Curated OER
Forces That Shape the Earth: Wind, Water and Erosion
In this forces of nature worksheet, students read a 2 page article on the forces of nature and answer 4 detailed comprehension questions about the forces of nature on Earth.
Curated OER
Pangaea Puzzle: Exploring the Tectonic Forces That Shape the Earth
Sixth graders follow in the footsteps of early scientists as they put the pieces of Pangaea back together and discovered the forces that create the variety of landforms and sea-floor features of our Earth.
Curated OER
Forces That Shape the Earth: Plate Movement
In this tectonic plate learning exercise, students learn about the movement of the plates that make up the earth's crust. They read about the Theory of Pangaea, lithosphere, divergence, convergence, and plate transformation. Students...
Curated OER
Modeling the Seasons
Junior geologists become the force that makes the world go around! With a lamp on the floor in the middle of the room to represent the sun, volunteers hold a globe, revolve, and rotate. Observers notice how the light hitting the globe...
PHET
Earth’s Magnetic Field from Space
Feel the pull of science! The final installment of this 18-part series is an application of everything learned in the previous high school lessons. Scholars are given a magnetic field map and must propose an arrangement of magnets that...
PHET
The Earth as a Magnet
Everyone loves playing with magnets and iron filings. Here, young scientists first observe and then participate in an activity demonstrating magnetic fields. After completing their observations, they apply this knowledge to...
Bowels Physics
Magnetic Fields and Forces
Every knows that opposites attract! Here's a presentation that uses this background knowledge to explain magnetic fields and forces. The resource also explains the shape of magnetic fields and how to determine the direction of forces.
Curated OER
Changing Crust
For this changing crust worksheet, students use candy bars, licorice sticks and bubble gum to simulate the 3 types of forces that change the Earth's crust. These include compressional forces, tensional forces and transversal forces. The...
Curated OER
Blow-and-Go Parachute
Learners design a skydiver and parachute constraption to demonstrate how drag caused by air resistance slows the descent of skydivers as they travel back to Earth. They experience how gravity pulls the skydiver toward the earth and how...
NOAA
A Laboratory Simulation of Ocean Surface Currents
Stimulate interest in ocean currents with a simulation. The first installment of a five-part middle school series teaches future oceanographers about the forces that interact to cause ocean currents. A simulation shows how wind and the...
Curated OER
Forces of Nature Vocabulary Quiz
In this science worksheet, learners draw lines to match 13 words pertaining to forces of nature to their definitions in another column. Example: tornado, tide, erosion, pressure.
Curated OER
Our Earth
In this Earth's environment worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle given 35 clues about a variety of topics related to our Earth. Topics include ecosystems, precipitation, biomes, energy transfer, soil, weathering and rocks.
Curated OER
Natural Forces
Students assess the damage natural forces have caused Maryland's geographic features. In this state geography and ecology lesson, students work in a group to research ways in which weathering, erosion, and deposition have affected the...
Curated OER
Google Earth Scavenger Hunt
Students complete activities to learn how to use Google Earth and study Alaska. In this Google Earth lesson, students complete a Google Earth scavenger hunt to find facts about Alaska. Students complete two worksheets for the topic.
Curated OER
Comparing The Earth And Moon
Third graders engage in a lesson that compares the Sun and Moon. They conduct research using the websites included in the lesson plan. Students read literature in order to make a connection with the new information. The plan includes...
Curated OER
Erupting Volcanoes!
Learners examine the causes of earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods, and explore how these events shape the surface of the earth. In this erupting volcanoes lesson, students create a volcano model of their own, make observations about how...
Curated OER
Glaciers and Ice Wedging
Fourth graders observe and identify a variety of weathering and geological activities in the area in which they live. This focuses primarily on what happened during the Ice Age, and how, even today, glaciers are shaping and re-shaping...
Curated OER
The Moon Orbits the Sun?!?!
Young scholars calculate the strength of gravitational force exerted on the moon by the sun and earth. In this orbital activity students view a demonstration to see the gravitational forces between bodies.
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 1
How do scientists provide evidence to support the theories they put forth? What clues do they put together to create these theories? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation class members engage in a series of...
Curated OER
Our Changing View of the Earth
Students explore the theory of Plate Tectonics. They participate in a simulation in which they re-enact the debate over Plate Tectonics vs. traditional beliefs of stationary continents that were widely accepted during the 1800's and...
Curated OER
Forces in Fluids
In this forces in fluids worksheet, students answer questions as they relate to forces in fluids. Students complete a chart about atmospheric pressure.
Curated OER
Exploring the Water Cycle
The water cycle is one of earth's most easily observable processes, but demonstrating each step within classroom walls can be a challenge. Through a series of videos and quick demonstrations, cover each aspect of the hydrologic cycle in...
Curated OER
Sandscapes to Landscapes
Students explore landscapes and create their own in a creative project.
Curated OER
Forces in Earth
In this Earth's forces worksheet, students will review the characteristics of earthquakes, including types of faults. Students will interpret a seismograph read-out from an earthquake. Students will complete 10 fill in the blank...