Curated OER
Teaching About Plate Tectonics and Faulting Using Foam Models
Young scientists learn about plate tectonics and the three different types of faults (normal, reverse, and strike-slip) using foam models. The activity also covers common types of locations where these faults are found.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Nature’s Fury: Extra Support Lessons (Theme 1)
Earthquakes, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, and more. To enrich their study of nature's big events, kids map tectonic plates and major earthquake locations, identify emergency response agencies, and storyboard a film about volcanos.
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics
Students identify that most of mountain ranges found on all major land masses and in the oceans are external reflections of tectonic movements within the earth. They identify that earthquakes and related phenomena are caused by the...
Curated OER
Volcanoes: Fifth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Fifth graders explore volcanoes and the rocks they produce using the Internet. The lab portion of the lesson prompts young scientists to compare and describe igneous rocks. Next, they critique a pair or more of books on volcanoes in...
Curated OER
The Distance Between Us and Them: Sea Floor Spreading in the Atlantic Ocean
Students examine how geologists determine rates of sea floor spreading between two tectonic plates. They apply mathematical concepts such as the calculation and use of velocities and conversion from one set of units to another.
Science Matters
Earth Shaking Events
The world's largest measured earthquake happened in 1960 in Chile, reaching a terrifying 9.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale. The second lesson in the 20-part series introduces earthquakes and fault lines. Scholars map where previous...
Curated OER
Chocolate Chipping Away at the Rock Cycle
Eighth graders identify the different types of rocks. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders compare and contrast rocks and chocolate cookies. They explain how materials are recycled beneath the Earth.
Curated OER
The History of Life
For this history of life worksheet, high schoolers review 4 vocabulary words associated with the beginnings of life. Students place these terms into a crossword puzzle and then complete 2 fill in the blank questions.
Curated OER
Australian Mammals: Evolutionary Development as a Result of Geographic Isolation
Students comprehend the difference between monotremes, marsupials, and placental mammals. They are able to compare and contrast these organisms (Australian mammals) with other mammals. Students are able to identify Australian mammals.
California Academy of Science
Measuring Earthquakes
After a brief discussion on earthquakes, make a makeshift seismograph to record the shaking of the table that it sits upon. While the background information will be useful to you as a teacher, the seismograph does not seem like it would...
Curated OER
Australian Mammals: Evolultionary Development as a Result of Geographic Isolation
Students examine the differences between monotremes, marsupials, and placental mammals and are able to contrast these organisms with other mammals. They learn about unique variation and the diversity of mammals located in Australia.
Curated OER
Natural Disasters
Learners work together in groups to travel throughout the room to different stations. They practice making different natural disasters at each station. They also examine fault lines and the supercontinent Pangaea.