Students investigate how the age of sedimentary strata is determined. In this sedimentary strata lesson, students work through problems that show that geological history covers millions of years. They distinguish between relative and...

In this history of life worksheet, students will explore how mass extinctions have occurred on Earth, the different periods of the geological time scale, and scientists' use of fossil records. Students will complete 3 fill in the blank...

Students develop a timeline that depicts geologic development and the history of life. They write an interpretive analysis essay that discusses and reflects on their observations.

Students build a realistic sense of geological time, seek clues of transition fossils and find them.  In this investigative lesson students complete several activities and worksheets on fossils. 

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...

Seventh graders examine fossils.  In this vertebrate fossils lesson students view a demonstration.

In this history of life worksheet, learners complete a crossword puzzle by figuring out the vocabulary words associated with the 11 clues given. Then students review how paleontologists use fossils to learn more about past living things...

Students research behavior, phsyiology, and ecology of dinoaurs. Students role-play as scientific specialists such as geneticists and ecologists. They present their research findings in a research paper.

Students define relative dating and describe the law of superposition. They apply their knowledge to construct an accurate geologic time scale. Students examine the importance and function of biotechnology in Earth Science.

Students hypothesize about why various samples of coal have different characteristics. Pupils use information that they found during Internet searches to ascertain the validity of their hypotheses and verify the "story" of coal. ...

Students use the methodology described by Prown (1982) to interpret paintings. They determine artistic, historical, and scientific content and develop an understanding of aspects of nineteenth century American culture. They study the...

Students examine trees and discuss how the environment effected the tree. They also predict what the area look like in fifty years.

Discover that maps show information about an area and that they have common features like scales and legends. View an aerial map of your school and find features on the map such as the playground, roads, and trees. Trace the outline of...

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. ...

In this minerals worksheet, students read about the relationship between elements, rocks and minerals. They experiment using 6 different colored gumdrops to represent 6 common elements. Students construct gumdrop and toothpick models of...

This activity is designed after research done on the ecology of soil lichen in the Tucson Basin area during the summers of 1997 and 1998. Its purpose is to guide learners into adopting the problem solving thinking of ecologists. The...

Learners dramatize the formation of mountains. In this earth formation dramatization lesson plan, students read Anne Issacs', Swamp Angel, and research the how the layers of the Earth move to form landforms. They work in groups to...

Fourth graders examine the geological development of the state of Indiana. Using the internet, they interact with the United States Geological Survey. They identify earthquake zones and energy resources in the state. They work...

Students are introduced to the geological development of the state of Indiana. Using the internet, they visit the U.S. Geological Survey and locate the earthquake zones in the state. In groups, they locate and identify the energy...

Students examine the distribution of geology, soils, groundwater, topography, and geography in Nebraska. They identify various regions and characteristics on a map, and develop a plan to manage the soil and groundwater resources of the...

Learners examine the geology of Connecticut, including plate tectonics, glaciation, and fossil formation. After reviewing past lessons, they write essays about what life may have been like in the Mesozoic Period. Following a field...

Students predict how the Big Island and Waipi'o Valley formed and write an essay that includes their predictions. They research online to find the real way it formed and experiment with sand to show how a stream develops.

Students use the scientific method to explore the effect of size on impact cratering. They compare images of landforms on Earth to those of other planets to compare surface processes. Students infer the geologic history of another...

Pupils examine fossils and analyzing their significance in relation to theories of evolution. Hand-outs are provided. This lesson could be supplementary to a broader unit on evolution or geology.