Geothermal Exchange Activity Source: The Geological Society of America Grade Levels: 6-10 Background If you were to dig a few feet into the ground, you would find that the temperature remains relatively constant, even on the hottest and coldest days of the year. People have learned how to harness the heat underground— called geothermal energy— to heat and cool homes. In this activity, you will model a geothermal exchange system to show how heat can be transferred to help control the temperature in buildings and homes. [Read More]

Geothermal Features in National Parks Activity Source: National Park Service Grade Levels: 4-9 Background Geothermal features are formed by heat from beneath the Earth’s surface, creating amazing sights like geysers, hot springs, volcanoes, and tar pits. Many of these features are now in protected areas designated as National Parks, allowing people to experience them in their natural state. These areas also help scientists study Earth’s processes, while conserving habitats for the unique ecosystems supported by geothermal features and promoting environmental education. [Read More]

Getting the Oil Out Activity Source: Society of Petroleum Engineers. Adapted with permission. Artificial lifting systems, or pumping units, are used to help pull oil out of reservoir rock and pump it up a well. A down hole pump in the well is connected to the pumping unit by steel rods, which are screwed together. The pump is activated from the up and down movement of the pumping unit on the surface. [Read More]

Glacier Slide Activity Source: National Park Service Objective You will be able to describe how a glacier carves an area and label the characteristics formed by the glacier’s movement. Background There are many glaciers all over Alaska. Flying into Lake Clark National Park and Preserve through Lake Clark Pass, you will see many glaciers. These glaciers were growing during the last Ice Age. Now many are retreating because Alaska is getting warmer. [Read More]

Gold Panning Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Adrienne Barnett, Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland, California. “Thar’s gold in them thar classrooms!” History meets Earth science in the fun, hands-on activity below. Some gold deposits, or lodes, are found in veins of fractured rock. After millions of years of weathering, gold nuggets and flakes are eroded out of the veins and carried away by streams and rivers. Gold is 19 times heavier than water and tends to settle on the bottom and in the bends of rivers, streams, and lakes with sand and gravel, forming deposits called placer. [Read More]

How Dangerous Are Tsunamis? Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Geological Society of America. Imagine playing beside the ocean, when suddenly, the water drops. Where the water used to be, there are wriggling fish and ribbons of seaweed. What do you do? You could be seeing the first sign of a tsunami ─ a long wave formed in the ocean when the sea floor moves suddenly. Most tsunamis happen because of large earthquakes on the ocean floor. [Read More]

How Natural Gas Forms Activity Source: American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Adapted with permission from American Geosciences Institute in collaboration with Project SEED. Think about the energy you use every day to cook, cool your home, or travel. For most of us, the main sources of this energy are fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. Whether used directly, as gasoline, heating oil, or natural gas, or to generate electricity (by burning coal), fossil fuels are a big part of the world’s energy picture. [Read More]

Investigating Different Rock Types Activity Source: Adapted with permission by the Association of American State Geologists from AGI’s Investigating Earth Systems, Rocks and Landforms, pp. 1-3. Background In this investigation, you will explore the characteristics of various types of rocks. Why are rocks important to citizen scientists? There are a number of reasons: We live on the topmost layer of the Earth, the crust, which is made of solid rock. We also make structures out of this rock, as well as mine it for useful minerals. [Read More]

Investigating Rock Types Activity Source: AAPG. Adapted with permission from “Investigating Earth Systems,” AGI. In any science, it is important to accurately and understandably describe your observations for others. Whether for advancing research or informing the public, communicating your work is critical. For geologists, this comes down to describing rocks’ colors, patterns, shapes and other features. These features may reveal evidence about the past, clues to their suitability for a construction project, or signs of valuable natural resources hidden within them. [Read More]

Investigating Soil Activity Source: “Soils Sustain Life,” American Geosciences Institute, 2005. Adapted with permission. Materials Piece of heavy duty PVC pipe about one inch in diameter and 10 inches long Piece of wood doweling that will fit inside the PVC pipe Hammer Wood block Leather garden glove Hand lens Non-toxic marker Large sheet of white posterboard Six clear plastic sandwich bags Plastic knife Tools for separating soil, such as tweezers, tongue depressor, drinking straw Paper towels (for clean up) Procedure Chose a spot to investigate the soil on publicly owned land. [Read More]