Curated OER
Sandstone in a Bottle
Learners experiment with swirling sand and stone inside a bottle for this assignment. They predict what the final design will turn out to look like. Students after observing the bottle still, turn the bottle upside-down and experience...
Curated OER
A World in a Grain of Sand
Students go exploring Britain's beaches. For this geography lesson, students visit selected websites to learn about specific beach habitats and the history of cleaning those beaches.
Purdue University
Design of an Earthen Dam for a Lafayette Neighborhood
How do dams support bodies of water? Scholars engage in a hands-on STEM activity where they design, build, and test dams to learn about bodies of water and how humans use natural resources. They learn how criteria and constraints affect...
Curated OER
Comapring New Jersey Sediments
Students identify various types of sand by its uniformity of grain size. Students use a microscope to graphically compare particles by their degree of roundness and sphericity. Students compare their observations recorded in the table...
Curated OER
Wind
In this wind worksheet, students fill in 15 different question blanks that related to wind. First, they define wind erosion and what it picks up and why. Then, students determine the most common form of wind deposit and what type of...
Curated OER
Beach Zonation
Students identify and separate the different zones of the beach by observation. They investigate beach zonation by gathering and comparing sand samples gathered from different areas of the beach.
Curated OER
HOLD ON TO THAT
Students will analyze how water enters different soils, how readily it passes through and how much water is held.1. Materials needed for the activity are; pint of clay, pint of sand, pint of loam, newspaper,
three frozen fruit juice...
National Park Service
Erosion
A set of PowerPoint slides supports a lecture or class review of weathering and erosion. Viewers learn the definition of each and examine various photos for evidence. Erosion is further depicted as caused by wind, water, and ice....
Curated OER
Rock of Ages
Students are given a classification table and samples from their location. They locate their samples on the classification table using the characteristics used in rock identification.
Curated OER
Geologic Age
Learners investigate radioactivity as a tool for measuring geologic time and how geologists use this information to determine the absolute age of rocks or minerals.
Curated OER
Binary Compounds
Binary compounds are explained with the periodic table, atomic charges, and examples. Viewers are taught to name binary compounds and then are presented with a chart of cations and ions. Finally, they see a few photos of forms of silicon...
Curated OER
Agents of Erosion and Deposition
In this science worksheet, students play a game of shoreline charades using picture symbols and other games to cover the concept of erosion or deposition.
Curated OER
Mud Fossils
Students observe real fossils. In this science lesson, students make their own mud fossils by pressing material into the mud and letting it dry in the sun for 3-4 days. Students then get the fossils out displaying their mud fossils.
Curated OER
Interpreting Paleoenvironments With Microfossils
Students gain a better understanding of how scientists can use foraminifera to interpret past environments. Specifically, students have the opportunity to explain one of the basic tenets of geology - the present is the key to the past.
Curated OER
Exploring How Rocks Are Formed
These lessons produced by the Illinois State Museum are quite good. In this one, third and fourth graders are introduced to the three basic types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. They perform activities which help them...
Curated OER
Our Solar System and Seasons
Sixth graders investigate the relative diameters of planets and distances between them and the cause for seasons on Earth using the 5-E Learning Model. They appreciate the size and distances involved with objects in the real universe....
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
Estimating the Mean State Area
Seventh grade statisticians randomly select five states and then determine the mean area. The class then works together to create a dot plot of their results.
Curated OER
Coal Formation
Learners perform an in-depth study of coal - one of most important fossil fuels. Over a three-week period of time, they become familiar with how coal is formed underground, and will create a "fossil" right there in the classroom in order...
Curated OER
Space Science: Adventure is Waiting
These full-color handouts feature two activities. The first is a reading on comets, meteors, and meteoroids. Your space science learners will examine ten phrases and determine which of the three each characterizes. The second activity...
Curated OER
Scale Activities
How do you put something as large as the universe in perspective? Use a series of scale experiments. Classmates collaborate around four experiments to examine the scale of the earth-moon system, our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy,...
PBS
Blowin’ in the Wind
Wind energy is making a comeback recently, and classes will want to take part! A hands-on lesson asks groups to build their own windmill that will lift a cup with varying weight. They use their windmill designs to experiment with angles,...
Curated OER
Hopping Across the Solar System
Students role-play and communicate that objects in space have describable properties, locations, and movements. Students identify and communicate effectively that Earth is the third planet from the Sun in the solar system, eight other...
Curated OER
Groundwater Flow Demonstration Model
Students investigate the concept of groundwater that includes aquifers, groundwater flow, and the water table. They participate in activities using a flow demonstration model. Its use engages all types of learners because of its hands on...