Welcome to Earth Science Week Online Toolkit

Each year the American Geosciences Institute celebrates Earth Science Week with our members and partners to acknowledge and understand Earth and our relationship with the planet through programs, information and learning resources. This year Earth Science Week is Oct. 11 – 17.

The teaching and learning resources you will find on this page have been developed by AGI and our members and partners to help educators teach about our planet and its systems. Some resources are specific to exploring this year’s theme— Earth Materials in Our Lives —while others include teacher professional development opportunities and information about online resources and geoscience careers. Many of these you may also find in the printed toolkit, which you can order here.

Please enjoy the materials you find on this site and send any feedback to info@earthsciweek.org.

Happy Earth Science Week!

Cloud Identification Chart
Description: This guide will help students and life-long learners identify different cloud types and how to observe them. Students of teachers enrolled in the GLOBE program will be able to upload their data to a global network of young scientists.
Organization: NASA - Globe
Description: This guide will help students and life-long learners identify different cloud types and how to observe them. Students of teachers enrolled in the GLOBE program will be able to upload their data to a global network of young scientists.
Organization: NASA - Globe
Type of Resource: Classroom activity
Activity Elements:
  • Data
  • Other
Activity Resources: Other
Language(s): English
Present in Physical Kit: Don't Know
Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS 2 - Earth's systems
Earth's System: ESS2.D - Weather and climate
Science and Engineering: Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Careers in Geography
Description: A guide to what geographers do and careers available to geographers. You will also find information about student opportunities, salary trends, asking a geographer questions,and more.
Organization: American Association of Geographers
Description: A guide to what geographers do and careers available to geographers. You will also find information about student opportunities, salary trends, asking a geographer questions,and more.
Organization: American Association of Geographers
Type of Resource: Careers
Language(s): English
Present in Physical Kit: Don't Know
AAG Annual Meeting in Washington, DC
Description: Participate in career training and networking, attend special events including prominent speakers, learn new skills at workshops, and explore surroundings through offered field trips.
Organization: American Association of Geographers
Description: Participate in career training and networking, attend special events including prominent speakers, learn new skills at workshops, and explore surroundings through offered field trips.
Organization: American Association of Geographers
Type of Resource: Teacher Professional Development
Language(s): English
Present in Physical Kit: No
The GeoMentors Program
Description: Teachers benefit from the GeoMentors program by partnering with AAG and Esri to learn how to use free GIS software with the help of a professional geographer.
Organization: American Association of Geographers
Description: Teachers benefit from the GeoMentors program by partnering with AAG and Esri to learn how to use free GIS software with the help of a professional geographer.
Organization: American Association of Geographers
Type of Resource: Teacher Professional Development
Language(s): English
Present in Physical Kit: No
Determining Earth's Layered Interior
Description: A 3-dimensional earth science investigation where students build models to understand how scientists have studied an learned about Earth's interior. Online resources include videos, slides, and instructor's guide.
Organization: Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)
Description: A 3-dimensional earth science investigation where students build models to understand how scientists have studied an learned about Earth's interior. Online resources include videos, slides, and instructor's guide.
Organization: Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)
Type of Resource: Classroom activity
Activity Elements:
  • Physical lab
  • Data
Activity Resources:
  • Computer
  • Internet
  • Other
Language(s): English
Present in Physical Kit: Yes
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
  • ESS 2 - Earth's systems
  • ESS 3 - Earth and human activity
Earth's System:
  • ESS2.A - Earth materials and systems
  • ESS2.B - Plate tectonics and large-scale system interactions
Earth and Human Activity: ESS3.B - Natural hazards
Science and Engineering:
  • Asking questions and defining problems
  • Developing and using models
  • Analyzing and interpreting data
  • Using mathematics and computational thinking
  • Constructing explanations and designing solutions
Earthquake Resources
Description: Links to IRIS's vast collection of lessons, animations, posters, professional development, data, and much, much more.
Organization: Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)
Description: Links to IRIS's vast collection of lessons, animations, posters, professional development, data, and much, much more.
Organization: Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)
Type of Resource: Information about online resources
Language(s): English
Present in Physical Kit: Yes
Sedimentation in a bottle
Description: This basic demonstration is something students of all ages can do to observe how soil and sand separate based on their physical properties when settling in water. This geologic principle is fundamental to many of Earth's processes.
Organization: Energy4Me
Description: This basic demonstration is something students of all ages can do to observe how soil and sand separate based on their physical properties when settling in water. This geologic principle is fundamental to many of Earth's processes.
Organization: Energy4Me
Type of Resource: Demonstration
Language(s):
Present in Physical Kit: No
Understanding Density
Description: This activity demonstrates the basic principle of how liquids with different densities will settle into different layers, a major principle in the exploration of oil and gas resources.
Organization: Energy4Me
Description: This activity demonstrates the basic principle of how liquids with different densities will settle into different layers, a major principle in the exploration of oil and gas resources.
Organization: Energy4Me
Type of Resource: Demonstration
Language(s):
Present in Physical Kit: No
Numbers to Pictures: How Satellite Images are Created
Description: Satellites transmit images to us as a series of numbers, and this activity is designed to show how numbers are combined to create images using the primary colors of light.
Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Description: Satellites transmit images to us as a series of numbers, and this activity is designed to show how numbers are combined to create images using the primary colors of light.
Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Type of Resource: Classroom activity
Activity Elements:
  • Physical lab
  • Other
Activity Resources: Other
Language(s):
Present in Physical Kit: No
Science and Engineering:
  • Developing and using models
  • Analyzing and interpreting data
NASA Elementary Sampler (K-5)
Description: NASA provides recommended activities to investigate dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards. Including Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information; Natural Resources; Natural Hazards; Human Impacts on Earth Systems; Systems and System Models; and Cause and Effect.
Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Description: NASA provides recommended activities to investigate dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards. Including Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information; Natural Resources; Natural Hazards; Human Impacts on Earth Systems; Systems and System Models; and Cause and Effect.
Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Type of Resource: Information about online resources
Language(s):
Present in Physical Kit: No

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