Two activities are included in this resource. In the first, junior geologists model sedimentary rock layers, apply the Law of Superposition, and demonstrate folding and faulting of the Earth's crust. The model is technically a sandwich....

Your geology class practices taking core samples of a potato to examine the stratigraphy. This is a terrific modeling lesson plan that helps youngsters visualize strata that cannot be seen from the surface of the ground. The directions...

Students examine rock strata for the distribution, deposition, and age of sedimentary rock. They describe rock types in a variety of outcrops and construct a regional stratigraphy.

Seventh graders view "Volcano" by National Geographic Video. They experiment with baking soda and study lava flow. They describe volcano and earthquake patterns. They analyze weather and climate changes and how they relate to the natural...

Students are introduced to the process of stratification. Using the internet, they read about the Richard Beene archeological site near San Antonio. Using a map, they color code the different layers present at this site and answer...

Seventh graders illustrate how archeologists use stratigraphy to help determine environmental changes in a specific area since the Pleistocene Era, and to point out that these changes have affected the animals living in that area.

Second graders create stratified soil levels using pictures. In this earth science lesson, 2nd graders identify "artifacts" from 3 historic eras and divide them into 3 soil levels. Then they draw their own multi-level soil profile and...

Students construct an experiment to test the rigidity of compressed air and its strength. For this earth science lesson, students are divided into groups, and by putting their thumb over the end of a straw, use the compressed air...

Take this simulated archaeological dig one layer at a time with your young pupils to encourage observation, critical thinking, and careful attention. Using a transparent box full of layers of sand and artifacts, pupils examine the...

Excavating cake? Why not! Kids spoon into some layers and artifacts during this tasty hands-on activity. The cake, a simulated archaeological dig, is the object of observation and discussion.

Sixth graders are introduced to artifacts and explore an online archaeological site to  connect clues about how people once lived. In this deductive reasoning instructional activity, 6th graders participate in the stratigraphy game...

Modeling dough and paper cutouts in science class? Learn about how relative age dating concepts, like the Law of Superposition and cross-cutting relationships, can be used to describe the formation of sedimentary layers.

Simulate soil sample assemblages. Individuals create soil layers in a cup. They then use straws to collect core samples from these layers. What information can they glean from the core samples, I wonder?

Learners examine how artifacts are discovered and explore their significance as it pertains to gathering important information. In this artifacts lesson, students obtain knowledge about the way artifacts are excavated and examine an...

Students interpret archaeological strata using the law of superposition. They apply cross-dating to determine the age of other artifacts.

Pupils are asked to explain the sequence of rock and sediment types and to devise an experiment to test this hypothesis. It is intended for students with some prior knowledge of oceanography, sedimentary geology, and plate tectonics and...

Students generate a time line, interpreting the ways in which past peoples may have used the artifacts at their disposal. Students also develop a poster showing a theoretical stratigraphic deposit, and then analyze the cultural materials...

learners will learn about artifacts-what they are, how they are initially buried and then excavated. They participate in an online game and called "Stratigraphy" and participate in the "If Trash Could Talk" activity page.

Juvenile geologists drill clear plastic straws down into a playdough sedimentary rock model, pulling out sample rock cores. As they analyze their cores, they apply the law of superposition and discover that originally horizontal layers...

Take the old baking soda and vinegar volcano to the next level by using it to study repeated lava flows over time, examine geologic features on Earth and Mars, and speculate about some of the formations on Mars. 

Learners investigate radioactivity as a tool for measuring geologic time and how geologists use this information to determine the absolute age of rocks or minerals.

Students observe real fossils. In this science lesson, students make their own mud fossils by pressing material into the mud and letting it dry in the sun for 3-4 days. Students then get the fossils out displaying their mud...

High schoolers determine the most appropriate site for a car wash, based on each site's soil characteristics (chemical, physical) and topographic features. They perform an experiment to determine the changes to three different soil types...