National Park Service
Caves, Canyons, Cactus, and Critters
Mother Nature's Gravel Company is open for business! The unit includes four lessons covering weathering and erosion. Experiments are simple to complete and young geologists compare notes to see who makes the biggest ice wedge, moves...
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Mars Geologic Mapping
Students identify and interpret photographic details of a Martian surface image, design, and create a simple features map. They identify and interpret the geologic history of a part of Mars' surface and then, analyze and discuss the...
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Wellington Fault Field Trip
Students take a field trip to Harcourt Park in California to view the results of river erosion and an active fault line. In this science lesson plan, students go to different parts of the park to discuss the results.
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Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics
Students research about earthquakes that took place within a certain distance from their place. In this geology lesson, students explain why earthquakes occur. They analyze patterns of different earthquakes using a computer program.
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Cake Batter Lava
Students examine how lava flows change the landscape. In this lava lesson students complete a lab activity where they create a lava flow using cake batter.
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Mapping the Bone Field: An Area and Scale Exercise
Here is an excellent cross-curricular lesson. Learners relate multiplication to area by making a grid on graph paper, and then creating the same grid in real space outside in the school yard.
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Distribution of Active Volcanoes Exercise
Students collect and plot data, then interpret the results and answer questions about the geologic causes and the human effects of volcanic eruption. They participate in a role-play activity and a virtual field trip, as well.
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Floodplains in the field (with GIS)
Students measure a topographic and geologic cross-section across a floodplain by simple surveying and auguring techniques. They consider the spatial context of the field observations, use GPS measurements, and desktop GIS analyses.
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Petrology in the Field and Laboratory
Students collect samples in the field, analyze them using various tools and instruments, then present their results and interpretations. They examine igneous and metamorphic rocks in detail and interpret petrologic data.
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Ape Cave Exploration
Students simulate online the formation of Ape Cave, in order to better explain its construction. They observe, illustrate and discuss geological features of this lava tube.
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Goodbye Honey Buckets
Learners investigate arctic geology and hydrology as well as tundra ecology as they consider options for sewage treatment. Public safety, environmental impact, and issues of construction and engineering be explored.
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Reservoirs and Production
Students complete activities for a lesson about reservoirs and production. In this geology lesson, students complete a 7 page packet of activities to explore porosity, permeability, and rock properties.
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Rock Pioneers
Students explore geology by participating in a field trip exercise. In this rock analysis lesson, students discuss rock formations and how water moves rocks according to the tide. Students conduct a tide activity by marking a rock of...
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Floodplains in the Field
Students measure a topographic and geologic cross-section across a floodplain using simple surveying and auguring techniques in a field lab. Students also reconstruct the history of a river system.
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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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Origins: Earth Is Born
Students develop a timeline of all the major events involved in the formation of the Earth and the emergence of humans. In groups, they focus on a specific topic by watching a PBS program and taking notes. After the video, they list...
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Geologic Puzzles: Morrison Formation
Students make observations and present interpretations based on their observations and on their prior knowledge. They use images to answer questions and make formulate hypotheses.
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Names in the Field: A Simple GPS Field Exercise
Students explore basic methods of GPS data collection, uploading the data to a computer, and making simple maps of their data using GIS software. They create a map of the data using GIS software (or Excel)
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Sensational Soil
Fourth and fifth graders explore soil by taking a simulated field trip under the earth. They go to an Internet site that runs a simulation which charges them with finding a source of pollution that could destroy all of Earth's soil, and...
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Paleontology: A Field Experience
Students go to a dig where they prospect for bones which simulate fossils. They encase the bones in plaster and transport them back to school for further investigation.
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Geological Pyrotechnics
Students will be amazed at the wonders of volcanoes and learn about their characteristics as they build these models.
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CUPCAKE CORE SAMPLING
Young scholars explore what is beneath the surface of the earth is one of the jobs of a geologist. Rather than digging up vast tracts of land to expose an oil field, or to find coalbearing strata, core samples can be taken.
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Cave Activity: Mapping Fractures
Students tour a cave and observe fractures in the cave's ceiling. They record characteristics of the fracture. They locate three major passages in the cave and ten major fractures.
Science Friday
How Boulders Are Born
Want your class to rock? Then try this boulder activity. Pupils learn about a specific boulder field and use edible materials to demonstrate the geological processes that formed this unique feature. Weathering, erosion, and mass wasting...