Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals
First graders examine different types of rocks and minerals. They create models of the rocks and minerals they find interesting. They discuss and explain three ways in which the earth changes.
Curated OER
Earth's Interior Minerals
Students identify the layers of the Earth. They discover the properties and minerals in each layer. They answer questions about the minerals found to end the activity.
Curated OER
Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources
Here's a fine lesson on renewable and non-renewable sources of energy for your 5th graders. In it, learners list a number of natural resources on the board, then try to sort the resources into appropriate categories. This helps them to...
Curated OER
Keying Rocks
Young geologists learn how to use an identification key in order to classify rocks. The key is designed to help them classify rocks into three types: ignesous, metamorphic, and sediimentary. After an initial teacher-led demonstration,...
Teach Engineering
Bone Mineral Density Math and Beer's Law
Hop into a resource on Beer's Law. A PowerPoint presentation introduces Beer's law as part of calculating bone density from X-ray images in the sixth lesson in the series of seven. Individuals work on practice problems with this law and...
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals
Take young geologists on an exploration of the collection of rocks and minerals that we call Earth with an upper-elementary science lesson. Through a series of class discussion and hands-on investigations, students learn about the three...
Curated OER
Minerals
Students define the characteristics of a mineral. In this geology lesson, students are given out various materials to observe such as a chicken bone, salt shaker, white paint, and chalk. Students categorize the items and are told what...
Curated OER
Minerals and the Products of Mining
High schoolers explain any perceived relationship between mineral resources and political/economic power. They test knowledge through puzzles and classroom activities and research different minerals and educate one another about their...
Curated OER
Earth Rocks!
Students study the basic elements of the Earth's crust: rocks, soils and minerals. They categorize rocks, soils and minerals and how they are literally the foundation for our civilization. They also explore how engineers use rock soils...
Curated OER
Project Geode
Young geologists attempt to predict the appearnace of a geode's internal structure based on how it looks from the outside, its mass, and its physical characteristics. In this geologly lesson, learners use scientific equipment to collect...
Curated OER
Fortified Breakfast
Students reverse engineer a cereal. In this dietary lesson students identify the minerals that the human body needs to function. Students examine how foods are fortified by food engineers. Students find the amount of iron in a cereal by...
Curated OER
Mystery Minerals
Learners minerals and how they form. They investigate the classification of minerals according to physical properties. Students watch a video about mineral characteristics. In groups, learners participate in hands-on activities and...
Curated OER
Chile's Trapped Miners
Students read an article on trapped miners in Chile. In this social awareness ELL lesson, students read the details about how 33 miners had to be rescued in Chile when they got trapped underground. Activities that reinforce the...
Curated OER
Minerals
Students apply rules to compare and rank the hardness and softness of minerals. They perform a scratch test on four unknown mineral samples, read a bar graph that illustrates the comparative hardness and softness of four named minerals,...
Curated OER
Mineral Scavenger Hunt
Students complete a scavenger hunt worksheet as they find examples in their classroom, at home, etc., of minerals. Excellent worksheet!
Curated OER
Soil, the Forgotten Resource
Students discuss soil understanding that is is often overlooked as a natural resource. In this science instructional activity, students recognize that we depend on it for energy in the form of foods. Students experiment with six boxes of...
City and County of San Francisco
I Want It! I Need It!
Discuss wants and needs with your elementary ecologists and get them to consider what would happen to our natural resources if we all got everything that we want. Learners play a card sorting game and take an ecological footprint quiz on...
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Section Two: Why is Biodiversity Important?
Explore soil, genetic traits, natural resources, and pollution in a series of lessons that focus on biodiversity. Kids complete experiments to learn more about the importance of varied genes and organisms in an ecosystem.
Curated OER
Rock and Mineral Uses
Second graders investigate the various uses of rocks and minerals. They examine various rocks and minerals, identify the uses of rocks and minerals, and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Minerals Make Rocks
Students examine that all rocks are made from one or more minerals (or plant material, as in the case of coal). They make mock rocks and discuss the difference between a rock and a mineral.
Curated OER
Introduction to Minerals
Learners discover how crystal structures go together to create minerals. In this earth science lesson, students work in groups to create 3-dimensional shapes of crystals that they then put together in a compact structure.
Curated OER
Testing Water for Hardness Using Soap Bubbles K-12 Experiments & Background Information
Students examine water and what causes it to become hard. For this water lesson students use the soap test and determine the mineral content and hardness of a sample of water.
Curated OER
Minerals of the Earth
Students learn and practice identifying Earth's minerals and their properties. Working in small groups, they evaluate minerals. This is a well-described lesson, which students enjoy.
Curated OER
Paper or Plastic: Exploring Renewable Resources.
Students discuss, develop, invent, and implement a plan for making informed personal economic decisions about renewable resources.