The Great Ocean Conveyor Activity Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Adapted with permission. In January 1992, a container ship headed to Tacoma,Washington, from Hong Kong, China, lost 12 containers during severe storm conditions. One container held a shipment of 29,000 bathtub toys. Ten months later, the first of these plastic toys began to wash up onto the coast of Alaska. Driven by the wind and ocean currents, these toys continued to wash ashore during the next several years, and some even drifted into the Atlantic Ocean. [Read More]

The Mountain Blows its Top Activity Source: USGS Learning Web Lesson Plans Background A volcano is a vent in the surface of the Earth through which magma and gasses erupt. Volcanic eruptions are among the Earth’s most powerful and destructive forces, but volcanoes are also creative. Volcanoes have also shaped the Earth’s landscape, as many of our mountains, islands, and plains have been built by volcanic eruptions. Mount St. Helens was one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recent memory. [Read More]

The Potential of Energy Reservoirs and Deposits Activity Source: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Grade Levels: 6-12 Background All countries rely on multiple energy sources to power industries, homes, and transportation. The combination of energy sources used by a nation is called their energy mix. Energy comes in many forms, and some of the most important sources are stored beneath the Earth’s surface (known as reservoirs). Each of these sources plays a critical role in generating electricity around the world. [Read More]

The Slope of Land in Your Community Activity Source: Adapted from the American Geosciences Institute’s EarthComm: Understanding your Environment Background Landslides constitute a major geologic hazard. They are widespread, occurring in all 50 states, and cause $1-2 billion in damages and more than 25 fatalities on average each year. Landslides commonly occur with other major natural disasters, such as earthquakes and floods (USGS Learning Web). The slope of the land and the materials under ground must be considered when planning how to build on the land in a community to lessen landslide risk. [Read More]

The Soil Science of Sports Fields Activity Source: Soil Science Society of America. Developed by Chase Straw and Melanie Szulczewski for SSSA Soil plays a pivotal role in natural turfgrass sports fields. Native (natural) soils are common on community fields, while engineered (amended) soils are often used on baseball/softball infields and professional fields. Soil types vary in their water holding capacities and infiltration rates. For example, clayey soils have smaller particle sizes with less pore space than sandy soils giving clayey soils a higher water holding capacity. [Read More]

Third From the Sun Activity Source: “Third From the Sun” from the University of California at Berkeley, 2001. Adapted with permission. Background Since our beginnings, we humans have had a narrow view of our home - Earth. For many years, standing on the ground and looking around or climbing a mountain and squinting down were the most useful ways people had of trying to understand the planet’s surface. Only in the past few hundred years have we been able to better understand what the planet really looks like. [Read More]

Toasty Wind Activity Source: NOAA Grade Levels: 5-8 Background Energy transfers are happening everywhere around us. Some we can feel or see, such as a gust of wind blowing through a tree. But where does the energy come from that drives that wind? With this activity, finding out will be a breeze! Materials Paper plate or card stock Marker Scissors String (~3 inches) Hot plate or toaster SAFETY NOTE: This activity uses a heat source and should be conducted with adult supervision. [Read More]

Tracking Dinosaurs Activity Source: The Geological Society of America. Adapted from Hands on the Land, Garden Park, Canon City, Colorado. Adapted with permission. Paleontologists are the geoscientists who discover and study fossil evidence of past life. Sometimes they even find the footprints of dinosaurs that roamed the surface of the Earth long ago. Ever wonder how paleontologists are able to determine, based on fossil evidence, whether a particular dinosaur was walking or running when it left footprints behind? [Read More]

Traveling Nitrogen Activity Source: Windows to the Universe. Adapted with permission. Nitrogen is an element that is found both in living things and the nonliving parts of the Earth system. In this classroom activity, students play the role of nitrogen atoms traveling through the nitrogen cycle to gain understanding of the varied pathways through the cycle and how nitrogen is relevant to living things. For the teacher: To prepare, set up nitrogen reservoir stations around the classroom (or outside). [Read More]

Tree Rings and Ancient Climatic Conditions Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Archaeological Institute of America. How do archaeologists learn about climatic conditions and their effects on people in the past? In 1815, Mount Tambora in Indonesia erupted so violently that the sound of the eruption could be heard 1,600 miles away. Gases from the volcano shot into the stratosphere almost six miles above the Earth’s surface and lingered for years. [Read More]