Even though volcanoes look alike, they can be very different based on the types of lava that erupts from their surface. Learn about strata volcanoes, shield volcanoes, and the varying viscosity of lava with an engaging hands-on...

Students research about earthquakes that took place within a certain distance from their place. In this geology instructional activity, students explain why earthquakes occur. They analyze patterns of different earthquakes using a...

In this plate tectonics worksheet, student answer 15 multiple choice questions about plate movement, types of boundaries, collision of plates, continental plates, and the lithosphere.

Young seismologists learn more about plate tectonics with a set of pre-lab, lab, and post-lab lessons plans on earthquakes. After exploring how waves travel through various materials, sixth graders record their observations and...

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...

Over a period of 35 years, earthquakes and volcanoes combined only accounted for 1.5 percent of the deaths from natural disasters in the United States. The 15th instructional activity in a 20-part series connects the locations of...

Heat things up in your earth science class with this collaborative lesson on volcanoes. After first being introduced to the different types of volcanoes and how they are formed, young geologists work in small groups to...

Humans have only inhabited Earth for a short part of its existence. An online resource explains how scientists use clues from rocks and fossils to piece together information about Earth prior to humans. The online instruction includes...

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...

In this plate movement learning exercise, students review the 3 types of plate boundaries and predict where plates will be as they continue moving along their current path. This learning exercise has 2 short answer questions.

Students research separate elements of the theory of Plate Tectonics, then share that information with each other, drawing conclusions from the culminated information.

Students observe fault movements on model of the Earth's surface, find fault movements associated with different types of plate boundaries, research examples of non-plate boundary faults, and research and report on the types of faults...

Students are introduced to Sea Floor Spreading and how it provides evidence for Hess's and Deitz's theory of Continental Drift. They use paleomagnetic data to calculate the rate of Sea Floor Spreading.

The world's largest measured earthquake happened in 1960 in Chile, reaching a terrifying 9.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale. The second instructional activity in the 20-part series introduces earthquakes and fault lines. Scholars...

Sixth graders follow in the footsteps of early scientists as they put the pieces of Pangaea back together and discovered the forces that create the variety of landforms and sea-floor features of our Earth.

In this volcanoes, plate tectonics and "Ring of Fire" worksheet, learners view the location of volcanoes on a map of the Earth, they see the "Ring of Fire" and they locate the major plates of the Earth's crust. They use the map as...

Students explore the Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Plate Tectonics. In this history of life lesson, students explain two ways the Theory of Plate Tectonics and the Big Bang are of direct benefits to humans.

Students take this course as an introduction to the aspects of marine geology and oceanography that affect the environment and marine resources. Topics include estuarine oceanography and sediments, eutrophication of coastal waters,...

The Sierra Mountains in Nevada and the Tetons in Wyoming originally formed as fault block mountains. In order to visualize these fault blocks, pupils use construction paper to create layers of earth. They cut the paper models and form...

Earth's surface constantly changes thanks to a variety of geological forces; in fact, Australia currently moves faster than GPS technology. Scholars connect the idea of continental drift to earthquakes and volcanoes with the help of an...

Students explore Earth science by building a model in class. In this tectonic plate lesson, students identify the impact tectonic shifts have on humans and animals and where the plates and faults lie under New Zealand. Students examine...

Students explore geography by answering study questions in class. In this plate tectonics lesson, students identify the earthquake data concerning the country of New Zealand and answer questions regarding the data. Students identify...

By the 19th lesson plan in the 20-part series, scholars realize volcanoes and earthquakes are related to plate boundaries. The lesson plan extends and applies the knowledge by having individuals create a bumper sticker for one specific...

Fifth graders investigate the layers of the Earth, origin of tectonic plates and what happens when plates collide. They watch a video and use clay to demonstrate the different types of plate movement.