In this arts integrated unit, 3rd graders will explore Rocks and Soil. These projects focus on bringing multiple art forms to the Earth Sciences for third graders. Students will focus on comparing and contrasting the 3 types of rocks, as...

In this environment-oriented experiment, you will mix it up with earthworms, soil, and various types of organic kitchen scraps. The basic idea is to set up small earthworm colonies to compost different types of food waste. You test the...

Different types of erosion are discussed along with suggested ways to solve erosion problems on farms in this two-page article.

When you think of environmental challenges facing the world, the first things that come to mind might be global warming, or loss of biodiversity, since these are often in the newspapers. A serious problem that you may not have heard...

Fourth graders study the differences between humus, sand, and clay soil.

A lesson plan in which students explore plant communities and observe different types of soil and weather conditions in an attempt to determine cause and effect relationships. Includes discussion questions, extension activities and web...

This resource provides information on countries throughout the world, current news, and different types of maps.

Read this article to learn how scientists are using instruments to try and monitor our land biosphere. Scientists have learned two different types of models to help track data from our land.

What covers less than 10% of the Earth's surface, yet is a vital natural resource for terrestrial life? What filters ground water and supports most of our food production, not to mention the production of building materials and paper?...

The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate the importance of rocks, soils and minerals in engineering and how using the right material for the right job is important. The students build three different sand castles and test them for...

This site from the Missouri Botanical Gardens provides general information about different kinds of grasslands and the plants and animals of that type of region.

This hands-on activity explores five different forms of erosion (chemical, water, wind, glacier and temperature). Students rotate through stations and model each type of erosion on rocks, soils and minerals. The students record their...

How would you define an ecosystem? Check out this educational resource to learn more about the living and nonliving parts of different ecosystems.

A field based lab experiment where students work in groups to come up with a collection strategy and lab analysis to test differences in soil bulk densities. Students bring soil samples back to the classroom to conduct a test that...

Students investigate the critical nature of foundations as they learn differences between shallow and deep foundations, including the concepts of bearing pressure and settlement. Using models representing a shallow foundation and a deep...

Earthquakes can have different affects depending on their location. This week long exercise asks you to build a model house and a special table to shake it on, and see how different soil types can amplify shaking.

Dirtmeister describes erosion, how it works, different causes, and types of weathering. Included are questions to help get you thinking about erosion in your area.

Townsend's Pocket Gophers require deep, moist soils of river valleys and ancient lake beds. Other pocket gophers that are found in the same region, in the northern Great Basin, prefer different soil types: Botta's Pocket Gopher is...

Here's a project for studying compression waves in different soil types. It uses a homemade wave tank for solids, with a frequency generator, amplifier, and loudspeaker as the vibration source. There are lots of interesting possibilities...