Students explore natural resources by conducting a geology experiment in class. In this mineral mining lesson, students discuss the types of geological material that can be found when mining and the uses for these resources such as coal....

The power to convince others of your argument lies in your knowledge of rhetoric! A thorough packet covers the basics of persuasion, including logical appeals and fallacies, and applies strategies to letters to the editor,...

Determine what young pupils already know about earth science with a brainstorming activity. After class members work together to complete a KWL chart about the Earth, they craft an acrostic poem to demonstrate their understanding.

Bring this instructional activity on hubris to your short story unit. After reading Jack London's "To Build a Fire," young readers discuss the role of hubris in the protagonist's death. The instructional activity has connections to other...

Why are Torrey pines only found in La Jolla, California and on Santa Rosa Island? Class members examine images of Torrey pines from these two locations, noting the similarities and differences, and then develop a demonstration model that...

How do scientists provide evidence to support the theories they put forth? What clues do they put together to create these theories? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation class members engage in a series of...

Students examine Paricutin eruptions. In this science lesson, students locate Paricutin on a map and take a virtual tour of volcanoes around the world. Students email questions to a geologist and create a news report on the original...

High schoolers use fossils found in rocks to determine the age of the strata between Rock Island and Chicago. Pupils pretend they are geologists. They must determine the age of all rock layers between the Mississippi River and Lake...

Acquaint your class with the 4 branches of earth science with this visual representation of the different branches. Using 4 different colors, learners categorize the provided words into the separate branches of earth science:...

Students read the story A New Coat For Anna and discuss their knowledge on how to make a coat. In this reading and coat making lesson plan, students discuss coat making and listen to a speaker that spins thread to make coats.

Learners place events in sequence and assign relative times to each event. They gain an understanding of relative and numerical time and become familiar with the methods used by scientists to develop the Geologic Time Scale.

Learners explore Earth science by identifying types of rocks in their schoolyard. In this geology lesson, students collect a group of rocks from their playground and categorize them based on color, shape and size. Learners read the book...

Students identify geographical features of different regions encountered by migrants on the Oregon trail. Students research how the Oregon landscape may have affected life and 19th century westward migration. Students write a narrative...

Fans of Sherlock Holmes may be surprised to learn that in addition to stories of the famous deductionist, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is also the creator of Professor Challenger. An irascible, unpredictable scientist, Challenger was featured...

Young scholars create and draw fictional dinosaurs. They write a description of their dinosaur.

Students create cards for a memory game by entering data into a spreadsheet that is then merged into a word processing document. Tutorials are available through links on the lesson page.

Seventh graders discuss the elements of maps and using basic linear measurement. They calculate the distance between the cities and create a simulated journey around New Mexico using a road map. They write out the directions for their...

This site provides a variety of activities and worksheets about the problem-based learning activity about Earth and its atmosphere. The lessons can be used separately or together in a geology unit. The resources and charts are very...

How far have California's Channel islands moved? What was the rate of this movement? Class members first examine data that shows the age of the Hawaiian island chain and the average speed of the Pacific Plate. They then watch West...

Second graders read Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. They then discuss where various names come from. They create a individualized biopoem and publish it on word processing software. Their poems are compiled into a class book and presented...

Fourth graders create a calendar about their state. In this state calendar lesson, 4th graders select a state theme and create a calendar based on that theme. Students write paragraphs for each month related to the theme and design the...

Students examine our society's fascination with Mars.  In this journalism lesson students read an article that outlines the various ways Mars has captured our imagination and are given topics for discussion and a chart to...

In this rules of the game instructional activity, students create a foldable demonstrating the laws of superposition and the principle of folding. Students will answer questions as it relates to rock layers and the principle of folding.

Students study fossils. In this fossils lesson, students discuss and study real fossils. Students color in pictures of fossils and their sections. Students then identify fossil picture parts and names. Students write definitions for...