Curated OER
A Moving Experience
Students visit Time Machine's San Francisco Earthquake Era. They understand how the Earth's layers interact to cause changes in the Earth's surface. They review information about earthquakes and Earth's layers.
California Academy of Science
Earthquakes and Tectonic Plates
Here is a comprehensive package in which middle schoolers learn about types of seismic waves, triangulation, and tectonic plate boundaries. Complete vocabulary, colorful maps, and a worksheet are included via links on the webpage. You...
California Academy of Science
Rock Cycle Roundabout
After a basic introduction to the rock cycle and the three main types of rocks, young geologists can deepen their understanding of how rocks change through a fun learning game. Based on the characteristics and events shared by a reader,...
Curated OER
A Model of the Sea-floor
Students create a paper model to illustrate sea-floor spreading.
Curated OER
once and future MOON
Beyond the phases of the moon, this comprehensive lesson plan covers geologic history and geology. Amateur astronauts examine photos of the lunar landscape, experiment with the creation of craters, and delve into information about the...
Curated OER
Rock My World
Students conduct a hands-on experiment designed to demonstrate how continents and oceans formed and why the manner of formation is relevant to a study of volcanoes.
Curated OER
Building for the Big One
Students build and test structures that can best withstand earthquakes. They create their structures from playdough, cornstarch, grape-nuts and popsicle sticks and place their structures on a "shake table."
Curated OER
Plotting Earthquakes
Students plot earthquakes on a map. In this instructional activity on earthquakes, students will explore recent earthquake activity in California and Nevada. Students will plot fault lines and earthquake occurrences on a map.
Curated OER
Volcanoes
Students study volcanoes. In this volcanoes activity, students read several volcano paragraphs and study the pictures or diagrams. Students then make an erupting volcano, complete website research about volcanoes, and answer several...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics Review
In this plate tectonics learning exercise, learners review concepts such as the types of plate boundaries, the concept of continental drift, sea-floor spreading, earthquakes, and plate tectonics. They match 30 terms with their definitions.
Curated OER
The Volcano Factory
Students examine the process of tectonic plates and why the Mariana Arc is active with volcanoes. They create a model of the Mariana Arc out of clay.
Curated OER
Volcano! Is That a Volcano on Your Plate?
Learners investigate where volcanos come from. In this volcano lesson, students watch videos do Internet research and participate in experiments to discover the cause of volcanos.
Curated OER
The 50 States and its Holidays
Though the format of this ELL lesson is confusing (the standards listed are for plate tectonics, yet the objectives are for American geography and holidays), a teacher could glean some ideas from the main idea. Here, pupils complete a...
Curated OER
My Science Box: Seafloor Spreading
Students examine the movement of plate tectonics. In this instructional activity on the spreading of the seafloor, students use maps and models to observe how the sea floor spreads.
Curated OER
The Science Behind Tsunamis
Natural disasters can be teachable moments that create more scientifically literate citizens.
Curated OER
Volcano!-Thar She Blows!
Middle schoolers describe how volcanoes are formed. They name the types of boundaries where volcanoes occur. They utilize models to illustrate the occurence of volcanoes and earthquakes along plate boundaries. They compare and constrast...
Curated OER
Give me Food!
Learners study the food guide pyramid and use it to create their own eating program.In this health activity students visit websites to calculate their BMR, activity level and weight then create a nutrition plan
Curated OER
Find the Epicenter
Eighth graders visit the Virtual Earthquake Web site and complete activities that demonstrate how geologists locate the epicenters of earthquakes. The site uses actual data from historic earthquakes.
Curated OER
The Making of a Coat
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.
Curated OER
Changes Inside Planets
Learners investigate the concept of planetary differentiation. They complete an experiment to simulate it using gelatin and food. The lesson includes vocabulary to increase reading comprehension skills as part of the inquiry. The lesson...
Curated OER
Where to Live?
Students examine types of spatial data found in a GIS. In this geography lesson students use a GIS to facilitate analysis and decision making.