Earth Surface Features Teacher Resources

Students work together in groups to research the various types of landforms found on the Earth and locate them on a map. As a class, they discuss how the landforms affect the way people live in those areas. To end the lesson, they use...

Students examine the most common characteristics of clay and sand, and to understand how the properties of these materials affect the erosion of the landscape and the formation of the many landforms. They explore clay and sand through...

Who doesn't enjoy an engaging scavenger hunt? Here, scholars listen to, and discuss, the informative text, Where is my Continent? by Robin Nelson. They then explore the seven continents and four major oceans using...

Sometimes the best view is from the farthest distance. Satellite imaging makes it possible to create altitude maps from far above the earth. A three-part activity has your young scientists play the role of the satellite and then use...

What do plate tectonics and ocean currents have to do with global climate? This fourth installment in a six-part series focuses on how plate tectonics and ocean currents affect global climate, both now and in the past, outlines an...

Fifth and sixth graders are introduced to the primary landforms of Illinois and discover how they were created. Landform cards are made for each pupil. They use the twenty-questions format until they have identified each one. Then,...

Three major types of volcanoes exist: cinder cone, composite/strata, and shield. The 18th lesson in a 20-part series covers the various landforms created from volcanoes. Scholars work in pairs to correctly identify the three...

A diagram of a mountain range and the prevailing winds is shown at the top of the page. Meteorology pupils describe the weather conditions at different points on the diagram. They explain the El Nino effect and why evaporation and...

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...

After reading a brief history of Carl Skalak's journey on the open waters, scholars make a three-dimensional model of the Earth out of an Origami balloon using a printable decorated as the Earth.

Identify the Earth's major volcanoes with an earth science instructional activity. Elementary and middle schoolers locate major volcanoes on a world map. Then, in groups, they research how the volcano affects the region in which it...

Add a touch of Dr. Seuss whimsy to your Earth Day celebration with six pages consisting of Earth-friendly, inspiring, and engaging activities designed to enhance the beauty of your school campus and showcase the famous story, The...

Continents are on the move! An engaging lesson explains the acceptance of the idea of continental drift. The narrator of the It's Okay to Be Smart "Earth Science Videos!" installment considers the convincing evidence of the...

Assist your pupils and broaden their horizons with several activities that determine the exact positioning of various communities over the globe. Pupils use data from the Global Positioning System to determine the position and rate of...

Don't get your classes all shook up about plate movement, instead use a thorough unit that guides learners to an understanding of plate tectonics. The lessons incorporate a study of the types of plate boundaries and their effects on the...

Get ready to move, shake, slip, and slide with a well-rounded plate tectonics unit! The engaging resource includes everything you need to inspire eighth grade science scholars, from worksheets to demonstrations. Assess their...

Do you enjoy spending the day at the lake? Maybe not an active lava lake! Viewers watch the fascinating movement of crust on top of molten magma as part of a larger series exploring the story of Earth. Comparisons to tectonic plates...

From the vast universe to natural disasters, Earth and Space Science studies phenomena near and far. A complete textbook offers informational resources for a high school Earth and Space Science course. Chapters include topics such as the...

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...

Students discuss glaciers and write a definition for a glacier as a class. After discussion, they participate in an activity that demonstrates how glaciers can cause dramatic changes and create new landforms. Groups discuss their...

Students investigate the concepts related to volcanoes and focus upon Mt. St. Helens. They define the difference between an active and dormant volcano. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order...

Students tear paper into representative continent shapes and configure them with world oceans through relative location, direction and latitude and longitude starting points. They recognize the shape of the continents. Students recognize...

Students research ecosystems (rainforest, desert, grassland, woodland, and arctic tundra). Students compare the seven continents and the importance of proximaty to the equator.

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...