Curated OER
Ride the Rock Cycle
Students examine the steps of the rock cycle. They describe what happens to the rocks in each of the stages. They participate in a rock cycle game to help them with the steps.
Alabama Learning Exchange
The Water Cycle
Students explore the water cycle. In this earth science lesson plan, they read the book Water Dance by Thomas Locker and use an interactive whiteboard to review the water cycle with an interactive website.
Curated OER
The Rock Cycle
For this science worksheet, learners examine the rock cycle and trace the beginning to the end of it. The outcome could then be discussed.
California Academy of Science
Carbon Cycle Poster
Humans can have a big impact on the environment, specifically the influence they have on the carbon cycle. First, the class will define and discuss each of the earths four major spheres, the biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and...
DiscoverE
Build a Watershed
What's the best way to learn how watersheds work? Build one! Combining engineering, the water cycle, and ecology concerns, the activity is the perfect fit for an interdisciplinary unit. Teams construct a model watershed with simple...
Curated OER
How Sedimentary Rocks are Formed
Learners investigate the stripes in sedimentary rocks, using a structure at Petra, Jordan, as an example, and then do a hands-on activity using mixed nuts to illustrate the layering of sedimentary rocks.
US Department of Energy
Solar Distiller
Explore the sun's ability to distill contaminated water with this simple set of classroom experiments. After filling two glass bowls, one with muddy water and the other with salt water, they are covered with plastic wrap and placed...
Mr. E. Science
Erosion and Deposition
Get an in-depth look into erosion and deposition with a 23-slide presentation that details how gravity, water, waves, wind, and glaciers cause changes to the Earth's surface. Each slide consists of detailed images equipped with labels,...
Curated OER
'Round and 'Round it Goes!
Students discuss and interpret background knowledge on poster copy given on the water cycle. Students complete the included activity sheets using the poster as a reference in small groups. Students identify and name where water can be...
Curated OER
Climate Change: Carbon Cycle
Learners explore the carbon cycle. For this carbon cycle lesson, students discuss the four main reservoirs where carbon is stored and then discover the process through which each reservoir absorbs and releases CO2. This lesson includes a...
Curated OER
Sun and Weather
How is the Earth's weather created? Middle schoolers will explain how the Sun's energy is transformed into different forms. They will perform mathematical calculations of volume, mass, and temperature. They they will explain the...
Forest Foundation
Forests, Carbon & Our Climate
To conclude their examination of forest ecosystems, class members consider the role forests play in the carbon cycle and how forests can offset climate change.
Curated OER
Science Jeopardy - The Earth Sciences
The earth sciences are the focus for this Jeopardy-style review game. Categories include geology, space, scientific investigation, meteorology, and oceanography. Diagrams and pictures are involved with most of the questions, making this...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics: Sixth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Here is a set of pre-lab, lab, and post-lab lesson plans on plate tectonics. After completing the previous labs on volcanoes and earthquakes, sixth graders use the gained knowledge to explore plate boundaries and the movement of...
Curated OER
The Earth and Rocks
There are inconsistencies in the information included on each slide. For example, physical characteristics are listed for sedimentary rocks, but formation is mentioned for metamorphic rocks. For igneous rocks, characteristics and a hint...
Curated OER
The Rock Cycle
In this rock cycle worksheet, students are given 6 terms and 6 definitions related to rock formation and the rock cycle. Students match the terms with their definitions and paste the definition next to the term.
Curated OER
Thirsty Rocks: Please "Porous" a Drink!
Discover what it means when a stone is porous or permeable. In this geology instructional activity, investigate a sandstone and complete a lab exercise which displays how porous and permeable a stone can actually be then measure these...
Curated OER
Rocks: Minerals Mixtures
Basic information about the rock cycle, fossils, and the value of rock to civilizations is given in these 6 slides. There is no explanation of information other than to present the terms, and so it could be used to start a unit
Annenberg Foundation
Geometry 3D Shapes: Surface Area and Volume
Whether you wrap it or fill it, you're using geometric concepts. Classmates use an interactive approach to learn how to find volume and surface area of cylinders and prisms in the second lesson in a five-part series. The online lesson...
Curated OER
Mining the Web
For this rock and mineral worksheet, students visit http://sciencespot.net and explore a variety of sites about rocks and minerals in order to complete questions about geology, the rock cycle, and rock creations.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Volcanoes!
Give young geologists an up close and personal look at volcanoes with a series of hands-on earth science lessons. Whether they are investigating the properties of igneous rocks, building their own volcanoes, or making...
Curated OER
Volcanoes: Sixth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
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...
Curated OER
The Carbon Cycle
In this carbon cycle activity, students will read about the carbon cycle and study a diagram showing what creates carbon dioxide and what uses carbon dioxide. Students will then complete 4 short answer questions.
Columbus City Schools
What is in that?
Invite your class to dig in to an engaging journey into the world of mining! Here you'll find the tools to equip young miners with knowledge of soil, rocks, and minerals, as well as types of mining operations. To round things out, the...