Curated OER
Checking the Surf
Students read and discuss waves and their wavelengths and amplitudes. In this waves lesson plan, students draw the wavelength and amplitude of a wave and discuss tsunamis and storms.
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics
Curious kids examine plate tectonics and give examples of their movement. They recognize how plates change the Earth through video, and web-based articles. In small groups, they receive complete a tectonics puzzle by silently switching...
Curated OER
Stressed to a Fault!
Eighth graders describe how stress builds up in the Earth's crust by the movement of tectonic plates. In groups, they relate the three types of stresses to the types of plate movements and explain how the stress causes faults to form. ...
Curated OER
Rock Solid
Learners investigate the three types of material stress related to rocks. They watch a PowerPoint Presentation, view an online animation of the three types of rock stress, identify the various types of rocks, answer true or false...
Curated OER
Volcanic Panic!
Students begin with an overview of the Earth's interior and how volcanoes form. They learn how engineers predict eruptions. In a class demonstration, students watch and measure a mock volcanic eruption and observe the phases of an...
Curated OER
Let's Take a Rock Apart!
Students examine a crushed rock and sort the minerals they find in that rock by color and other properties.
Curated OER
When Earth Fails: How Earth?s Physical Changes Cause Natural Disasters
Students examine natural disasters and some safety measures that should be followed. In this natural disaster lesson students write a narrative, and research safety procedures.
Curated OER
Scale Model of the Earth
Students work together to create a model of the Earth. They label and identify each layer and describing its properties. They discover how engineers use models to test different concepts.
Curated OER
Three Main Rock Groups
Students are introduced to igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. They use foods to demonstrate the basic formation of each type of rock, read books about rock formation and view related videos.
Curated OER
The Science of Swinging
Students learn how a pendulum works in the concept of an amusement park ride. In this pendulum instructional activity, students are introduced to Newton's first law of motion and how it works in an amusement park ride. Continuous motion...
Curated OER
Geology with Peanut Butter and Jelly
Students will enjoy smashing the two tectonic sandwich plates together in faulting and compression fashions! They may even desire to capture their instructional destruction in a slideshow.
Curated OER
Clocks and Watches
What time is it? Use this ESL presentation about clocks and watches to reinforce vocabulary for time-keeping devices. Wall clocks, stopwatches, and even cuckoo clocks make up this series of slides. Each slide features one kind of clock...
Curated OER
Forecast the Weather
Students analyze different weather conditions before creating their very own first-person report from the eye of a storm. They use maps to analyze different weather conditions, record an online weather script
and write a first-person...
Curated OER
Asian Tsunami
Young scholars discuss natural disasters, global community and address Students concerns and worries. They review thoughts about the tsunami written by young scholars logging onto the Newsround website and determine which statements...
Curated OER
Let's Measure the Speed of Sound
Third graders measure the speed of sound using scientific investigative techniques.
Curated OER
Be the Kiwi
Students explore aspects of New Zealand's environment. In this environmental geography lesson, students research the geography, resources and climate of New Zealand. This lesson includes a game, rubric, and extension.
Curated OER
How Did This Happen?
Students use websites and discussion to investigate the 2004 Asian Tsunami. Students identify the Indian Ocean coastline's physical, political and human geography features and consider how they affected loss of life and property in those...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Earthquake Faultline Earthquake Activities
This outstanding website provides an excellent variety of hands-on earthquake activities to help you understand what causes earthquakes.
US Geological Survey
U.s. Geological Survey: Rock'n on Shakey Ground [Pdf]
The basics of earthquake science including factual information about how and why they happen. Also includes some hands-on activities and experiments for students.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Tsunami Attack!
Students learn about tsunamis, discovering what causes them and what makes them so dangerous. They learn that engineers design detection and warning equipment, as well as structures that that can survive the strong wave forces. In a...
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
Iris: Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
This university consortium provides on-going, current information on seismic activity happening all over the world. Of special interest is the Seismic Monitor. Open this page to a full screen to monitor global earthquake activity in real...