Curated OER
Pangaea Puzzle: Exploring the Tectonic Forces That Shape the Earth
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.
Curated OER
Modeling the Seasons
Junior geologists become the force that makes the world go around! With a lamp on the floor in the middle of the room to represent the sun, volunteers hold a globe, revolve, and rotate. Observers notice how the light hitting the globe...
PHET
Earth’s Magnetic Field from Space
Feel the pull of science! The final installment of this 18-part series is an application of everything learned in the previous high school lessons. Scholars are given a magnetic field map and must propose an arrangement of magnets that...
PHET
The Earth as a Magnet
Everyone loves playing with magnets and iron filings. Here, young scientists first observe and then participate in an activity demonstrating magnetic fields. After completing their observations, they apply this knowledge to...
Curated OER
Blow-and-Go Parachute
Students design a skydiver and parachute constraption to demonstrate how drag caused by air resistance slows the descent of skydivers as they travel back to Earth. They experience how gravity pulls the skydiver toward the earth and how...
NOAA
A Laboratory Simulation of Ocean Surface Currents
Stimulate interest in ocean currents with a simulation. The first installment of a five-part middle school series teaches future oceanographers about the forces that interact to cause ocean currents. A simulation shows how wind and the...
Curated OER
Our Earth
In this Earth's environment worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle given 35 clues about a variety of topics related to our Earth. Topics include ecosystems, precipitation, biomes, energy transfer, soil, weathering and rocks.
Curated OER
Natural Forces
Students assess the damage natural forces have caused Maryland's geographic features. In this state geography and ecology lesson, students work in a group to research ways in which weathering, erosion, and deposition have affected the...
Curated OER
Google Earth Scavenger Hunt
Young scholars complete activities to learn how to use Google Earth and study Alaska. In this Google Earth lesson, students complete a Google Earth scavenger hunt to find facts about Alaska. Young scholars complete two worksheets for the...
Curated OER
Comparing The Earth And Moon
Third graders engage in a lesson plan that compares the Sun and Moon. They conduct research using the websites included in the lesson plan. Students read literature in order to make a connection with the new information. The plan...
Curated OER
Erupting Volcanoes!
Students examine the causes of earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods, and explore how these events shape the surface of the earth. In this erupting volcanoes instructional activity, students create a volcano model of their own, make...
Curated OER
Glaciers and Ice Wedging
Fourth graders observe and identify a variety of weathering and geological activities in the area in which they live. This focuses primarily on what happened during the Ice Age, and how, even today, glaciers are shaping and re-shaping...
Curated OER
The Moon Orbits the Sun?!?!
Students calculate the strength of gravitational force exerted on the moon by the sun and earth. In this orbital lesson plan students view a demonstration to see the gravitational forces between bodies.
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 1
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...
Curated OER
Our Changing View of the Earth
Students explore the theory of Plate Tectonics. They participate in a simulation in which they re-enact the debate over Plate Tectonics vs. traditional beliefs of stationary continents that were widely accepted during the 1800's and...
Curated OER
Exploring the Water Cycle
The water cycle is one of earth's most easily observable processes, but demonstrating each step within classroom walls can be a challenge. Through a series of videos and quick demonstrations, cover each aspect of the hydrologic cycle in...
Curated OER
Sandscapes to Landscapes
Students explore landscapes and create their own in a creative project.
Curated OER
Tracking Current "Earth" Events
Eighth graders utilize Internet research skills, and practice their communication skills by presenting their research to the clas. They actively consider the types of hazards for humans associated with Natural Disaters and ways that...
Curated OER
Geological Features: How Weathering & Erosion Help Create Landforms
Students explore how the Earth's surface changes resulting in geological features and landforms. They perform a read-a-loud on Thomas
Locker's Mountain Dance, complete a KWL chart, and create a
landform using plaster of paris.
Curated OER
"Water is Life" Global Water Awareness
Students examine and calculate the percentage of potable water remaining on the earth. In this ecology and geography activity, students brainstorm the main factors affecting water distribution. Students use mathematical problem solving...
Curated OER
2.0 "Water Is Life" Global Water Awareness Mini-Unit (Grades3-5)
Students study the amount of potable water on the Earth. In this water activity, students examine the amount of potable water as compared to all the water on the Earth. They discuss why many parts of the world do not have access to good...
Curated OER
Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics
For this plate tectonics worksheet, students use Graham crackers, frosting, water and a paper plate to simulate tectonic processes such as convergent, divergent and transforming plate boundaries.
Curated OER
Center of Gravity
Fourth graders conduct experiments to identify the center of gravity. In this gravity lesson, 4th graders do two hands-on experiments to increase their understanding of this concept. This self-discovery lesson provides students with the...
Curated OER
Earthquakes Rock!
Students study the main methods to measure earthquakes; the Richter Scale and Mercalli Scale. They make a model of a seismograph and investigate which structural designs are most likely to survive an earthquake.