Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 3
How far have California's Channel islands moved? What was the rate of this movement? Class members first examine data that shows the age of the Hawaiian island chain and the average speed of the Pacific Plate. They then watch West of the...
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Earth Movers
Students read an online article about an earthquake and follow up with a series of discussion questions about earthquakes. They answer questions in their science journals about continental drift, plate tetonics, and their influence on...
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The Dynamics of Plate Tectonics
Simple lab and modeling activities can help your students understand the movements of the Earth's crust.
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Stressed to a Fault!
Eighth graders describe how stress builds up in the Earth's crust by the movement of tectonic plates. In groups, they relate the three types of stresses to the types of plate movements and explain how the stress causes faults to form. ...
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Graph Both Crusts
Fourth graders calculate the angles and construct a pie graph of the percentages of the elements in the continental and oceanic crusts. Then they analyze the results. They can be assigned the task of researching the percentages.
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Cruising the Mantle
Students explore the plate boundaries of the earth. Through the use of video, internet and hands-on activities, students examine the types of plate boundaries. They create a model to illustrate the movement and interaction of the...
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King of the Mound
Students investigate water as an agent of change. They conduct an experiment involving a mound of soil, observe and record any changes that occur when ice melts on the mound of dirt, and create a drawing of the changes that take place...
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Earth In Space Vocabulary Sheet
In this space science vocabulary worksheet, learners read the definitions for 6 common terms. Students then look up 4 words and write the meanings. Learners alphabetize the vocabulary words on another piece of paper.
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Hazards: Second Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Equip learners with safety knowledge in the case of an earthquake. After coloring the places to go to get help after a quake, and label places that wouldn't be safe to go after a quake, young geologists simulate three levels of...
NOAA
The Oceanographic Yo-yo
How does chemistry help deep-sea explorers? Part four of a five-part series of lessons from aboard the Okeanos Explorer introduces middle school scientists to technologies used in ocean exploration. Groups work together to analyze data...
Worksheet Web
Learning about Volcanoes
There's something about the classic volcano demonstration that can grab any learners' attention. Scholars begin with a reading and grand conversation about volcanoes, construct an erupting volcano using vinegar and baking soda, then show...
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Striking Earthquake!
Students simulate strike slip faults using CEENBoTs. For this earth science lesson, students identify the fault lines and tectonic plates on a world map. They label the different parts of a fault line.
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Volcano Vocabulary
In this volcano vocabulary instructional activity, students match vocabulary words on the left with definitions on the right. Worksheet is labeled as a quiz but may be used as practice or review.
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Seafloor Block Model
Middle schoolers construct a 3-D block model of the ocean floor to study fundamental earth processes. This is a preconstructed cut out that allows the students to put it together but then to add their own colors as well. There is an...
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Volcano!-Is That a Volcano on Your Plate?
Students explore how and where volcanoes form. They also explore how the interactions between oceanic and continental crust create volcanoes and other mountains and earthquakes in a simulation activity using cardboard of two thicknesses.
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Plotting the Ocean Floor
Fourth graders plot points on a graph, connect the dots to make the ocean floor profile and label the topographical features. They utilize a worksheet and a website imbedded in this plan to plot the ocean floor.
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What in the World?
Eighth graders plot points of longitude and latitude on a world map. In groups, they create a model of the earth's interior and label the parts,
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Volcano Study Guide
In this volcano worksheet, students answer fourteen questions about the types of volcanoes, the types of magma and the types of lava. They label the parts of a volcano.
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Antarctica Vocabulary Quiz
In this Antarctica vocabulary worksheet, students match vocabulary words about Antarctica with definitions, 15 words total. Worksheet contains a link to additional activities. Labeled as a quiz, but may be used for practice or review.
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Making & Breaking : The Rock Cycle
Students examine the rock cycle and how rocks can change over time. In this geotechnical engineering instructional activity students draw a diagram of the rock cycle.
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Different Minerals
In this minerals worksheet, students read about the relationship between elements, rocks and minerals. They experiment using 6 different colored gumdrops to represent 6 common elements. Students construct gumdrop and toothpick models of...
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Earthquake Waves And Their Destructions
Middle schoolers investigate primary and secondary waves and how to measure the magnitude of waves. They discover how to find the epicenter of earthquakes. They examine why waves are more destructive in some areas than others through...
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Plate Tectonics Study Guide
In this plate tectonics worksheet, students answer questions about plate tectonics including topics such as the lithosphere, the asthenosphere, rising and sinking convection currents, continental drift and the types of boundaries.
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Volcano! Is That a Volcano on Your Plate?
Learners investigate where volcanos come from. In this volcano lesson, students watch videos do Internet research and participate in experiments to discover the cause of volcanos.