Rain and Soil Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Soil Science Society of America. When it rains, much of the water drains directly into the ground. But why? Soil is made up of four main components: minerals, organic matter, water, and air. Ideal percentages of each is shown in the figure, but in reality the percentages vary from location to location. Water moves through open spaces in soil known as “pores. [Read More]

Reading Earth from the Air Activity Source: American Geophysical Union Grade levels: 8-12 Introduction Scientists flying low over a landscape like the Appalachian Mountains (pictured here) use natural radioactivity to study the ground below. By measuring tiny amounts of energy released from rocks (gamma radiation), scientists can create maps that show what is underground. These maps help scientists locate resources, identify rock and mineral types, and even spot potential health risks like radon gas, all without having to disturb the environment. [Read More]

Sea and Ice Salinity Activity Source: NASA Aquarius Mission and the National Snow and Ice Data Center, 2007. Activity adapted with permission from UCLA Marine Science Center’s OceanGLOBE. Background What is sea ice? It is simply frozen ocean water. Why is sea ice important? While it occurs mainly in polar regions, sea ice influences our global climate. Changing amounts of sea ice can affect ocean circulations, weather patterns, and temperatures around the world. [Read More]

Sources of Minerals Activity Source: Mineralogical Society of America. Adapted with permission. We are surrounded by objects that we depend upon for our everyday lives. From our clothes to our phones, bikes, cars, showers, plates, chairs, televisions, computers, and nearly everything else, we rely on objects made of a variety of materials. But where do those materials come from in the first place, and what happens when we run out of them? [Read More]

Spreading the Word About Critical Minerals Activity Source: The Mineralogical Society of America Grade levels: 6-12 Materials Paper pad and pen to record Computer and Internet access Introduction We hear the term “critical minerals” all the time in the news. But think about how, exactly, do minerals make it on the “critical minerals” list? Who decides what minerals go on that list? This activity is designed to connect what members of the general public think that they understand about critical minerals with how critical minerals are officially designated by the U. [Read More]

The EarthTrek Gravestone Project Activity Source: Geological Society of America. Adapted with permission. Raindrops contain more than just water. In addition to the small particles of dust around which water drops form, raindrops can contain chemicals found in the atmosphere. Often rain is slightly acidic. This “acid rain” can chemically affect (weather) materials it touches. The amount of weathering differs from place to place and changes over time. Marble, a stone commonly used to make gravestones, is mostly made up of the mineral calcite. [Read More]

Traveling Back in Time through Seafloor Cores Activity Source: Scientific Ocean Drilling Coordination Office Adapted with permission from the Cretaceous Impact Kit Grade Levels: 5-10 Materials Computer with internet access Introduction Have you thought about traveling back to the time of the dinosaurs to find out why they went extinct? With cores collected from the seafloor, you can do just that! Because sediment deposits build up on the seafloor over time, cores of the sediment contain records of what our planet was like long ago. [Read More]

Where Growth Meets Growth Activity Source: DiscoverySchool.com Credit: Susan Hurstcalderone, science and resource teacher, Blessed Sacrament School, Washington, D.C. Objective To identify fire risk factors for a property located near a wildland area. Materials copy of Where Growth Meets Growth student handout colored pencils Procedure One of the issues surrounding wildland fires involves areas where uncontrolled urban growth meets uncontrolled vegetative growth. People who live in these areas should take extra precautions to limit the effects of any nearby wildland fire that might occur. [Read More]