What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in...

A set of first grade geology lessons focuses on plate tectonics and movement of plate boundaries. During the pre-lab, learners experience three types of plate movement through a kinesthetic demonstration. The lab...

Did you know that leaky faucets waste $10 million worth of water? Conservationists perform an experiment and draw best-fit lines to explore how the US Geological Society determined this value.

Second graders read Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. They then discuss where various names come from. They create a individualized biopoem and publish it on word processing software. Their poems are compiled into a class book and presented...

Students examine how an aquifer operates. They discuss the implications of the groundwater becoming contaminated. They work together to create an aquifer model to observe the connection between surface water and groundwater.

Have your class supplement their knowledge on the Himalaya mountain range. In a brief handout, they read about the land masses that collided to form the Himalayas and other mountain ranges. It  also touches briefly on the Earth's...

Five pages take biologists on a generalized survey of the origin of life. Queries are made regarding theories of how life developed, ancient Earth conditions, and the ever-changing field of taxonomy. The experiments of different...

Students explore the layers of the Earth using a Snicker's bar. In this science lesson, students identify the parts of the Snicker's bar and identify which layer of the Earth the parts of the candy bar would represent. Students discuss...

Take young geologists on an exploration of the collection of rocks and minerals that we call Earth with an upper-elementary science lesson. Through a series of class discussion and hands-on investigations, students learn about the...

Students use fossils found in rocks to determine the age of rock in Illinois. They use a chart to identify the fossils and then identify the periods of rock.

Begin with a demonstration of exothermic reactions and discussion of chemosynthesis. Your aspiring oceanographers research vent communities and then craft a mural of a vent community. This is a terrific method of introducing learners to...

Learners explore what is beneath the surface of the earth is one of the jobs of a geologist. Rather than digging up vast tracts of land to expose an oil field, or to find coalbearing strata, core samples can be taken.

How are maps like fish? They both have scales. The chapter includes six different activities at three different levels. Scholars complete activities using natural resources, learn how to read a map, see how to make a compass rosette,...

Questions about water, weather, geology, astronomy, and the scientific process make up this Jeopardy game. It is a pretty well-rounded set of slides, although you may want to be aware that a few of the questions are specific to the state...

Students research the geologic time scales and the appearance of animals and plants during these eras. They complete a chart indicating the era, period and major events.

Students research about earthquakes that took place within a certain distance from their place. In this geology instructional activity, students explain why earthquakes occur. They analyze patterns of different earthquakes using a...

Learners Examine how earthquakes work and what plate tectonics and fault lines are.  In this earthquake instructional activity students complete an earthquake scavenger hunt.

For this rock formation worksheet, students read a 2 page detailed text about rocks and their formation. Students then answer 15 essay, matching and multiple choice questions about the information.

Students research glaciers, how they are formed and what kind of landforms they carve out of the rock they pass over. They organize their findings into a mock newscast in a presentation for the class.

Students define and research fossils. In this fossil lesson plan, students access teacher assigned Internet sites to examine images of fossils. They determine the definition of a fossil and find out how fossils are formed. They also...

Students determine which of the following parameters, slope, ice, temperature or basal condition affects the glacier speed the most. They create their own experiment to test what influences glacier speed and temperature of the ice.

High schoolers investigate the effects of ground water contamination. In this ground water contamination lesson plan, students create a mini well and simulate ground water flow through the well with a contaminate (food coloring). They...

Students identify and interpret photographic details of a Martian surface image, design, and create a simple features map. They identify and interpret the geologic history of a part of Mars' surface and then, analyze and discuss the...