Curated OER
Plate Tectonics
Curious kids examine plate tectonics and give examples of their movement. They recognize how plates change the Earth through video, and web-based articles. In small groups, they receive complete a tectonics puzzle by silently switching...
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Snack Tectonics
Yum! Using graham crackers, dried fruit sheets, and frosting, tectonics technicians demonstrate the different types of plate boundaries. If you want to encourage youngsters with an activity that is both educational and edible, then this...
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Plate Tectonics: Surface and Subsurface Processes
Eighth graders explore the geological process of plate tectonics. In this plate tectonic lesson, 8th graders design, construct and present a working model of a plate tectonics concept. This lesson includes a rubric, worksheets, and 2...
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Fossil Evidence for Plate Tectonics
Students draw maps of counties that were important to the discovery of plate tectonic theory. In this plate tectonics lesson students excavate constructed fossil sites from matching coastlines and discuss the possible explanations...
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Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics
Students research about earthquakes that took place within a certain distance from their place. In this geology lesson, students explain why earthquakes occur. They analyze patterns of different earthquakes using a computer program.
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Forces of Nature: Ring of Fire
Third graders will research the Ring of Fire and be able to share their findings with their partner. They will also demonstrate volcanic eruptions using a baking soda and vinegar volcano model. Then they will discover how continental...
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The Volcano Factory
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...
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Gelatin Volcanoes
Students investigate magma flow using gelatin volcano models. For this earth science lesson, students sketch the magma bodies as observed from the top of their model. They explain why magma moves that way.
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Plate Tectonics: Recycling the Seafloor
Students classify earth's layers and plates using Ocean Seismicity data. In this plate tectonics lesson, students outline where the plate boundaries are on the world map. They then compare these predicted boundaries with USGS map of the...
National Geographic
Mapping the Americas
Celebrate the geography of the Americas and develop map skills through a series of activities focused on the Western Hemisphere. Learners study everything from earthquakes and volcanoes of the Americas and the relationship...
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Stressed to a Fault!
Eighth graders describe how stress builds up in the Earth's crust by the movement of tectonic plates. In groups, they relate the three types of stresses to the types of plate movements and explain how the stress causes faults to form. ...
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A Model of Earth's Tectonic Plates
Students build a model of the Earth showing tectonic plate boundaries. The pattern for the model is provided in the instructional activity. This is a very useful hands-on component for a instructional activity about geology or earthquakes.
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Tectonic Plates, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes
Challenge geography classes to locate the major volcanoes and earthquake faults on a world map. In groups, they identify the pattern made and examine the relationship between the locations of the faults and volcanoes and tectonic...
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Earth's Plate Tectonics
Students identify the different layers of the Earth. In this earth science lesson, students create a model of the crusts and continents. They explain how plates movement cause earthquakes and volcanoes.
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Journey Through Earth
Students study plate tectonics. In this plate tectonics lesson students build a cutaway scale model of the Earth.
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Chocolate Chipping Away at the Rock Cycle
Eighth graders identify the different types of rocks. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders compare and contrast rocks and chocolate cookies. They explain how materials are recycled beneath the Earth.
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Earthquake Machine
Learners explore plate tectonics by conducting a class experiment. In this earthquake lesson, students utilize scrap wood, sandpaper, rubber bands and a sanding belt to create a model earthquake experiment which shakes a nearby building....
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Disaster Cycles
Learners explore what causes natural disasters. For this environmental lesson plan, students will spend four weeks using activities to help in their understanding of the Hydrological Cycle, Hurricanes, Plate Tectonics, and the Recovery...
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Frogs Frogs Frogs
Students view a disk on the continental movement and analyze the given data on fossils, rock types and climate zones. In this geology lesson students draw a diagram of the earths layers, take a quiz complete a PowerPoint presentation.
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Name That Volcano
Students research volcanoes. In this volcanoes lesson, students visit websites with worksheets about the terms for volcanoes and volcanic eruptions in the world. Students complete the work online and play a game for volcano names.
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Volcanic Violence
Students complete activities to study volcanic activities. In this volcanic activities activity, students read an article about violent volcanoes. Students complete discuss questions and volcano projects for the activity. students also...
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Hawaiian Hot Spots
Students describe how plate tectonics contribute to the development of volcanoes. In this earth science instructional activity, students examine the map of Hawaii and explore the physical and biological environment there. They write a...
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Deadly Shadow of Vesuvius
Students view a video clip about volcanoes. They collect data and create maps to see the relationship between volcanoes, earthquakes and plates. They share their maps with the class.
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Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes
Students watch and learn the different levels of "viscosity" in liquids to explain molten lava after viewing a video of a Hawaiian volcano.