Curated OER
Create Your Own Rock!
Fourth graders create and name their own rock by combining paper minerals. They define rock and mineral, examine samples of minerals, and using colored scrap paper, arrange and glue the pieces of paper to represent a new mineral.
Curated OER
A Visit to Southern Africa - Volcano
Students examine a cookie that represents pumice and lava in order to realize that lava is a composite of many rock particles. They compare and contrast pumice to the cookie by estimating, weighing, measuring and dissecting the cookie...
Curated OER
The Rocks Under Illinois
Students examine the rock layers in Illinois. They draw the many rock layers using the Geology website. They discover the arrangement of strata of rocks.
Curated OER
Inspiration!
Students create a diagram based on rocks using a computer program. They use the program to put their thoughts in order and to have a sheet to reference to.
Curated OER
Collecting Rocks
Pupils investigate how rocks are formed, how they are used, and how to collect them by listening to a read aloud of Roma Gans, Let's Go Collecting Rocks.. They discover background knowledge of rocks.
Curated OER
Rocky Observations
Students examine two images of rocks, make their own observations of individual rocks through drawing, and explain how the same observation skills can be used in the study of geology.
Curated OER
Bricks Soak Up Water
Pupils determine whether various rocks are porous or not. They conduct an experiment to determine if a brick is porous, calculate how much water the brick soaked up, and develop a conclusion.
Curated OER
Rock Art
First graders create and share their own rock art. They listen and read stories: "Mathematics from Many Cultures" and "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush."
Curated OER
Rock Hounds
Second graders read Byrd Baylor's book "Everybody Needs a Rock", and select a rock, study it, and describe its attributes.
Curated OER
Field Research Project: Comparing the Parent Rock Material of the San Francisco Terranes With Local Soil Types
Young scholars investigate rocks and minerals and take a field trip to sample soils. They analyze rocks and soil, research the geological terrenes of the topology of San Francisco, and produce a lab research report.
Curated OER
Putting the Pieces Together
Students, in groups, explore ecosystems, water cycle, rock cycle, and food web. They create a puzzle piece on white butcher paper based on their information.
Curated OER
Polishing the Petoskey
Students select a stone and polish it. Throughout the process they demonstrate an understanding of rocks and fossil formation.
Curated OER
Metamorphic Sandwiches - - "Bread Rock"
Students graphically show how metamorphic rock is formed by pressure and heat using bread.
Curated OER
How to Recycle a Rock
Third graders explore the rock cycle and explore how rocks are made, changed, destroyed and recreated. They create representations of these processes with hands-on activities.
Curated OER
Strange Brew: The Musical Concoctions of Cream
Students distinguish between two styles of music, construct a definition of genius and describe its characteristics, critically analyze and evaluate quotations, and conduct research and present the results.
Curated OER
A Special Relationship: Connecticut and Its Settlers
Students study both geological and geographical features of Connecticut and the New Haven area. They focus on map works and rock formation.
Curated OER
Pollen Tracks
Students participate in an artificial dig investigating imitiation rock samples that contain "pollen" from ancient plants. Students determine which plants the pollen samples came from.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Rocks and Landforms
Eight hands-on lessons module where students learn about rocks and landforms. These inquiry-based investigations explore the different types of rocks, how they are formed, the different types of landforms, and the effects of glaciers on...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Minnesota Rocks: The Properties of North Shore Rocks
Students will investigate rocks from the North Shore of Minnesota. Students will begin by forming questions that they have about the rocks. They will use observation skills to identify attributes of the rocks. The students will use...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Our Surroundings: Observing the Outdoors
Learners will observe, describe, measure, compare, and contrast leaves, rocks, grass, and soil using observation and tools.
Language Guide
Language Guide: El Aire Libre
Learn to identify things you would see or use in the outdoors or open air when you are hiking or camping. Interactive illustrations model correct pronunciation of vocabulary when the mouse is moved over each picture.
James Madison University
James Madison University: Clastic Sedimentary Rock Classification
An upper-level explanation of clastic sedimentary rock classification. Charts, diagrams, and review questions are included. Be sure to click on the PDF Clastic Identification key.
US Geological Survey
U.s. Geological Survey: Fossils, Rocks, and Time
Publication delves into the importance of studying the Earth's history and how we go about doing it. View pictures and diagrams showing the geological time scale and fossil succession.