Center Science Education
Paleoclimates and Pollen
Demonstrate for your earth scientists how plant pollen of the past has become part of sedimentary deposits, providing clues about ancient climates. Then give them simulated sediment layer samples to analyze for different types of paper...
Curated OER
Making The Geologic Time Scale Real
Students are assigned significant geologic events in Earth's history. They convert the date of the events into distances and then space themselves (on an outside playing field) away from other groups, to represent time between various...
Curated OER
Calibrate Peer ReviewTM: Petroleum Geology of the Persian Gulf Region
Pupils explore the origin and distribution of oil and gas in a region of global significance, the Middle East including the geologic history and the socio-political and environmental issues associated with hydrocarbon exploration and...
Curated OER
Geology and the Battle of Gettysburg
Students create geologic maps of the Gettysburg battlefield. In this geologic skills lesson, students consider the variations of Earth's surfaces and explore strategies employed by the North and South in the Battle of Gettysburg to...
Curated OER
Earth's History
Seventh graders study the law of superposition by creating models of fossils in layers of rock. They examine how fossils are usually found in sedimentary rock which leads to the study of geologic history in those rocks.
PBS
Earth’s Ever-Changing Surface
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...
School Science
The Big Bang Time Machine
Scholars take off on an interactive spaceship to explore a historical timeline of the big bang theory. They learn about the evolution of mammals and humans, the formation of stars and planets, and the chemical composition of the early...
K-State Research and Extensions
You Ol’ Fossil
Geologists are gneiss, tuff, and a little bit wacke. The fifth chapter of seven includes ten activities at four different levels. The hands-on activities cover fossils including how they are formed, vertebrates, invertebrates,...
Curated OER
Geologic Timelines
Students view geologic time lines and discuss how old the Earth and solar system is, when dinosaurs roamed Earth, and when humans first appeared. They review the four major eons and life that was present in each before creating a time...
Curated OER
Geological Maps of the Western Regions
Students study the geological makeup of the West. In this geological maps lesson students creat a map that includes a key and present it to the class.
Curated OER
History of Life
In this history of life worksheet, learners will explore how mass extinctions have occurred on Earth, the different periods of the geological time scale, and scientists' use of fossil records. Students will complete 3 fill in the blank...
Curated OER
The History of Life
In this history of life worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle by figuring out the vocabulary words associated with the 11 clues given. Then students review how paleontologists use fossils to learn more about past living things...
Curated OER
A Geological Wonder: Niagara Falls
Students research the geological features of Niagara Falls. In this earth science lesson, students create a poster board proposing a new website for the tourist center. They share their project in class.
Curated OER
Sequencing Time
Students place events in sequence and assign relative times to each event. They gain an understanding of relative and numerical time and become familiar with the methods used by scientists to develop the Geologic Time Scale.
Curated OER
Fossils
Students complete a unit on fossils. They read and discuss informational handouts, define key vocabulary terms, answer discussion questions, create a geologic timeline and a timeline of their own life, analyze bones, and create a fossil...
Curated OER
Mesozoic Murals
Learners create a mural of one of the Mesozoic Periods. For this geologic timeline lesson, students will research the plants and animals that lived in the Mesozoic Era in order to create a mural to scale that represents one of the three...
Curated OER
Volcanoes: Windows Into The Earth
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...
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Volcanoes!
Give young geologists an up close and personal look at volcanoes with a series of hands-on earth science lessons. Whether they are investigating the properties of igneous rocks, building their own volcanoes, or making fudge to model the...
Curated OER
Volcanoes: Second Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Young geologists explore volcanoes with a series of engaging geology activities. First, they learn the difference between magma and lava before coloring and labeling the parts of a volcano. During the lab, individuals watch a...
Curated OER
Thinking About Life in Geological Time Scales
Students create a large (classroom-sized) timeline showing the history of life on Earth for the last 5 billion years. They are able to identify the events that are relevant to their taxonomic projects (the Origins and important...
Curated OER
Virtual Geologic Field Trip to Griffith Park
Students explore the geological processes and research methodology involved in the evolution and development of Griffith Park. They justify the selection of a geologic hypothesis based on observations.
Curated OER
History's Thermometers
Students explain the concept of paleoclimatological proxies. In this oxygen isotope lesson, students interpret data and make inferences about climate changes in the geologic past.
Curated OER
The Delicate Balance - Iowa's Natural Resources
Discover the natural resources in Iowa by studying it's history. In this environmental instructional activity, your students will observe a topographical map of Iowa and identify where its most valuable resources are. They complete an...
Curated OER
Mapping of the Earth's Past
Students create a scale model time linen of the Earth's 4.6 billion year history. They calculate a scale that can fit on a very long register tape then label each geologic era. They use text books to annotate each era with major geologic...