Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lets Think About...Plants

For Teachers K
Students bring in various vegetables and make friendship soup. They plant seeds and discuss the things plants need to grow and thrive.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Totally Tundra

For Students 6th - 8th
In this tundra worksheet, students read about tundras and the plants and animals that live in tundras. They then use what they learned to answer the 10 questions on the page. The answers are on the last page.
PPT
Curated OER

Sunken Millions

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
This PowerPoint provides a game show format with multiple choice questions about fresh and salt water. Topics include sources of water, water geography, uses of water, and the water cycle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biomes: Extreme Climate

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create a web connecting global warming, the Arctic, and wold climate. They write a paragraph explaining the role of the Arctic in world climate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extreme Climate

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss global warming, greenhouse effect, permafrost and other key words.  In this climate lesson students create a web that connects global warming, the Arctic and world climate then write a paragraph explaining the role...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Formation of Rain

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students sequence the steps leading to the formation of rain, and design a model to represent these steps. This task assesses students' abilities to classify, generalize, infer, interpret and communicate data, and construct a pictorial...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth System Science

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the Earth and its ability to support life. They discuss the geosphere and the water cycle and complete the Water Wonders activity. After completing the activity, they respond in their journals and reflect upon the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life in a Cup

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders make and maintain a mini terrarium. They keep a daily journal of what happens in their terrarium and record daily observations and measurements.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Antarctica Vocabulary Quiz

For Students 3rd - 5th
In this Antarctica vocabulary activity, students match vocabulary words about Antarctica with definitions, 15 words total. Worksheet contains a link to additional activities. Labeled as a quiz, but may be used for practice or review.
Activity
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: The Dirt on Soil

For Students 3rd - 8th
This interactive website explores the various soil layers and introduces you to the lifeforms that live in those soil layers.
Article
Other

Agronomy: Soil Formation [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Soils may be formed in place from rock or formed in weathered rock and minerals that have been transported from where the original rock occurred.
Unit Plan
Utah State Office of Education

Utah Science: Rocks & Minerals

For Students 9th - 10th
A unit on rocks and minerals presented with interactive and classroom activities. Gain understanding of rocks, weather, erosion, earthquakes, and relative dating with this resource.
Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network

Uen: The Dirt on Soil

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
After completing this lesson, students will understand the source and the process for the formation of soil, the different types of soil, and the components of soil.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Rock Cycle

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Through five lessons, students are introduced to all facets of the rock cycle. Topics include rock and mineral types, material stresses and weathering, geologic time and fossil formation, the Earth's crust and tectonic plates, and soil...
Article
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: What Are the Biological Processes of Weathering?

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about biological factors in the weathering and breakdown of rocks.
Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Geology: Surface Processes

For Students 9th - 10th
In this interactive tutorial, you will learn about the types of weathering and erosion that rocks and landforms undergo. This will lead to a discussion of soil and the types of soil. Lastly, you will learn about mass movements of soil,...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Engineering for the 3 Little Pigs

For Students 3rd - 5th
The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate the importance of rocks, soils and minerals in engineering and how using the right material for the right job is important. The students build three different sand castles and test them for...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Glaciers, Water and Wind, Oh My!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This hands-on activity explores five different forms of erosion (chemical, water, wind, glacier and temperature). Students rotate through stations and model each type of erosion on rocks, soils and minerals. The students record their...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Rain Erosion: Does the Rate of Water Effect Erosion?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this lab, students investigate whether the rate of water falling (rain) affects the amount of erosion (soil movement). This experiment could lead to further questions: how does grass or rocks effect soil erosion, does erosion lead to...
Handout
Australian Museum

Australian Museum: Sedimentary Processes

For Students 9th - 10th
Everything you need to know about sedimentary rocks and the processes by which they are created, including weathering, soils, environments, and classification.
Unit Plan
Idaho State University

Idaho State University: Landslides, Slope Failure, Other Mass Wasting Processes

For Students 9th - 10th
Slope failure is the downslope movement of rock debris and soil in response to gravitational stresses. Three major types of mass wasting are classified by the type of downslope movement. The types of movement, falls, slides, and flows...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Engineering for the Earth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young students are introduced to the complex systems of the Earth through numerous lessons on its natural resources, processes, weather, climate and landforms. Key earth science topics include rocks, soils and minerals, water and natural...
eBook
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science for Middle School

For Students 6th - 8th
This digital textbook covers core earth science concepts and includes interactive features, real-world examples, videos, and study guides.