From the Soil Comes the Spoils: Discovering Mineable Critical Minerals Beneath Our Feet Activity Source: Soil Science Society of America Grade Levels: 6-9 Background Every soil on Earth is made up of mineral particles that originated from the weathering and breakdown of rocks. These minerals include quartz, feldspar, mica, and various metal oxides (including iron and manganese) and give soil its color, texture, and chemical properties (see Figure below). Many of the same mineral families found in soil are the source of critical minerals: resources essential to modern technology, from the lithium in batteries to the rare earth elements in smartphones. [Read More]

From Trash to Terrarium Activity Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Adapted with permission. Our ocean is filled with items that don’t belong there. Huge amounts of plastics, metals, rubber, paper, textiles, abandoned fishing gear, and much more enter the ocean every day, making marine debris one of the most widespread pollution problems facing the ocean and waterways. The problem of marine debris affects everyone, no matter where they live. Marine debris comes from human activity on land and at sea. [Read More]

Frozen Power Activity Source: Source: Geological Society of America. Written by Greg McNamara, Christine V. McLelland, Gary B. Lewis, Davida Buehler, and Yueyi Che. Adapted with permission. You may be familiar with ice cubes in your favorite soda, but do you know there are very big ice cubes (scientists call them glaciers) hundreds to thousands of meters thick, lying in places with high mountains? These glaciers shaped beautiful landscapes all around the world — from Glacier National Park to Yosemite, from Patagonia in South America to the Himalayas in Asia. [Read More]

Geography of a Pencil Activity Source: National Geographic. Adapted with permission. How is the world connected to the pencil you hold in your hand? Complete this activity to find out. For the teacher: Before starting the activity, visit natgeoed.org/mapmaker- kit online. In the Mapping section, click “MapMaker Kits.” Assemble the World Political MapMaker Kit Mega Map for large- group instruction, or the tabletop map for work in smaller groups. Watch the assembly video included on the MapMaker Kit web page for more instructions on assembly. [Read More]

Geoheritage Via Google Street View Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Google. Google’s Street View is a rich resource for exploring geoheritage, since it visually transports us to many impressive sites across the country and around the world. Street View allows you to investigate a site, even one you don’t know well, which can lead to important insights. Of course, the real power and fun of Street View is that it allows you to explore by moving your visual perspective around the image. [Read More]

Geologic Age Activity Source: Adapted from the USGS Learning Web Lesson Plans Background At the close of the 18th century, the haze of fantasy and mysticism that tended to obscure the true nature of the Earth was being swept away. Careful studies by scientists showed that rocks had diverse origins. Some rock layers, containing clearly identifiable fossil remains of fish and other forms of aquatic animal and plant life, originally formed in the ocean. [Read More]

Geologic Time Scale Analogy Activity Source: Ritger, S.D. and R.H. Cummins. 1991. Using student-created metaphors to comprehend geologic time. Journal of Geological Education. 9:9-11. Purpose To introduce students to the vastness of [geologic time](/content/geological- time-scale) and the concept of scale. Background Unraveling time and the Earth’s biologic history are arguably geology’s most important contributions to humanity. Yet it is very difficult for humans to appreciate time beyond that of one or two generations, much less hundreds, thousands, millions and billions of years. [Read More]

Geoscience and Petroleum Careers Activity Source: SEED (SLB Excellence in Educational Development). Adapted with permission. What adventures await you as a student of the Earth sciences? How about a career as a scientist or engineer working for the world’s largest oilfield services company? SLB employees invent, design, engineer, and apply technologies to help customers find and produce oil and gas more efficiently and safely — often in remote and challenging locations. [Read More]

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]