Curated OER
Plate Tectonics Vocabulary
In this plate tectonics learning exercise, students match 9 terms with their definitions. Topics include the types of boundaries, the layers of the Earth's crust, plate tectonics and continental drift.
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Plate Tectonics
Students examine plate tectonics and landforms. In this plate tectonics lesson students complete an activity. Students practice drawing maps that show different fault lines and the land formations that were caused.
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Earthquakes: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
Beginning with a pre-lab, kindergarteners trace the letters in the word earthquake and discuss what happens in an earthquake. The lab portion allows young scientists realize that earthquakes trigger shaking of different intensities...
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Our Ever Changing Earth
First graders study ways in which the earth changes due to erosion and weathering in this series of lessons.
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Mastering the Keyboard
Sixth graders view an animated program showing how the continents fit together millions of years ago. In groups, they compare and contrast the distribution of rocks and fossils based on how the continents fit together. After reading a...
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Plate Tectonic Cycle
Learners explore the Earth's movements by completing worksheets. In this plate tectonics lesson, students define such natural disasters as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and mudslides and discuss their connections to plate tectonics....
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Theory of Plate Tectonics
In this plate tectonics worksheet, student answer 15 multiple choice questions about plate movement, types of boundaries, collision of plates, continental plates, and the lithosphere.
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Plate Tectonics
Young scholars identify the three layers of the earth: core, mantle and crust. They demonstrate knowledge of the concepts of convergent and divergent motions of the earth and an understanding of plate tectonics.
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Earth Egg
Students discuss plate tectonics and the layers of the earth's interior. They use eggs as models of the earth and answer questions regarding which part of the egg would represent which part of the earth.
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The Physical Geography of Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica
Students access information from the United States Geological Survey's Web site This Dynamic Earth to research the Ring of Fire. They answer four questions and then apply what they have learned to create a bulletin board display.
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Volcanoes: Second Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Young geologists explore volcanoes with a series of engaging geology activities. First, they learn the difference between magma and lava before coloring and labeling the parts of a volcano. During the lab, individuals watch a...
NOAA
Into the Deep
Take young scientists into the depths of the world's ocean with the second lesson of this three-part earth science series. After first drawing pictures representing how they imagine the bottom of the ocean to appear, students...
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...
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...
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Ecology And the Conservation of Natural Resources
Students study Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and how the continents were connected in one large land mass called Pangaea. They examine plate tectonics and the theory that the earth's surface is composed of large moving...
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Waves Lesson Plan
Students demonstrate an understanding of tsunamis and possible causes. In this investigative lesson students view a video and explore earthquakes and movement of tectonic plates.
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Earthquakes- An Introduction
Sixth graders investigate the concepts related to creating an understanding of how earthquakes occur. They participate in a variety of activities that are tied to each other and focus upon the principle of plate tectonics. Then students...
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Journey Through Earth
Students study plate tectonics. In this plate tectonics lesson students build a cutaway scale model of the Earth.
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Cruising the Mantle
Students explore the plate boundaries of the earth. Through the use of video, internet and hands-on activities, students examine the types of plate boundaries. They create a model to illustrate the movement and interaction of the...
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The Moving Continents from Pangaea to the Future
Eighth graders examine how the movements of the Earth contribute to fossil distribution. In this fossils lesson students make maps of the placement of the continents.
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It's Not Your Fault
Students study the San Andreas Fault, calculate its movements, and compare the movements on both sides. In this earthquake lesson students use the Internet to track movement, and calculate movement using a spreadsheet.
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Heat Up the Floating Plates
Eighth graders research the connection between the convection currents within the mantle of the earth and the moving of Earth's plates. A connection to lessons at previous grade levels on the rock cycle and important background...
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Pass the Plate
Learners define constructive forces. They describe how landforms are created as a result of constructive forces. Students recognize active volcano areas in the United States. They demonstrate an understanding of Panagea.
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Peru's Earthquake
Students identify the patterns of earthquakes by mapping USGS data and comparing it to mapped tectonic plates. They discover the relationship between earthquakes and the moving plates of the Earth's crust.