Students define the term acid rain, and the causes of acid rain. They locate regions where acid rain is most affected, and what can students deduce from maps of geology and soils in New York State. Students answer the questions why are...

Here is an excellent cross-curricular lesson. Learners relate multiplication to area by making a grid on graph paper, and then creating the same grid in real space outside in the school yard.

Ninth graders compare and contrast various writing styles and distinguish technical writing from other writing techniques. They assess personal knowledge regarding earthquakes and earthquake preparedness.

High schoolers recreate sea-floor spreading and the pattern of magnetic stripes that are created by different configurations of plate boundaries. They see how transform faults work.

Students examine the history of the formation of Illinois. Traveling virtually between time periods, they describe each period and compare them with how Illinois is now. They work together to complete an activity and worksheet.

Ninth graders operate a model to observe the type of motion that occurs at a fault during an earthquake. They explore the effects of several variables. Students measure movement, calculate averages and plot and graph information.

Students search through the seed mixture and separate out our "mine" beads, sunflower seeds, and other grain products, making piles of each. students count up the number of gold, silver, and blue beads, and sunflower seeds from their piles

Students study about geologists and their job. They also study that rocks are made up of minerals and organic material by conducting an experiment where they create their own "granite" or "coal".

Students go to a dig where they prospect for bones which simulate fossils. They encase the bones in plaster and transport them back to school for further investigation.

Students dig for and discover fossils in a classroom setting. They dig on a tarp to find, map, assemble, and photograph their discoveries.

Students model a paleontologist's activities. They identify dinosaur bones and reassemble them into a skeleton of an extinct reptile.

Students, working in groups, make scale drawings of dinosaurs. The four groups then assemble their assigned parts into one composite drawing.

High schoolers observe the structures of skulls as presented in drawings, and determine which are most closely related to the skull of the mosasaur.

Students create and draw fictional dinosaurs. They write a description of their dinosaur.

High schoolers focus on a study of igneous rocks. They see how igneous rocks are formed, and how to distinguish them from other types of rocks. A crystal-growing activity is present, and learners create drawings that show where each...

There has been an earthquake! Can you listen to the description of damage given by callers in order to determine the epicenter? The 11th of 20 lessons has pupils read a script of one emergency caller. The class records the information on...

See the underwater world through a different pair of eyes! Middle school marine biologists identify deep-sea organisms by examining images taken by an ROV from the Okeanos Explorer. After determining what creatures lie beneath the...

Students sample goodies from an unseen ocean floor and try to accurately describe their composition. This simulation helps students explain the limitations of sampling and the problem of obtaining representative samples of sea floor...

Plumb the depths of the Submarine Ring of Fire and explore seismic waves with this lesson plan. Junior geologists simulate s-waves and p-waves, calculate their speeds, and then apply the data to discover the material that makes up inner...

Students study the basics of soil science. They research and gather data through readings, videos, and performance of laboratory investigations. As a team they generate oral and written recommendations for the amendment of soil.

A professional-quality PowerPoint, which includes links to footage of actual landslides in action, opens this moving lesson. Viewers learn what conditions lead to erosion and land giving way. They simulate landslides with a variety of...

Scientists noticed animals with backbones share similar bone structure despite having different forms, such as fins, arms, and wings. Young scientists gain an appreciation for evolution by understanding the history of the theory. They...

Young scholars develop awareness of occurrences of earthquakes in Illinois and their past and potential future damage, and examine distribution of earthquakes in central U.S. regions.

We all know limestone weathers, but what affects the rate of weathering? Young scientists investigate the physical and chemical weathering of limestone (chalk) through experimentation. First, they conduct trials with different-size...