The goal of this science lesson is to have youngsters be able to identify the physical and chemical changes in the carbon cycle, and water cycle due to weathering. The in-class inquiry/experiment is quite interesting and easy to...

Young scholars explain the difference between regolith formation on Earth and the Moon. For this space science lesson, students model the different factors affecting regolith formation on Earth. They identify the different types of...

Assess your young scientists' understanding of the difference between observation and inference with this 20-question multiple choice quiz. It reviews a variety of physics and astronomy concepts, such as solar eclipses and sunspots, the...

Reading about history is nothing like experiencing it firsthand. Encourage your eighth graders to do the next best thing with a historical narrative prompt, in which they describe the experience of a first-time traveler on the...

In this earth science worksheet, students answer fifty multiple choice questions and thirty-three short answer questions in preparation for the earth science final exam.

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...

Students study what regolith is and how it contrasts with weathering on Earth.  In this weathering activity students divide into groups, hypothesize and confirm their guesses. 

Students state the physical, chemical or biological processes associated with these environments: Pelagic ocean zone, California coat Cave, Indiana Barrier island beach, North Carolina Sand dune, Dunes National Park, Colorado Wetland and...

Students investigate ecosystems near their school and across the world. They examine both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) elements of each. They recognize ecosystems from various continents around the globe. The use of computers...

In this seasons worksheet, students cut out the picture cards at the bottom of the page, sort the pictures and paste them with the matching season.

A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...

Students understand how clouds are formed. In this cloud lesson, students participate in three experiments to make clouds. Students complete activity sheets for each experiment.

Covers the three main types of rocks, different weathering processes, erosion, and the rock cycle.

In this activity, students will discover some of the factors that influence weathering of the monuments in a cemetery. These factors may include the type of rock, length of time the rock has been exposed to the elements or the amount of...

A video and a short multiple-choice quiz on the topic of weathering and erosion, what they are, and how they alter the Earth's surface.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes various types of mechanical weathering.

Rocks cover the earth's surface, including what is below or near human-made structures. With rocks everywhere, breaking rocks can be hazardous and potentially disastrous to people. Students are introduced to three types of material...

Smithsonian in the Classroom presents Building Up, Breaking Down. Teachers can download this comprehensive teaching package in which students investigate how buildings weather. See what happens to a building once it has been erected....

This site offers a wealth of online textbook-related materials that encourage the discovery of science in the world around us. Enter the site to access material on specific topics. Each section contains reading material (complete with...

The most recent ice age peaked between 24,000 and 21,000 years ago, when vast ice sheets covered North America and northern Europe, and mountain ranges like Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro and South America's Andes were encased in glaciers. At...

Abiotic components are the nonliving components of the biosphere. Chemical and geological factors, such as rocks and minerals, and physical factors, such as temperature and weather, are referred to as abiotic components.