Springboard your fourth and fifth graders into the study geologic time. They will complete 7 activities to learn about geologic time and the topics most often associated with it: astronomy, creation, planet formation, volcanology,...

Students examine geologic time to scale. In this geologic time lesson, students create a time-scale metaphor that shows some of the Earth's important events. Students present their metaphor to the class.

Learners are assigned significant geologic events in Earth's history. They convert the date of the events into distances and then space themselves (on an outside playing field) away from other groups, to represent time between various...

Fifth graders measure how long it takes to make cookies. In this measuring time lesson, 5th graders explore how to manage time. Students decide when to start making breakfast on time, how to calculate playing time into their lunch time,...

Students read about and complete question activities for the topic of relative dating. In this relative dating lesson, students read information for the topic and then complete two activities to further their understanding of geologic...

High schoolers will identify the factors that contribute to erosion and weathering. They will start by differentiating between chemical and mechanical weathering. They then apply what they learned by playing the online jeopardy game. Key...

Did you know there are 20 volcanoes erupting at any given time? Pupils look at various igneous rocks, read local geologic maps, and determine if their area has a history of volcanic activity. A reading passage and analysis questions...

A timely lesson plan uses documentation from the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 to compare it to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Scholars watch a short video, analyze sources, complete a worksheet, and write a claim with supporting...

Learners explain what is meant by term nuclear radiation, describe in detail electromagnetic spectrum, differentiate between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, understand half-life of isotopes, differentiate between processes of...

Many pupils struggle to categorize and organize related content. Multiple quizzes on a variety of topics offer practice for these specific skills. Scholars move items around until they think each is placed in the proper position....

Students explore energy by categorizing rocks. In this British Columbia geology lesson, students define many different vocabulary terms associated with mining such as sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. Students utilize sample rock...

The Grand Canyon formed between five and six million years ago, but is it still changing? Scholars explore 10 sites in the United States, including the Grand Canyon, to better understand the geoscience processes that formed these...

Students study changes that occur in geological and historical time. They place themselves in relationship to the universe, the world, Canada, and Saskatchewan.

Students analyze rocks. In this geology lesson, students collect rocks from the schoolyard and sort them according to various characteristics, such as color, size, and weight.

Seventh graders summarize how Earth processes today are similar to those that occurred in the past. They read excerpts from John Muir's "Yosemite Glaciers" and explain how slow geologic processes have large cumulative effects over long...

Students identify and study New York State Breeding Bird Atlas maps to learn where different bird species nest and how their distributions have changed over time. They also identify how maps serve as representations of a geographic...

Fourth graders study the characteristics of the Achaean era. In this Achaean era lesson, 4th graders examine the clock of eras and compare the characteristics of different eras. They determine that the rocks associated with this era can...

High schoolers use CAD maps to explore active faults in Idaho. Through observation of maps, they explore the layers of the Quaternary and Holocene faults. Individually, or in groups, they identify characteristics of faults such as...

Young scholars examine the Oregon state quarter and discuss how Crater Lake was formed-geologically and according to Native American legend. They practice making predictions and identifying the beginning, middle, and end of a story.

Here is an excellent cross-curricular instructional activity. Learners relate multiplication to area by making a grid on graph paper, and then creating the same grid in real space outside in the school yard.

Pupils explore various methods for visualizing the results of hydrogen wave function. They observe trends using a polar plot tool and make plots for the first three energy levels of the radial wave function for hydrogen. Students apply...

How did Charles Darwin support his controversial theory of evolution with evidence? Use an excerpt from his 1859 work On the Origin of Species to reinforce the importance of making inferences within an informational text, and to...

Pupils study Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and how the continents were connected in one large land mass called Pangaea. They examine plate tectonics and the theory that the earth's surface is composed of large moving plates.

Middle schoolers gain understanding about where some of today's words originated by reviewing a list of Latin words and their meanings. They work in small groups to create dictionary pages which will then be compiled into a large...