Curated OER
The Rock Cycle
Learners study the rock cycle of different types of rock. They arrange cut-outs of the parts of the rock cycle in the correct order and then draw the rock cycle or research different types of rocks.
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals: Sedimentary Rocks
Students explore the concept of rock formation. For this sedimentary rocks lesson, students observe and record their findings about sedimentary rocks. Students then create limestone, coal, and sandstone models and write reports...
Curated OER
Plates on the Move
Students explore how Africa appears to be tearing apart from Asia and tha the other continents are moving and oceans are changing size.
Curated OER
Cold Fronts
Students determine its' direction of movement, and list at least five weather conditions associated with the specific front, given animations of several atmospheric variables during a cold front passage. They list at least three weather...
Curated OER
Molecular Origami
Students construct an origami models of different molecules. In this chemistry lesson, students explain what expansive soils are made up of. They discuss what happens when this expansive soil expands or shrinks.
Curated OER
Rain Shadows and Sea Breezes
Students plot the average rainfall for a variety of cities in the United States. Using the map, they work together to determine patterns on which toxicants are transported through the air. They determine the impacts of various weather...
Curated OER
Energy and the Environment: What Can We Do?
Students consider the impacts of global warming and brainstorm ways to help decrease their contribution to the problem. In this climate change lesson, students are exposed to facts concerning global warming and think of ways to decrease...
Curated OER
My Time
Students create a timeline of their lives. In this timeline lesson, students discuss relative and absolute time. They use events in their lives to create categories on a timeline. They link this lesson to geologic timelines.
Curated OER
Dating Popcorn
Students simulate the dating process with popcorn. In this geology activity, students discuss how geologist find the age of rocks by gauging the amount of decay of radioactive elements. They have 6 bags of popcorn and each group...
Curated OER
Exploring Rocks
Students recognize differences in the size, shape, texture, and color of different rocks. In this rocks lesson plan, students also learn and repeat back how a volcano erupts and make one out of a toilet paper tube.
Curated OER
Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes (1)
Students learn the different shapes of Volcanoes and discuss why volcanoes only have a few shapes.
Curated OER
Weather: It Works, or Not?
Students discover the techniques meteorologists use to examine the atmosphere. In groups, they build their own weather station and observe the various weather conditions. They identify the types of weather patterns that allow the...
Curated OER
Reservoirs and Production
Students complete activities for a activity about reservoirs and production. In this geology activity, students complete a 7 page packet of activities to explore porosity, permeability, and rock properties.
Curated OER
Investigation 2 - Classifying Rocks
Fourth graders identify basic properties of minerals and rocks. They access websites and utilize worksheets imbedded in this lesson to further their understanding of rock classification.
Curated OER
Volcano!-Thar She Blows!
Young scholars describe how volcanoes are formed. They name the types of boundaries where volcanoes occur. They utilize models to illustrate the occurence of volcanoes and earthquakes along plate boundaries. They compare and constrast...
Curated OER
Groundwater as Part of the Water Cycle
Ninth graders study the effects of soil and rocks on filtering groundwater. In this groundwater lesson students complete a lab activity that includes sources of contamination.
Curated OER
Soil Formation
Seventh graders investigate how soil is formed. They analyze types of soil samples, examine soil using a magnifying glass or microscope, complete a chart, conduct a soil and plant experiment, and construct a soil profile.
Curated OER
Getting to Know Soil
Students make predictions and analyze soil. In this soil properties lesson, students make predictions about soil properties for various soil samples. Students examine the types of soils and record their observations. Students analyze...
Curated OER
Asteroids
Students examine a potential asteroid impact site. They describe evidence and theories for extinction events.
Curated OER
Water-Holding Capacity
Students design and conduct an experiment to compare the water-holding capacity of sand, soil, and moss. They measure the change in weight for each material after adding the same amount of water to each material.
Curated OER
Planetary Weather
Young scholars study the weather on other planets in our solar system. In this planetary weather lesson students create a display of the different weather conditions on the other planets.
Curated OER
Sedimentary Rocks
Second graders receive an introduction to the rock cycle. They dicuss the geologic rock cycle. They create a simulation of a sedementary rock.
Curated OER
Sculpt-a-Planet
Students study the moon and the planets. They create a painted, paper mache moon or planet sculpture.
Curated OER
How Volcanoes Grow
Learners study volcanoes including rock fragments, ash, aerosols and gases. In this volcano instructional activity students divide into groups and build models of the three major types of volcanoes.