Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Formation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students discuss fossils. In this science lesson, students simulate fossils within Earth's layers by using gummy fish and bread.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Structural Geology Laboratory

For Teachers K - 12th
Learners explore modeling of geologic structures in experiments. They study how compressive and tensile forces produce these structures. The compression makes the flatlying strata shorter and tension make the strata longer.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cold Fronts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine its' direction of movement, and list at least five weather conditions associated with the specific front, given animations of several atmospheric variables during a cold front passage. They list at least three weather...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes (1)

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners learn the different shapes of Volcanoes and discuss why volcanoes only have a few shapes.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rain Shadows and Sea Breezes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students plot the average rainfall for a variety of cities in the United States. Using the map, they work together to determine patterns on which toxicants are transported through the air. They determine the impacts of various weather...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reservoirs and Production

For Teachers 8th - 10th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soil Formation

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate how soil is formed. They analyze types of soil samples, examine soil using a magnifying glass or microscope, complete a chart, conduct a soil and plant experiment, and construct a soil profile.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water-Holding Capacity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students design and conduct an experiment to compare the water-holding capacity of sand, soil, and moss. They measure the change in weight for each material after adding the same amount of water to each material.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Volcano!-Thar She Blows!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils describe how volcanoes are formed. They name the types of boundaries where volcanoes occur. They utilize models to illustrate the occurence of volcanoes and earthquakes along plate boundaries. They compare and constrast the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling Oil and Gas Reservoirs

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate energy by researching how oil reservoirs work. In this fossil fuels lesson, students conduct an experiment using a half full bottle of water, corn oil and oxygen, recording their data as the elements are mixed...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Design an Island

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Learners make a map of an imaginary island using the topographic symbols provided from a worksheet. Students place lakes, dwellins, reefs, etc. in areas where they would logically be located from understanding how the topography of an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Quiz: Weather Terminology #2

For Teachers 3rd
For this science worksheet, 3rd graders focus on the weather. Students respond to ten fill in the blank questions regarding weather terminology.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Hydrothermal Adventure

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students analyze hydrothermal vents. In this hydrothermal vents lesson plan, students discover the effects of hydrothermal vents on tectonic plates. Students make model hydrothermal vents to understand how they form and operate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Relative Dating - Telling Time Using Fossils

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Pupils use fossil range charts to explain relative dating. They graph for ammonites, marine organisms that went extinct at the same time as dinosaurs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sediment Deposition Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students set up a stream table, observe erosion, and record data on where various sizes of sediments settle. They draw conclusions as to what kind of sedimentary rock form in what locations.
Worksheet
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Water Words Puzzle

For Students 5th - 8th
In this water worksheet, students fill in the blanks to a crossword puzzle having to do with water words. Students complete 25 blanks in the crossword.
Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Rock Ranking

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
Junior geologists sort rocks and soil. They separate a sample of river gravel by size, shape, color, and other characteristics. To include Common Core standards, you could have little ones graph the number of particles in each sample.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: What Happens to Create the Lode?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students understand how mineral deposits are formed and why they are not evenly dispersed. They create and describe three different precipitates from four solutions simulating mineral ore deposit formation in sedimentary rock.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's a Gas! Or is it?

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars discover the principles of solubility and phase state and their influence on chemical phenomena observed around deep-sea volcanoes. They describe the effect of temperature and pressure on solubility of gasses and solid...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ice Core Clues

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create a PowerPoint presentation on the information they research about the ice cores and what they tell us about Earth's past. In this ice core lesson plan, students research radioactivity, air pollution, sodium, snowfall...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocks and Minerals: Sedimentary Rocks

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore the concept of rock formation. In this sedimentary rocks instructional activity, students observe and record their findings about sedimentary rocks. Students then create limestone, coal, and sandstone models...
Lesson Plan
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Molecular Origami

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars construct an origami models of different molecules. For this chemistry lesson, students explain what expansive soils are made up of. They discuss what happens when this expansive soil expands or shrinks.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is Soil?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine what makes soil by creating a Venn Diagram.  In this Earth environment lesson, 3rd graders identify the different components that soil is made from. Students bring soil from their homes to examine and create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Time

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create a timeline of their lives. In this timeline instructional activity, students discuss relative and absolute time. They use events in their lives to create categories on a timeline. They link this instructional activity to...