Curated OER
Fossil Fuels (Part II), The Geology of Oil: Topographic Mapping, Crustal Deformation, Rock Porosity, and Environmental Pollution
Learners review an interpretation of geologic history and relate it to the formation of oil deposits. They explore and explain factors controlling the porosity and permeability of sediments and sedimentary rocks. Pupils also interpret...
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
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.
Curated OER
What Are Erosion and Sediments?
Middle schoolers create experiments in class based on the erosion of Earth. In this erosion lesson, students perform a lab in class replicating the effects of erosion. Middle schoolers finally draw their own conclusions based on the...
Curated OER
Geography: examining the Glacial Features of Cape Cod
Students examine satellite images of the glacial features of Cape Cod. They analyze where human activity is located in terms of those features. Students make models of the features, including kettle holes. They also use contour maps...
Curated OER
Erosion: Slip Sliding Away
Fourth graders investigate the causes of erosion. Through several demonstrations including one using sugar cubes and warm water, they observe the effects of erosion. In groups, 4th graders conduct similar experiments and record their...
Curated OER
Sedimentary Rocks
In this sedimentary rock worksheet, students answer 9 fill-in-the-blank questions and 8 matching questions regarding sedimentary rocks and their formation.
Curated OER
Floods and Flash Floods
Junior geologists, hydrologists, or meteorologists simulate what happens during the flooding of a river and demonstrate factors that contribute to flash flooding. This outstanding resource provides a vocabulary list, online resources,...
Curated OER
Field Exercise: Stream Flow Dynamics & Sedimentation
Students produce a vertical profile of a stream and map and define thalweg, point bar, and cut bank. They measure flow velocity differences across a stream transect and equate flow velocity with size of substrate sediment collected.
Curated OER
Finding the Mother Lode
Students engage in a paper treasure hunt to find a lode deposit of gold using the placer deposit concentrations of metals found in stream sediments. They use topographic maps and metal concentrations to assist them. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Science: What Happens to Create the Lode?
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.
Curated OER
VARVES: Dating Sedimentary Strata: Geology, Paleontological Patterns
Students count the number of varves (annual layers of sediment) in shale billets, taken from the Green River Formation in Wyoming. The count is then extended to reflect the entire 260 meters of sediments where the billets originated.
Curated OER
Layers Upon Layers - Lesson Plan
Students study rock layers and the sequence of events that occur when a canyon forms. In this sedimentary lesson students complete a lab while in groups and discuss what happens.
Curated OER
Gravity and Erosion
Young scholars examine how gravity affects erosion and deposition through teacher demonstation, and discuss its impact on their communities.
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Density Currents
Students study how fluids of differing densities interact with one another, how densities of fluids can be changed, and how density currents transport and deposit tremendous amounts of sediment in lakes and in the ocean.
Curated OER
Science: Not just Gold
Students articulate a possible relationship between arsenic and gold deposits in a written statement using data to substantiate the relationship they describe. They use real data to determine the source of the arsenic in the drinking...
Curated OER
Post-settlement landscape evolution
Pupils use this example, a field laboratory in introductory geology becomes a test of a hypothesis: Does the model proposed by Stanley Trimble for Coon Creek, Wisconsin adequately describe the history of post-European-settlement erosion...
Curated OER
Where's the Beach?
Young scholars use beach profile data to analyze how erosion and sediment transport changed seashore slopes. In this geology lesson, students plot the data provided and analyze erosion patterns. They also assess coastal erosion...
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Dino Fossils
Primary paleontologists discover the information they can gather from examining fossils. They place pictures in the correct sequence showing how an animal becomes a fossil. They discuss which sediments would preserve fossils better as well.
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Oil Trap Model
Students investigate oil accumulation by creating a model in their classroom. In this petroleum geology lesson, students discuss where oil comes from and why it is vital to our society at this particular time. Students cut out a 3-D...
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The Formation of Coal
In this coal formation worksheet, young scholars read and informational sheet about coal formation. Students are given 5 short-answer questions regarding what they've read.
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Weathering Agent 007
Students are introduced to the concept of weathering. In groups, they use the internet to research the various types of weathering agents and their effect on different materials. Using photographs, they discuss the role humans play in...
Curated OER
Water Filtration Challenge
Students create an all-natural water filtration system. For this lesson on natural water filtration, students build upon prior knowledge to build a filtration unit made of plants, soils, sand, pebbles and rocks that can purify...
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...