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Spaceship Earth
Students develop an understanding of our planet as a system by designing a very-long-duration space mission in which the life-support system is patterned after that of earth.
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The History of Rock and Roll
Seventh graders examine how the different layers of rock show the history of the Earths surface. In this rock lesson students divide into groups and complete an activity using clay.
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Relative Dating - Telling Time Using Fossils
Students use fossil range charts to explain relative dating. They graph for ammonites, marine organisms that went extinct at the same time as dinosaurs.
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Dinosaur I Finding And Dating
Students investigate how long dinosaurs lived on Earth and how that compare to how long man has been on Earth. They discover how scientists excavate fossils.
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Mapping of the Earth's Past
Students create a scale model time linen of the Earth's 4.6 billion year history. They calculate a scale that can fit on a very long register tape then label each geologic era. They use text books to annotate each era with major geologic...
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Dating Popcorn
Students simulate the dating process with popcorn. In this geology lesson, students discuss how geologist find the age of rocks by gauging the amount of decay of radioactive elements. They have 6 bags of popcorn and each group microwaves...
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Dating Sedimentary Strata
Students investigate how the age of sedimentary strata is determined. In this sedimentary strata activity, students work through problems that show that geological history covers millions of years. They distinguish between relative and...
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Making The Geologic Time Scale Real
Students 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...
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Science NetLinks: Fossils and Geologic Time
Students investigate the development of the geologic time scale. Also, to introduce them to the major time periods in earth's history, as well as to the role fossils play in helping us understand this history.
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Fossils and Geologic Time
Students explore the development of the geologic time scale. They examine the major time periods in earth's history. Students discuss the role fossils play in helping us understand history.
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The Geologic Time Scale
Students research and explore the earth's past and make comparisons with the earth's present. They map out a timeline that explains how the earth and its organisms have changed over time. Studnets create a scale for their time line, they...
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How Many Days Are in a Year?
High schoolers create a calendar for an imaginary planet. In this earth science lesson, students analyze the errors on the different calendars used on Earth. They present their work in class.
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VARVES: Dating Sedimentary Strata: Geology, Paleontological Patterns
Students count the number of varves (annual layers of sediment) in shale billets, taken from the Green River Formation in Wyoming. The count is then extended to reflect the entire 260 meters of sediments where the billets originated.
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Relative Dating-Telling Time Using Fossils
Students explore how to read fossil range charts. They develop an knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the fossil record. Students become familiar with the concepts index fossil and fossil range. Students use bar graphs to...
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How Was Coal Formed?
Geology can be a lot of fun. Learners review geology related vocabulary, make flashcards, use encyclopedias to answer questions, then explore the formation of coal. They identify dates and order them into key time frames of geologic...
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Assessment & Evaluation
Seventh graders study elapsed time, radioactive decay and half-life. In this time machine lesson students complete several activities and view a presentation.
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Vertebrate History in Rocks
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read the noted section in their science textbooks and respond to 4 short answer and 3 fill in the blank questions regarding fossils embedded in rock formations.
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Volcano Research Project
Students research a volcano that has erupted in the last 100 years. In this earth science lesson, students explain the effect of the eruption to the population. They communicate what they would do to minimize the effect of this disaster.
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Fossils Footprints Across Time
Students examine fossils to understand how they are formed and how they give information about geological history. In this fossil lesson plan, students research and write about fossils and make models of different fossil types.The PDF...
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Fossil Inferences
Fourth graders use their knowledge about fossils to arrange fossil pictures in sequence from oldest to youngest. They explain how fossils can be used to make inferences about past life, climate, geology, and environments and discover...
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Predicting Lunar Eclipses
Students explore lunar eclipses and discover how to predict an eclipse the same way that ancient people did. They examine dates of recorded eclipses and find a pattern. Students apply an algorithm to the pattern.
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Astrology: Fact Or Fiction?
High schoolers investigate the concept of astrology and how it evolved from history. They use the Zodiac in order to find the location of constellations in the night sky. The differences between astrology and astronomy are compared and...
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Blooming Thermometers
Young scholars study phenology, or the study of climate change. They research the Japanese springtime festival of Hanami and plot and interpret average cherry blossom bloom date data from the past 1100 years.
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Hubble Space Telescope
Students investigate the history and use of the Hubble Space Telescope. They take a quiz in order to establish in any prior knowledge. Students conduct research to find information in conjunction with participating in class discussion...