Curated OER
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. ...
Curated OER
Earth's Plate Tectonics
Students identify the different layers of the Earth. In this earth science lesson, students create a model of the crusts and continents. They explain how plates movement cause earthquakes and volcanoes.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Fossil Fuels (Part II), The Geology of Oil
More of a mini-unit than a lesson, these activities lead inquisitors through a survey of oil deposits. In the first part, they read about and view diagrams of sedimentary rock layers that trap oil. Next, they test porosity and...
Curated OER
Earth In Space Vocabulary Sheet
In this space science vocabulary instructional activity, students read the definitions for 6 common terms. Students then look up 4 words and write the meanings. Students alphabetize the vocabulary words on another piece of paper.
Curated OER
Snack Tectonics
Yum! Using graham crackers, dried fruit sheets, and frosting, tectonics technicians demonstrate the different types of plate boundaries. If you want to encourage youngsters with an activity that is both educational and edible, then this...
Curated OER
Seafloor Block Model
Students 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 evaluation...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle Game
Students study the path and forms of water through Earth. In this water cycle lesson, students role-play water as it moves throughout the Earth. Students play the water cycle game and complete various stations to learn about water forms...
Curated OER
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.
It's About Time
The Changing Geography of Your Community
Lead your class in exploring their local communities as well as the general environment. As they determine continental distributions by investigating minerals, rocks, and fossils located in their local region, pupils construct a...
Santa Monica College
The Properties of Oxygen Gas
Scholars generate and collect pure oxygen through a decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide in the fourth lesson of an 11-part series. Then, they complete six investigations into the properties of oxygen.
Curated OER
Rocks: Mineral Mixtures
A 22-slide set provides pretty much everything you need to teach the rock cycle except the actual specimens. All of the slides contain graphics or photographs to help describe the process, and most even have links to educational videos....
Chymist
Alum from Waste Aluminum Cans
Turn aluminum cans into pickles! An engaging experiment has learners chemically change aluminum into a substance with many purposes including the manufacture of pickles. After performing the chemical conversion, the experimenters verify...
Curated OER
Volcanoes
Students study volcanoes. In this volcanoes activity, students read several volcano paragraphs and study the pictures or diagrams. Students then make an erupting volcano, complete website research about volcanoes, and answer several...
Curated OER
It looks Like Champagne
Learners interpret phase diagrams and explain the meaning of vocabulary words. In this ocean explorer instructional activity students describe two uses of super-critical carbon dioxide.
Curated OER
Earthquakes
Sixth graders explain that earthquakes are sudden motions along breaks in the crust called faults. They list the major geologic events including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and mountain building, which are the result of crustal plate...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Going to Extremes
Students compare and contrast Archaea with bacteria and other organisms. For this ocean lesson students complete diagrams.
California Academy of Science
Measuring Earthquakes
After a brief discussion on earthquakes, make a makeshift seismograph to record the shaking of the table that it sits upon. While the background information will be useful to you as a teacher, the seismograph does not seem like it would...
Curated OER
It Looks Like Champagne
Students determine some practical implications of the discovery of liquid carbon dioxide in deep-ocean ecosystems. They interpret phase diagrams and explain the meaning of "critical point" and "triple point."
Curated OER
Rocks Worksheet #2
Topping the page is a chart of crystal size and mineral composition of several different igneous rocks. Geology whizzes answer five multiple choice questions after analyzing the information in the chart. This is a simple, but sufficient...
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Third Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Introduce third graders to energy waves with a hands-on geology activity, in which they answer questions and compare seismograms in the San Francisco Bay area. After a demonstration that shows how bigger waves indicate a high-intensity...
Curated OER
Mid-Ocean Magnetism
Students investigate magnetic evidence that supports the theory of sea floor spreading.
Curated OER
Plates on the Move
Students explore how Africa appears to be tearing apart from Asia and tha the other continents are moving and oceans are changing size.