Latitude and Longitude Activity Source: Geological Society of America, Adapted with permission. You may have seen or used Global Positioning System (GPS) devices in cars or on camping trips. These devices use data from satellites orbiting the Earth to locate places on our planet. GPS devices describe the locations to us in the form of latitude and longitude coordinates. Citizen scientists involved in the Geological Society of America’s EarthCaching project (http://www. [Read More]

Leaf It to Me Activity Source: Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Adapted with permission. In the water cycle, there are two ways water moves from the ground to the atmosphere: evaporation and transpiration. During evaporation, water changes from a liquid to a gas state. Transpiration is basically evaporation of water from plant leaves. Transpiration accounts for about 10 percent of the moisture in the atmosphere — with oceans, seas, and other bodies of water providing nearly all the rest. [Read More]

Lidar Improves Geologic Maps Look at “Enhancing Geologic Maps with Lidar” side of the 2023 GMD poster. click here to see a larger version Examine the top three images on the poster. Make comparisons between the outdated geologic map on the left and the updated geologic map on the right. How has the map improved? Point out specific places where it has changed. Examine the lidar map in the middle. How does this image differ from the geologic maps? [Read More]

Lightning Activity Source: Adapted from UCAR/NCAR Web Weather for Kids. Background Static electricity can be used to demonstrate the electricity of lightning. This activity will demonstrate the attraction of positive and negative charges and what happens when those opposite charges meet each other. Time Needed One class period Materials Needed Foam plate Thumbtack Pencil with new eraser Aluminum pie pan Small piece of wool fabric UCAR/NCAR Web Weather for Kids [Read More]

Liquefaction Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Soil Science Society of America. When it comes to slipping, sliding, and stability in soils, the key word is “liquefaction.” During an event like an earthquake, liquefaction is the process by which saturated soil behaves like a liquid. This can be problematic, as a liquid soil loses structure and can cause buildings to sink, foundations to crack, and soil to slide down slopes all at once. [Read More]

Logs of Straw - Dendrocronology Activity Source: “Logs of Straw: Dendrochronology,” U.S. Geological Survey, 2002. Adapted with permission. Background Dendrochronologists use tree rings to go back in time to learn more about past climate. Using straws to recreate tree rings, you can learn how dendrochronologists work. Construct a 50-year climatic history on a three- meter time line. USGS Materials One set of straws with tree-ring markings: USGS One three-meter strip of adding machine tape for each group Colored pencils for each group Colored markers for each group A notebook for recording results (optional) Reference materials such as almanacs that provide students with dates of social and scientific events over the past four decades Procedure In groups of four, examine the set of straws that your teacher has prepared for you (by copying the Core Sample template onto the straws). [Read More]

Look Up! Activity Source: Adapted with permission by The Weather Channel. To learn to read, write, and appreciate language and communication, it’s helpful to find subject matter that’s appealing, inspiring, and personal. The sky is a never-ending source of material that is available everyday to everyone. Get ready to set a course for sky exploration! The following activity is designed to help you learn to listen, read, and communicate in both written and oral formats about the sky. [Read More]

Looking for Wild Elements Activity Source: Fish & Wildlife Service. Adapted with permission. For the Teacher: Few schools are within walking distance of a federally designated wilderness. However, many schools are within walking distance of land with wild elements. Students can look for examples of places with wild elements on or near their school grounds. Then they can duplicate the activity in a wilder landscape, such as those found on national wildlife refuges. [Read More]

Magnets at the Core Activity Source: From the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. Adapted with permission. Over time, Earth’s magnetic poles change strength and location. They also completely reverse directions episodically. The north magnetic pole is currently moving northwest at 40 kilometers per year. It moved from 81.3° N, 110.8° W in 2001 to 82.7° N, 114.4° W in 2005. (Learn more at www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/faqgeom.shtml.) The strength and direction of Earth’s magnetic field at any time in geologic history is recorded by sediments and oceanic crust deposited or formed at that time. [Read More]

Maintaining Soil Moisture Activity Source: American Geophysical Union. Adapted with permission. Soil is a vital component of almost every ecosystem, and its health often determines the viability of the whole ecosystem. If a soil cannot support the living organisms within it – such as insects, bacteria, fungi, and plant roots – then it is likely that the entire ecosystem will suffer. The same is true on farms. The success of crops is dependent on the health of the soil. [Read More]