasters.
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
Beginning with a pre-lab, kindergarteners trace the letters in the word earthquake and discuss what happens in an earthquake. The lab portion allows young scientists realize that earthquakes trigger shaking of different intensities...
NOAA
Into the Deep
Take young scientists into the depths of the world's ocean with the second activity of this three-part earth science series. After first drawing pictures representing how they imagine the bottom of the ocean to appear, students...
National Geographic
Mapping the Americas
Celebrate the geography of the Americas and develop map skills through a series of activities focused on the Western Hemisphere. Learners study everything from earthquakes and volcanoes of the Americas and the relationship between...
Curated OER
Volcanoes
Students view images and interactive activities on the Internet about volcanoes. In this plate tectonics lesson, students use the Internet to view PDF images and HTML Interactive activities while writing observations in their journals....
Curated OER
Day 4: Plate Tectonics II
Learners explore the theory of plate tectonics. For this geology lesson, students conduct a simulation of the crust of the Earth floating on the mantle. Learners research plate tectonics and share their findings with the class. Students...
K-State Research and Extensions
The Crusty Earth
Geology rocks — literally! A geology chapter offers eleven activities at four different levels. Scholars enjoy completing hands-on experiments before applying critical thinking skills following a share, process, generalize, apply, and...
Curated OER
Puzzle of the Plates
Students research tectonic plates and their movement. In this plate lesson, students describe the motion of these plates and the boundaries between them. They look into the San Andreas Fault and explore the earthquakes associated to this...
Curated OER
Mapping Plate Boundaries
Students discover plate boundaries based on the uneven geographic occurrence of geologic hazards. After discussing geologic hazards, students plot different sets of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on maps.
PBS
Earth’s Ever-Changing Surface
The Grand Canyon formed between five and six million years ago, but is it still changing? Scholars explore 10 sites in the United States, including the Grand Canyon, to better understand the geoscience processes that formed these...
Curated OER
Using the New Zealand plate boundary models
Students examine the differences in the effects of the tectonic plates of New Zealand. In this tectonic plate lesson, students define and explain the process of subduction. Students recognize the difference in the movement of a...
Curated OER
Continents on the Move
Students examine the tectonic plates of the Earth and how the landforms of Earth have changed position over time. In groups, they identify the evidence that the continents are still moving. To end the lesson, they practice measuring...
Curated OER
The Volcano Factory
Collaborative groups work together to report on the volcanic activity leading to island formation and construct models to demonstrate the process. Consider having each group present their project to the rest of the class. There are many...
NOAA
The Oceanographic Yo-yo
How does chemistry help deep-sea explorers? Part four of a five-part series of lessons from aboard the Okeanos Explorer introduces middle school scientists to technologies used in ocean exploration. Groups work together to analyze data...