Virginia Department of Education
Permeability and Porosity
Covering both permeability and porosity, scholars perform a hands-on experiment testing various soil types. The material includes a pre-lesson worksheet to help focus pupils on the task at hand.
Science Matters
Spaghetti Fault Model
Does increasing the pressure between two moving plates provide a stabilizing force or create more destruction? The hands-on instructional activity encourages exploration of strike-split fault models. The sixth instructional activity...
University of Virginia
The Songs in Uncle Tom's Cabin
Experience Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin in an innovative, musical way. A list of audio links leads class members to spirituals from the novel, such as "Die in the Field," "The Wings in the Morning," and "Blow Ye the...
Curated OER
Rock On
Fourth graders create a powerpint presentation to inform their classmates about a selected type of rock. Students are divided into groups to research a particular type of rock. Each group researches their topic using traditional and...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Oil Recovery
Energy conservers investigate gravel size to discover if it impacts the amount of oil recovered in the extraction process.
Curated OER
Name That Tune
Students complete a fingerprint oil lab in order to simulate how geologists use the oil and natural gas in rocks to hear sound waves that signify there are oil in those rocks. In this rocks lesson plan, students learn that the rock...
Curated OER
The Rock Cycle
In this rock cycle activity, students are given 6 terms and 6 definitions related to rock formation and the rock cycle. Students match the terms with their definitions and paste the definition next to the term.
Curated OER
Core
Eighth graders take their own "core sample" with clay and/or play-dough and correlate the layers of the earth.
Curated OER
Earth and Rocks Quiz
In this earth and rocks quiz worksheet, students complete an on-line quiz, clicking on questions and matching answers, scoring 1 point for each correct answer. A printed version is available.
Columbus City Schools
Thinking Like A Soil Scientist
Ready to roll up those sleeves and get your hands dirty? Dirty with soil science content, that is! Overcome those "But it's just dirt" objections with a trip outside to collect soil samples for some in-class analysis. Use the...
Science Matters
Earthquakes and Volcanoes Post Assessment
The final lesson in the 20-part series is a post assessment covering earthquakes and volcanoes. Twenty-three questions incorporate each of the previous lessons through multiple choice, justified multiple choice, expanded multiple choice,...
K-State Research and Extensions
The Crusty Earth
Geology rocks — literally! A geology chapter offers eleven activities at four different levels. Scholars enjoy completing hands-on experiments before applying critical thinking skills following a share, process, generalize, apply,...
Curated OER
What Is A Cave?
Students explore their existing concepts of caves and match them with a working definition to use during the unit. They name the two types of rock formations in which most American caves occur, and define "show cave" and "wild cave."
Curated OER
Massif Mystery
After reviewing plate tectonic theories and the discovery of both the Atlantis Massif and the Lost City hydrothermal vents, earth science learners complete a worksheet and participate in discussions about what the types of rock found...
Curated OER
Landforms of Illinois
Students discover the primary landforms of Illinois. They examine how those landforms were formed as well. In groups, they research one of the landforms from their vocabulary list. They create their landform in a shoebox and present it...
Curated OER
Types of Weathering
For this weathering worksheet, students compare the two types of weathering: mechanical and chemical. This worksheet has 11 matching questions.
Curated OER
Urban Rocks: Investigating Stone Used for Buildings and Monuments
Students observe the rocks and stones used to build and carve monuments during a field trip.
Curated OER
Lesson 1 - What Are Fossils?
Students define and research fossils. In this fossil lesson, students access teacher assigned Internet sites to examine images of fossils. They determine the definition of a fossil and find out how fossils are formed. They also define a...
Curated OER
Minerals and the Products of Mining
Students plot where minerals come from and have an awareness of how mineral use makes the world interdependent. They examine how to identify some sort of mineral products they use each day.
Curated OER
Civilizations of the Americas
Study and compare multiple aspects of both Aztec and Inca civilizations. Young historians explain how each of the empires came to be, and how they were both defeated by the Spanish. The resource starts out as a good lesson plan, but is...
Science Matters
Up and Down Fault Blocks
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...
Curated OER
Classification of Matter
Students investigate common household items and classify them into types of matter. In this matter activity, students group given items into categories based on their characteristics. They also complete a concept map about matter and...
Carnegie Mellon University
How Power Plants Work 1
First of three lessons, this is a great start to a unit on energy. As you demonstrate, learners discover different types of energy and how it is converted from one form to another. They then focus in on the generation of electricity by...
Curated OER
Chemistry: Changing Materials
Young scholars examine physical change with different temperature and solvents. In this elements and compounds lesson plan, students conduct experiments to discover what happens to the mass of a substance when is undergoes a physical...