Students examine how geologists determine rates of sea floor spreading between two tectonic plates. They apply mathematical concepts such as the calculation and use of velocities and conversion from one set of units to another.

Students create their own fossils in an activity using plaster of paris and a variety of objects which can be fossils, e.g. chicken bones, twigs, shells, etc. After making their fossils, they allow them to dry and discuss time and its...

Junior oceanographers and underwater geologists describe the four major steps of mass spectrometry. They compete in small groups to simulate the tracking of a deepwater methane plume using imaginary autonomous underwater vehicles. Give...

Middle schoolers participate in an activity that replicates the creation of sea floor bathymetry by taking a simplified form of soundings in the classroom. They discuss sea floor mapping technologies, sonar, soundings, and remote...

Students analyze ozone data.  In this atmosphere lesson, students will use a NASA resource to gather data for different regions of the Earth.  Students will then create a graph for their data and answer related questions. 

It's time to roll up those sleeves and get a little dirty in the second lesson plan of this series on the science of food. Investigate where plants and animals get the minerals they need to live in this two-part exploration of soil....

Physical and biological factors affect everyday living. Scholars explore electromagnetic forces, motion, the rock cycle, and geological changes. They examine cells as the building blocks of life and how organisms reproduce using images...

Students explore, via a CD-ROM, the Virginia's five geological regions and discover the rocks and minerals located in each. In stone kits, they examine samples of rocks and minerals and answer questions about them. After discovering the...

Most of this lesson is spent working on the "Bathymetry Worksheet." It includes a graph of the changes in sea level over the past 150,000 years and a bathymetric map of changes in an imaginary coastline over time. Participants answer...

Students examine terminology related to the study of volcanoes, geology, or the ecosystems that surround them. They make note of key words while reading exhibits, interpretive signs, or labels, or hearing them from each other, their...

Students write letters to organizations, such as United States Geological Society, to find out more about rocks. Students write about a pretend time they found a magic pebble. Students calculate distances to travel to see various...

Students identify each of the rocks provided and locate where in the valley they are found. They explain why the rocks came to be as they are in each location. In addition, they relate the exercise to how the Hudson Valley's geologic...

Students study drinking water. In this environment lesson, students draw the path of drinking water from the place of precipitation to the tap after researching a map and information from the United States Geological Survey water...

Read through the extensive background information and then lead your geology or physical oceanography class through an investigation of actual temperature anomaly data from the Juan de Fuca ridge. They translate the data onto a plot,...

Geology beginners examine three different rock samples and determine their origin by their characteristics. By making and recording observations, they become familiar with features of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rock types....

Students analyze rocks. In this geology lesson, students collect rocks from the schoolyard and sort them according to various characteristics, such as color, size, and weight.

Eighth graders visit the Virtual Earthquake Web site and complete activities that demonstrate how geologists locate the epicenters of earthquakes. The site uses actual data from historic earthquakes.

Students research and locate earthquake epicenters on a map using latitude and longitude. They determine if the depth of an earthquake has any relationship to the distance from a plate boundary.

Seventh graders discuss the elements of maps and using basic linear measurement. They calculate the distance between the cities and create a simulated journey around New Mexico using a road map. They write out the directions for their...

Students are introduced to igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. They use foods to demonstrate the basic formation of each type of rock, read books about rock formation and view related videos.

Students build an understanding of the dynamics and composition of the atmosphere and its local and global processes influencing climate and air quality. They analyze air masses and the life cycle of weather systems.

Young scholars build an understanding of the dynamics and composition of the atmosphere and its local and global processes influencing climate and air quality. They analyze global atmospheric changes including changes in CO2, CH4, and...

Second graders read books about rocks, observe rocks and locate a special rock to observe more closely. They complete a worksheet about the chosen rock and create an art project using rocks or pebbles.

Sixth graders investigate how fossils are formed. They analyze a photo of the Grand Canyon, and create a fossil cast and mold using plaster of paris and shells.