Upper-elementary astronomers take on the role of interplanetary real estate salesmen. They research an assigned planet and create a PowerPoint to persuade the rest of the class to purchase property and move there. This fun project would...

After learning about P waves and S waves, fifth graders view the intensity of earthquakes by examining seismographs and images of earthquake damage. Young scientists then forecasting future quakes by analyzing data about...

As a result of this lesson, upper elementary ocean explorers will be able to describe several interrelationships: symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. They learn that the biological richness is increased near seamounts and...

Students study the three types of rock characteristics; igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. They are divided into three groups and each group takes one of the rock characteristics. They then act out the characteristics of their rock...

Students compare the three types of contrails that are produced by aircraft exhaust. They examine pictures of contrails on the internet to classify each as short lived, persistent or persistent spreading. They then sketch examples in...

Sixth graders simulate primary and secondary waves. In this earthquakes waves lesson, 6th graders experiment using a slinky to gain understanding of how waves are created during an earthquake. Students record observations in drawings....

Students plot where minerals come from and have an awareness of how mineral use makes the world interdependent. They examine how to identify some sort of mineral products they use each day.

Study and compare multiple aspects of both Aztec and Inca civilizations. Young historians explain how each of the empires came to be, and how they were both defeated by the Spanish. The resource starts out as a good instructional...

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...

Examine earthquake intensities and ways to measure an earthquake through the comparison of the Mercalli and Richter scales. After completing the pre-lab worksheet, fourth graders compare high and low intensity quakes by testing...

Students build and test structures that can best withstand earthquakes. They create their structures from playdough, cornstarch, grape-nuts and popsicle sticks and place their structures on a "shake table."

Students recognize that scientists continuously gather and interpret data to understand and predict relationships among natural phenomena. They research various volcanoes and plot the volcano locations on a world map.

Students explore volcanoes.  In this deep sea volcano lesson students complete a worksheet and various activities.

Fourth graders review how erosion can happen by wind, water, and gravity which they studied in previous lesson. They attempt to discover if all soils erode at the same rate. In small groups, 4th graders experiment with three different...

For 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.

Students explain the different types of marine coasts and where they are located in the United States and its territories. They explain and identify some of the life forms that inhabit different marine coastal regions.

In this plate tectonics activity, learners answer questions about plate movement, the types of boundaries, the history of Earth's crusts and plate tectonics. They use an on line source to get their answers.

Learners explore extreme earth phenomenons. In this savage planet activity, students explore and report on various types of severe weather and earth phenomenons using the Internet, a word processor, or other multimedia device.

The San Andreas Fault moves about two inches a year, approximately the same rate fingernails grow—crazy! The third instructional activity in the series allows for hands-on exploration of various fault formations. Through the use of a...

Students examine the different flow rates of liquids and how lava's viscosity influences flow.  In this liquids lesson students complete several handouts and a lab activity.

Learners compile information on volcanic activity at Mount St. Helens.  In this earth science lesson, students use the information they gathered on Mount St. Helens to answer questions and create charts in Excel.  Then learners...

For this plate tectonics worksheet, students review concepts such as the types of plate boundaries, the concept of continental drift, sea-floor spreading, earthquakes, and plate tectonics. They match 30 terms with their definitions.

Students undertake a series of experiments and activities related to geology, especially in Connecticut. They evaluate types of rocks, minerals, and crystals, exploring the main concepts of geology.