Identifying Fossils: Exploring the Mississippi River Bluffs part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a geology lab where students learn about fossils found in sedimentary rocks and show their understanding by writing a literary nonfiction paper from the perspective of one of those fossils.

Investigating the Geologic Time Scale: Creating posters to Display Trends in Geologic Time part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This observational inquiry activity involving careful descriptions of rocks and fossil including age will be used to create a scalar accurate geologic time scale. Students will observe and learn that the geologic time scale was created based on changes in fossil, rock, and atmospheric changes.

How do rocks compare to soil? part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a investigation where students observe soil and rocks, record their similarities and differences, interpret their findings, and are guided to develop a new investigable question.

Investigation of the Minnehaha Falls area part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a combination of a field investigation and direct instruction at Minnehaha Falls. We are investigating Twin Cities rock types and weathering from the flowing water.

Geology of the Grand Canyon: Interpreting its rock layers and formation part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this culminating activity, students will be assessed on what they have learned during the Geology unit of their Earth Science class. After conducting classroom and field studies on geology students will utilize this knowledge to interpret the rock layers and formation of the Grand Canyon. Outside of class students will read/review a website and complete a study guide to be reviewed by the teacher to assess students' learning. Following teacher review of study guides, the next class period(s) will be a discussion and questioning session(s) on the formation of the Grand Canyon.

Investigating Minnesota Rocks: The Properties of North Shore Rocks part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a guided inquiry where students develop questions around a group of rocks, use their observation skills to describe the attributes, record and analyze their findings, and use their data, in conjunction with available resources, to categorize the rocks .

Stream investigation: Investigate how a local stream might have an impact on our surrounding landscape. part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation where students will make stream observations to determine its geologic processes and influence to our local topography.

Investigation MN Geology: Identifying evidence for volcanism in Waite Park Quarries. part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This field investigation of bedrock geology allows students to make observations, form questions, and conduct research to identify the evidence for volcanism in Minnesota.

Investigating geologic features and processes: A field investigation for earth science students at Leif Erickson Park, Duluth, Minnesota. part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation where students observe and interpret the rocks types, geologic features, and processes typical to the north shore of Lake Superior. Students use their data to develop questions that could be further investigated and to predict the sequence of events leading to the formation of these rocks and features.

Investigating Processes of Sedimentation in Gravel Pits part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This is a field investigation where students will explore and observe sediments within a local gravel pit and from their observation create an investigation that will help to determine the nature of the sediments.