Elementary and Middle School (K-8) Activity Browse
Resource Type: Activities
Results 1 - 20 of 560 matches
Let's Look Inside the Earth part of Teach the Earth:Teaching Activities
Students will analyze USGS seismology data in the classroom using spreadsheets and scatter plots to look for patterns and structure in the Earth's crust. Before analyzing data, students will learn about the ...
Build Your Own Earth part of Teach the Earth:Teaching Activities
Build Your Own Earth is a freely available web site to explore the factors that affect Earth's climate. Climate model simulations reveal the annual distributions of 50 different quantities. An accompanying ...
Where on Earth were the reefs through geologic time? part of Teach the Earth:Teaching Activities
Students explore the geographic distribution of reefs through geologic time. Students map fossil occurrences of reef forming organisms on modern and paleogeographic reconstructions using the Paleobiology Database. ...
Earth Structure: Modeling and Three-Dimensional Thinking part of Teach the Earth:Teaching Activities
This is a series of three lessons that focus on two and three dimensional thinking, modeling, and earth structure. The main goal of the lessons is to develop a sense of two- and three-dimensional models of ...
Calculating the radius of the Earth part of Integrate:Workshops and Webinars:Teaching the Methods of Geoscience:Activities
Science students often have difficulty thinking about large spatial scales. The purpose of the exercise is to redo Eratosthenes' calculation of the radius of the Earth using data from to sites in ancient Egypt. The excercise teaches about the methodology of science - how Eratothenes figured it out - rather than worried about what the "right" answer is. It can also be used to discuss the role of models in geological thinking.
Lesson 1: Water Resources and Water Footprints (Middle School) part of Teach the Earth:Teaching Activities
This lesson helps students understand why Earth is considered the "water planet." Students analyze how much of Earth's water is available for humans to use for life-sustaining purposes, and they ...
Earth History: Crayon Rock Cycle part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This is a classroom activity in which students develop understanding of the rock cycle using wax crayons to model the processes that form the 3 types of rock; sedimentary, igneous & metamorphic.
Rotation of the Earth part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity will help students understand Earth's rotation and the causes for day and night.
Exploring Earth Systems Science: The Interactive GLOBE Earth System Poster part of Integrate:Workshops and Webinars:Teaching the Methods of Geoscience:Activities
Exploration of Shadows in the Earth, Moon, and Sun System: Moon Phases and Eclipses part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This guided inquiry activity has students using models to create variations of alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun. By varying their arrangement, students will discover how the positions of the Earth, Moon and Sun interact, how shadows can be cast on the Moon and on the Earth, and how Earth's view of the lit portion of the Moon changes.
Pinpointing Location with GPS Demonstration: How GPS Works (Part 2) part of Geodesy:Activities
Using string, bubble gum, and a model of a GPS station, demonstrate how GPS work to pinpoint a location on Earth.Precisely knowing a location on Earth is useful because our Earth's surface is constantly changing from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tectonic plate motion, landslides, and more. Thus, scientists can use positions determined with GPS to study all these Earth processes.
Activity 10: Feedback Loops Applied part of Teach the Earth:Teaching Activities
Students apply the vocabulary and concepts from the Activity 9: Feedback Loop Introduction to assess and create earth science feedback loops with the LOOPY online modeling program. (Optional) The students then ...
Measuring Ground Motion with GPS: How GPS Works part of Geodesy:Activities
With printouts of typical GPS velocity vectors found near different tectonic boundaries and models of a GPS station, demonstrate how GPS work to measure ground motion.GPS velocity vectors point in the direction that a GPS station moves as the ground it is anchored to moves. The length of a velocity vector corresponds to the rate of motion. GPS velocity vectors thus provide useful information for how Earth's crust deforms in different tectonic settings.
Celebration of Earth and Arbor Day part of NAGT:Our Work:Past Projects:Teaching in the Field:Field Trip Collection
During this trip, students will plants 25 oak trees in a designated area set by Little Rock Parks and Recreation.
Earth's Climate System part of IODP School of Rock 2020:Teaching Activities
This activity will help students to identify and analyze factors contributing to Earth's climate systems.
Converging Tectonic Plates Demonstration part of Geodesy:Activities
During this demo, participants use springs and a map of the Pacific Northwest with GPS vectors to investigate the stresses and surface expression of subduction zones, specifically the Juan de Fuca plate diving beneath the North American plate.
Indentification of Earth Materials part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
By presenting the students with fossils and other earth materials and giving clues as to their origin, they will be able to identify the fossils and materials and be able to form a hypothesis as to how they were formed and what it was before preservation.
Visualizing Relationships with Data: Exploring plate boundaries with Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and GPS Data in the Western U.S. & Alaska | Lessons on Plate Tectonics part of Geodesy:Activities
Learners use the GPS Velocity Viewer, or the included map packet to visualize relationships between earthquakes, volcanoes, and plate boundaries as a jigsaw activity.
Measuring Plate Motion with GPS: Iceland | Lessons on Plate Tectonics part of Geodesy:Activities
This lesson teaches middle and high school students to understand the architecture of GPS—from satellites to research quality stations on the ground. This is done with physical models and a presentation. Then students learn to interpret data for the station's position through time ("time series plots"). Students represent time series data as velocity vectors and add the vectors to create a total horizontal velocity vector. They apply their skills to discover that the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is rifting Iceland. They cement and expand their understanding of GPS data with an abstraction using cars and maps. Finally, they explore GPS vectors in the context of global plate tectonics.
Investigating Earth and Moon Surface: Impact Craters part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this activity students use a simple model of the moon to do an experiment to see how impact craters are formed. The lesson worksheets are differentiated and students are put into pre-determined teams by ability to conduct the experiment.