+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify that most of mountain ranges found on all major land masses and in the oceans are external reflections of tectonic movements within the earth. They identify that earthquakes and related phenomena are caused by the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Studying Earthquakes in the Classroom

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students simulate p waves (longitudinal) & s waves (transverse) using a slinky and rope, simulate one of the three types of lithospheric boundaries, and investigate plate tectonics at some select Web sites.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Model of the Sea-floor

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students create a paper model to illustrate sea-floor spreading.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roots of the Mariana Arc

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Plumb the depths of the Submarine Ring of Fire and explore seismic waves with this lesson. Junior geologists simulate s-waves and p-waves, calculate their speeds, and then apply the data to discover the material that makes up inner...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Volcano Factory

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Collaborative groups work together to report on the volcanic activity leading to island formation and construct models to demonstrate the process. Consider having each group present their project to the rest of the class. There are many...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

My Friend, the Volcano

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Working in cooperative groups, young scientists research and report on how undersea volcanic activity may benefit marine ecosystems. There are many links to websites that you can use to stimulate curiosity or for pupils to use for...
+
Lesson Plan
Ocean Explorer

Living with the Heat

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Young oceanographers study the Submarine Ring of Fire, which is a series of deep-water volcanic vents that come up from the ocean floor. Learners take a close look at the unique ecosystems that are associated with these areas, how these...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Did They Come From?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Give science learners nine questions about the biogeography of hydrothermal vents and turn them loose to research this fascinating habitat. Working in cooperative groups, they prepare a report that addresses each of the questions. A...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Kenan Fellows

Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – Soil

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Do great gardeners really have green thumbs—or just really great soil? Environmental scholars discover what makes Earth's soil and soil quality so important through research and experimentation. Learners also develop an understanding of...
+
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Use Culinary Concoctions to Illustrate Geological Events

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Incorporating food into your science lesson helps learners to visualize and taste the complex concepts of Geology.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock My World

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students conduct a hands-on experiment designed to demonstrate how continents and oceans formed and why the manner of formation is relevant to a study of volcanoes.
+
Lesson Plan
Ocean Explorer

The Volcano Factory

For Teachers 5th - 6th
The tectonic processes that have resulted in the formation of the Marianas Arc, and the Marianas Trench are explored. Groups of pupils access websites that give them a wealth of information about these formations. Each group must prepare...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's for Dinner?

For Teachers 7th - 10th
View a video presentation comparing chemosynthesis to photosynthesis. Review the findings of the 2004 Ring of Fire Expedition that studied biological communities around the hydrothermal vents of the Mariana Arc. In collaborative groups,...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hydrothermal Vent Challenge

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Give our ocean voyagers the "Hydrothermal Vent Challenge!" It is a worksheet that guides them through an exploration of hydrothermal vents and the chemical reactions that occur when lava meets seawater. Using a collection of websites,...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building for the Big One

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners 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."
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Incorporating 3D Visualizations into Your Classroom

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students make observations through 3-D visualizations. They explore scientific and geologic processes through the use of 3-D pictures.
+
Unit Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics: First Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 1st Standards
A set of first grade geology lessons focuses on plate tectonics and movement of plate boundaries. During the pre-lab, learners experience three types of plate movement through a kinesthetic demonstration. The lab demonstrates stresses...
+
Unit Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics: Second Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 2nd Standards
Second graders explore convection currents and how they relate to the movement of tectonic plates. Then, young geologists reconstruct Pangaea with a worksheet and pinpoint plate boundaries on a map using locations of earthquakes and...
+
Unit Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Volcanoes: Sixth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 6th Standards
Bring a set of pre-lab, lab, and post-lab lesson plans on volcanoes to your earth science unit. Sixth graders explore the three types of volcanoes found on Earth, plot the specific locations of these volcanoes on a map, and investigate...
+
Activity
It's About Time

What Drives the Plates?

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
It's getting hot in here! Lead your emerging geoscientists on a thrilling journey as they calculate liquid densities to determine forces that stimulate thermal plates from within the earth's crust. They explore effects of temperature on...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
NOAA

The Biogeochemical Cycle

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The biogeochemical cycle ... no physics? The fourth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program introduces the biogeochemical cycle by having pupils simulate movement between Earth's...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 2 Activity 2: Mapping Mount St. Helens

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students use topographic map skills to interpret impact of the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens on the volcano's topography, and draw profile views of Mount St. Helens before and after the May 18, 1980, eruption.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water We Drink

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders relate that the quality of their drinking water is subject to the condition of the environment and water found in streams and creeks in their community. They track the travel of a wad of paper from a student's desk to a...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping Mount St. Helens

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students study topographic maps and contour lines and construct a simple three-dimensional model of Mount St. Helens before the May 18, 1980, eruption. They use topographic map skills to interpret the impact of the May 18, 1980, eruption...

Other popular searches