Article
Read Works

Read Works: Passages: "The Rise of Oxygen in the Earth's Atmosphere"

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] The article "The Rise of Oxygen in the Earth's Atmosphere" from the American Museum of Natural History focuses on when the rise of oxygen in the earth's atmosphere began. A Step Read, a question set,...
Unit Plan
Vision Learning

Visionlearning: Atmosphere and Oceans: The Origin of the Modern Atmosphere

For Students 9th - 10th
An explanation of how the Earth's atmosphere has changed over time. Evidence that helped scientists understand these changes is presented.
Unit Plan
Vision Learning

Visionlearning: Atmosphere and Oceans: The Rise of Atmospheric Oxygen

For Students 9th - 10th
An explanation of the Earth's atmosphere and how it has evolved over geologic time.
PPT
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Hhmi: Bio Interactive: Paleoclimate: A History of Change

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the history of Earth's climate in this Click and Learn. Learn how many factor control Earth's climate. Specifically, examine two of the most important factors: solar radiation and the composition of Earth's atmosphere.
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Paleobiology: The Archaean Eon

For Students 9th - 10th
Journey into the past while reading this comprehensive overview of the Archaean Eon that covers topics such as early continents and oceans, first life on Earth, Earth's atmosphere, fossil evidence, and plate tectonics.
Handout
Nine Planets

The Nine Planets: Earth Facts

For Students 9th - 10th
Find lots of information about our planet Earth here. Covers basic facts, Earth's history, layers of the Earth, plate tectonics, composition of the atmosphere, Earth's magnetic field, and some facts about our moon.
Handout
Digital History

Digital History: The Space Race

For Students 9th - 10th
In October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite. The 184-pound, 22.5-inch sphere orbited the earth once every 96 minutes. Sputnik transmitted radio signals for 21 days and later burned up in...
Lesson Plan
Other

Digital Library for Earth System Education (Dlese)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This resource provides materials for teachers on a huge array of topics. Search site by topic, grade level, and desired output (such as lesson plan, case study, assessment or tutorial). Site is focused on earth science, geography, and...
Interactive
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Hhmi: Biointeractive: Earth Viewer

For Students 9th - 10th
Watch the earth change with this interactive app? What did Earth look like 250 million years ago? Or 1 billion years ago? Or 4.5 billion years ago? What was the climate like in the deep past? Find the answers with EarthViewer, an...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: Paleobiology: Geologic Time: Hadean Eon

For Students 9th - 10th
Journey into the past while reading this comprehensive overview of the Hadean Eon that covers topics such as the formation of the earth, its surface and atmosphere, fossil evidence, erosion and plate tectonics.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Weather and Atmosphere

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this unit, students learn the basics about weather and the atmosphere. They investigate materials engineering as it applies to weather and the choices available to us for clothing to counteract the effects of weather. Students have...
Handout
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Early Atmosphere and Oceans Study Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
This comprehensive study guide covers the main terms and concepts needed for an earth science unit on the early atmosphere and oceans. Review questions are included at the bottom of the study guide.
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: The Atmosphere and Life

For Students 9th - 10th
This is an interview between two scientists discussing how shaping the biosphere is due to geologic events and changes in the atmosphere. Learn how there is a "complex balance between Earth's processes and its network of life".
eBook
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science for Middle School

For Students 6th - 8th
This digital textbook covers core earth science concepts and includes interactive features, real-world examples, videos, and study guides.
Online Course
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Earth and Space Science: The Geologic Timeline

For Students 9th - 10th
Take this online quiz and test your knowledge of geological history, and the formation of our atmosphere, water, crust, oxygen, tectonic plates, Moon, and the rest of the Earth.
Website
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Course Ware: Petrology

For Students 9th - 10th
A review, including notes and labs, of a Petrology course provided b MIT. Petrology is the study of the history and chemical make up of rocks.
Handout
Other

Moorland School: Earth Science Zone: The Origin of the Earth

For Students 9th - 10th
A webpage reviewing the origin of the Earth. Learn what Earth was like during its first billion years with an atmosphere that contained no oxygen. Understand that oxygen levels built up once green plants became more abundant. At the end...
Handout
NASA

Nasa Space Place: All About Earth

For Students 3rd - 8th
Brief description of the earth's structure, surface, neighbors, and history with images.
Article
Open Curriculum

Open Curriculum: Into the Mitochondrion: Making Atp With Oxygen

For Students 9th - 10th
The aim of this article is to relate the history of oxygen in the atmosphere to the evolution of photosynthesis, aerobic respiration, mitochondria, and life on earth.
Handout
Other

Visual Satellite Observer: Mir Space Station's 15 Years in Space Ends

For Students 9th - 10th
Details of Mir's re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere after 15 years in space. Includes information on Mir's mission, configuration, and history.
Handout
Other

The Geological Society: Climate Change: Evidence From the Geological Record

For Students 9th - 10th
In this statement, The Geological Society describes the changes that are happening to the global climate in terms of what evidence has been observed in our geological history. For example, what happened during past events of rapid...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Dinosaur Breath

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Through discussion and hands-on experimentation, students learn about the geological (ancient) carbon cycle. They investigate the role of dinosaurs in the carbon cycle and the eventual storage of carbon in the form of chalk. Students...
Activity
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Activity: Living in the Extremes of the Biosphere

For Students 9th - 10th
In this activity, you'll describe what you think it might be like for humans to live in the extremes of the biosphere. Think about the challenges associated with living either underwater or in the upper atmosphere. Also, think about what...
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: What Is the Biosphere?

For Students 9th - 10th
This article explains that as our knowledge of life on the planet evolves, we've come to use the word biosphere as a way of explaining the entire intertwined network of life on Earth. This concept combines an understanding of geology,...