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Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Mineral Formation

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How minerals form.
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Interactive
Utah Education Network

Uen: Rocks and Soils: What Kind of Rock Am I?

For Students 9th - 10th
Test your knowledge of different types of rocks by taking a quiz. Determine if each picture shows an igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary rock.
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eBook
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science for Middle School

For Students 6th - 8th
This digital textbook covers core earth science concepts and includes interactive features, real-world examples, videos, and study guides.
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Activity
PBS

Pbs Kids: Dragonfly Tv: Know How? Cutting a Rock

For Students 3rd - 8th
How can you cut a rock without a saw? Is it possible? PBS site invites you to come along with Mike and Victor to find out.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Department of Mineral Sciences Collections

For Students 9th - 10th
Search the database of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History for gems & minerals, meteorites with images, or petrology & volcanology.
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Interactive
Other

Hard Rocks Interactive Crossword

For Students 9th - 10th
A fun way to review what you know about rocks! Play online, or print out and solve later.
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Unknown Type
SRI International

Performance Assessment Links in Science: Classifying Rocks

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This is a performance task where students sort and classify rocks based on their properties, then demonstrate how they can transfer their understanding to decide on ways they might sort and classify other types of objects.
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Online Course
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Course Ware: Structure of Earth Materials

For Students 9th - 10th
A college course featuring mineral image galleries, labs, and instructor's notes on the topics of crystalline structure, crystal chemistry, and bonding in rock-forming minerals.
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Activity
Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum: Mike Rumsey Mineralogist

For Students Pre-K - 1st
This resource features a question and answer session in text format with Mike Rumsey, resident Mineralogist at the Natural History Museum. The questions are directed at understanding what it means to be a Mineralogist and to study rocks...
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Rocks

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this classroom guided inquiry lesson, students will become geologists. They will investigate rocks and the properties we can use to describe them. Students will observe, record, and reflect on their findings. They will record their...
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eBook
Other

The Pedosphere and Its Dynamics: Intro to Soil Science

For Students 6th - 8th
This Pedrosphere site provides a twelve chapter overview of soil science. Numerous topics are discussed and each chapter has a self-test to test your knowledge on the different aspects of soil science. Some chapters are only previews.
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Activity
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: The Earth Trek Gravestone Project

For Students 9th - 10th
The Gravestone Project, part of the global citizen science program called EarthTrek, seeks volunteers to visit cemeteries around the world and collect scientific data on how marble gravestones are weathering.
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Lesson Plan
Other

Caterpillar: Ground Rules: Mining Right for a Sustainable Future [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This set of lesson plans was developed to accompany Ground Rules: Mining Right for a Sustainable Future, a documentary film created by Caterpillar and Science North. They introduce students to the various phases involved in mining,...
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Unit Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, and Atmosphere

For Students 3rd - 5th
A slideshow and a short multiple-choice quiz on the rock surface of the Earth, its water, and the gas layers that surround it.
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Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Earth Science for Kids: Rocks, Rock Cycle, and Formation

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about the science of rocks and the rock cycle. How different types such as igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic form from minerals with the help of nature.
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Website
Oswego City School District

Regents Exam Prep Center: Earth Science

For Students 9th - 10th
Resource for earth science review, with the following topics covered: composition of the Earth, mapping, rocks and minerals, weathering, and earthquakes. Includes a collection of online quizzes, review materials, old exams, and references.
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Website
Other

New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources: Lite Geology

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Lite Geology is a publication for teachers that is available intermittently and can be freely downloaded. Previous issues going back to 1992 are also posted. Lots of information about geology, particularly in New Mexico, along with...
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Fairly Simple Geology Exercises

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A collection of geology exercises which include relevant background information, complete instructions, student handouts, and answer keys. Topics include rock and mineral identification, Bowen's reaction series, crystal models,...
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Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Science for Kids: Crystals

For Students 1st - 9th
Kid's learn about the science of crystals. Repeating patterns of molecules form interesting shapes.
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Website
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: O Logy: Earth: Our World in Motion

For Students 3rd - 8th
This resource is a place for learning all about the Earth--the Earth's layers, its history, rocks and minerals, and interesting Earth science facts and discoveries. Explore, ask questions, find information, and meet American Museum of...
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Unit Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Landforms, Rocks & Minerals: Volcanoes

For Students 3rd - 5th
A video and a short multiple-choice quiz on the topic of volcanoes.
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Unit Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Landforms, Rocks & Minerals: Earthquakes

For Students 3rd - 5th
A video and a short multiple-choice quiz on earthquakes, how they form, how they are measured, and the ways they can change the surface of the Earth.
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Handout
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Geological Stresses Study Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
Understand the basics of geologic stresses in this study guide.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Mn Step: Rock Identification and Usage

For Teachers K - 1st
In this activity, students explore rocks using their five senses. They sort them into groups, learn about landforms, and learn how rocks are used by humans. Their discoveries are recorded in their science notebooks.