Curated OER
Plate Tectonics - Evolution of the Earth
Tons of photographs, diagrams, animations, and satellite images fill the slides of an education earth science presentation. It begins with volcanic activity and earthquakes, and then moves into plate tectonics, boundaries, and driving...
GNS Science
Think like a Geologist: 1
How well do pupils play the role of geologist? Test their abilities in the first installment of a two-part series. Presented with a series of rock formation diagrams, learners write stories to match what they see in the diagrams. The...
Curated OER
Volcano
Students research major volcanic eruptions. In this Earth science lesson plan, students take on the role of vulcanologist writing reports to the President of the United States on how to respond to a volcanic disaster. This lesson plan...
Curated OER
Volcanic Violence
Students complete activities to study volcanic activities. For this volcanic activities lesson, students read an article about violent volcanoes. Students complete discuss questions and volcano projects for the lesson. students also take...
Curated OER
Science Italian Style: Eruption!
Students explore ways scientists prepare for a volcanic eruption. They observe films of earthquakes, oil spills, volcanoes and hurricanes. Students perform activities to demonstrate the relationship of viscosity to lava flow. They...
Curated OER
Feeding in the Flow
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a tremendous library of ocean-themed lessons that can be used in a variety of science settings. "Feeding in the Flow" is one of those activities; Its focus is on...
Curated OER
Fossil Impressions of Ancient Life
Students make a mold using Plaster of Paris and then make a cast using that same mold. They pick a fossil and describe how it looks. They write a fictionalized story about its life, or burial. (
Polar Trec
Ice Cores: Modeling Ice Sheets
Ice cores provide scientists with knowledge of historic melt layers, air temperatures, greenhouse gases, and climate stability. Scholars work in groups to build layers representing snow and ice over thousands of years. Then, groups...
Curated OER
Change Happens
Fifth graders engage in a lesson to find information about the natural history of Puerto Rico. They practice using a variety of resources for research purposes. The same process of research is used for state of Wisconsin. Then students...
Curated OER
Hawaiian Hot Spots
Middle schoolers discuss how plate tectonics and volcanic activity have affected Hawaii. In this Hawaiian lesson plan, students look at maps and photographs of Hawaiian Islands and discuss their formation through multiple volcanic...
Curated OER
Missouri Time Scale and Earth Time Scale
In this time scale worksheet, students create a time scale of Missouri and the earth using adding machine tape. The length of the tape represents the history of Missouri and the history of earth. Students identify the major events in...
Curated OER
Getting Fired Up
Students explore first-person accounts of volcanic eruptions throughout time and use second-hand information about volcanoes. They use both types of accounts to write news articles covering the events of a historic volcanic eruption as...
Curated OER
Fire Escape
Students explore the effects of the volcanic eruption of Nyiragongo in Congo as a springboard to exploring past examples of volcanic eruptions and their respective relief efforts.
Curated OER
The Gifts of the Nile
Get your class thinking about the geography that shaped the Egyptian landscape and culture. They compare ancient climate zones and geogrpahical fetures, locate evidence of plate tectonics, take and quiz, and write a short essay. The...
CK-12 Foundation
CK-12 Earth Science Concepts for Middle School
Explore a variety of science concepts in an interactive textbook created for middle school scholars. A lengthy table of contents takes readers to pages comprised of a subject overview, outline, and summary. Follow links further to find...
Curated OER
This Is Tanzania
Students begin the lesson by locating Tanzania on a world map. While reading an article, they note what the author's opinion is of the people who live there and discover the connection the people have with the land. They examine the...
Curated OER
Volcanoes and Urban Planning
Students analyze satellite image data of Volcan Villarica. In this earth science lesson, students identify dangerous areas surrounding the volcano. They propose a new safe location for the town.
Curated OER
Why Are Volcanoes Dangerous?
Learners investigate the causes and characteristics of volcanic eruptions including pyroclastic eruptions. They study the effects of natural disasters.
Curated OER
Earthquakes
Sixth graders explain that earthquakes are sudden motions along breaks in the crust called faults. They list the major geologic events including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and mountain building, which are the result of crustal plate...
Curated OER
The Aleut Evacuation: An Overlooked Injustice
Students read and complete activities about the Aleut tribe and Russian impact on the people. In this Aleut and Russian history lesson, students read a passage about the history between the Russians and the Aleut tribe. Students write a...
Curated OER
Mountain Myths
Learners become familiar with Native American myths and legends created to explain volcanic activity. They apply the clustering, writing process and peer-editing techniques to the writing of an original myth about Mount St. Helens
Curated OER
Science: Arsenic and Old Lace
Students read about specific instances of arsenic in history and share these stories with each other. They identify, after reading the articles and sharing, what role arsenic played, how arsenic enters the system and what its effects...
Curated OER
Planetary Surface Evolution and Resurfacing
Students study the concepts of planetary surface terrains and resurfacing. In this surface lesson students simulate the history of a planet's surface and devise ways to remove craters from their models.
Curated OER
Japan and The Ring of Fire
Middle schoolers engage in a study of the volcanic forces and earthquakes associated with The Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean. The people of Japan are researched in how they have dealt with living in the area. Also students write in...