It's About Time
Paleoclimates
How do scientists know what the Earth was like in the past? This second installment of a six-part series focuses on paleoclimates and provides an overview of how geologists determine information about past climates using fossil pollen,...
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Weathering and Erosion
In this weathering activity, students define 23 terms associated with erosion and weathering such as flood plain, moraine, and deposition. Then students use these terms in a sentence.
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Relative Ages of Rocks
For this rocks worksheet, high schoolers review how sediments are layered over time and how the relative ages of rocks are determined. This worksheet has 1 matching and 11 multiple choice questions.
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Field Exercise: Stream Flow Dynamics & Sedimentation
Students produce a vertical profile of a stream and map and define thalweg, point bar, and cut bank. They measure flow velocity differences across a stream transect and equate flow velocity with size of substrate sediment collected.
K12 Reader
Water Carves the Land
What affect do bodies of water have on the world around us? Kids can find out by reading this passage. After reading, they answer five questions related to the text.
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Gravity
In this gravity worksheet, 8th graders complete 4 different questions related to defining gravity. First, they identify the various types of mass movement that is described in each. Then, students explain what each of the 4 types of...
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Earth Shaped by Water
In this Earth learning exercise, learners review the different ways water shapes the Earth's surface. This learning exercise has 1 short answer and 10 matching questions.
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Metamorphic Rocks and the Rock Cycle
In this rock cycle instructional activity, students will match 7 words to their definitions relating to the rock cycle and metamorphic rocks. Then students will complete 5 short answer questions about the differences between foliated and...
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The Work of Waves and Wind
This is not revolutionary, but it is informative. Earth science viewers in grades 7-12 get carried away with wave and wind erosion. They view diagrams of how waves impact ocean shorelines. They see examples of the different types of sand...
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Finding the Mother Lode
Students engage in a paper treasure hunt to find a lode deposit of gold using the placer deposit concentrations of metals found in stream sediments. They use topographic maps and metal concentrations to assist them. Students discuss the...
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Science: What Happens to Create the Lode?
High schoolers understand how mineral deposits are formed and why they are not evenly dispersed. They create and describe three different precipitates from four solutions simulating mineral ore deposit formation in sedimentary rock.
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Wind
In this wind worksheet, students review the types of wind erosion and depositions by the wind. This worksheet has 2 graphic organizers and 8 fill in the blank questions.
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Glacial Geology in the Field
Students examine the origin of glaciers, how glacial sediments are deposited, and what sedimentary records of glaciation provide about source and process of glaciers in a field lab.
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VARVES: Dating Sedimentary Strata: Geology, Paleontological Patterns
Students count the number of varves (annual layers of sediment) in shale billets, taken from the Green River Formation in Wyoming. The count is then extended to reflect the entire 260 meters of sediments where the billets originated.
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Fossil Fuels (III), The Geology of Coal: Interpreting Geologic History
Learners hypothesize about why various samples of coal have different characteristics. Pupils use information that they found during Internet searches to ascertain the validity of their hypotheses and verify the "story" of coal. ...
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Layers Upon Layers - Lesson Plan
Students study rock layers and the sequence of events that occur when a canyon forms. In this sedimentary lesson students complete a lab while in groups and discuss what happens.
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Gravity and Erosion
Students examine how gravity affects erosion and deposition through teacher demonstation, and discuss its impact on their communities.
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Density Currents
Students study how fluids of differing densities interact with one another, how densities of fluids can be changed, and how density currents transport and deposit tremendous amounts of sediment in lakes and in the ocean.
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Ocean Shoreline
In this shorelines worksheet, students review some of the features of an ocean shoreline such as barrier islands, longshore current, and shoreline sediments. This worksheet has 5 matching and 4 short answer questions.
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Science: Not just Gold
Students articulate a possible relationship between arsenic and gold deposits in a written statement using data to substantiate the relationship they describe. They use real data to determine the source of the arsenic in the drinking...
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Post-settlement landscape evolution
Students use this example, a field laboratory in introductory geology becomes a test of a hypothesis: Does the model proposed by Stanley Trimble for Coon Creek, Wisconsin adequately describe the history of post-European-settlement...
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Where's the Beach?
Students use beach profile data to analyze how erosion and sediment transport changed seashore slopes. In this geology lesson, students plot the data provided and analyze erosion patterns. They also assess coastal erosion management...
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Dino Fossils
Primary paleontologists discover the information they can gather from examining fossils. They place pictures in the correct sequence showing how an animal becomes a fossil. They discuss which sediments would preserve fossils better as well.
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Oil Trap Model
Students investigate oil accumulation by creating a model in their classroom. In this petroleum geology lesson, students discuss where oil comes from and why it is vital to our society at this particular time. Students cut out a 3-D...