Online Education Resources: Geology For Kids
Geology, simply put, is the study of the Earth. In addition to studying the Earth as a whole, geology also involves the study of its history, shapes, substances and processes. Geologists study the Earth’s processes including volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides and floods.
What is Dirt Made Out Of?
- Discovery Education: The Dirt on Soil: Interactive learning adventure on soil.
- Sierra Club: Soil: Lesson plan on soil for 2nd graders.
- Brain Pop Jr.: Soil: Background information and activities on soil.
- Lesson Plans Page: Plants, Soils and Nutrients: Lesson plan and activity on soil.
- University of Washington: Soils Module: Pictures and activities on soil.
- Lesson Snips: The Importance of Soil: Lesson plan on the importance of soil.
- 42 Explore: Soils: Information on the types of soils and resources to additional information about soil.
- Soil Science Society of America: Lessons and Activities: Soil lessons and activities from the Soil Science Society of America.
- Soil Biological Communities: The Dirt on Dirt: Information on what dirt is made of.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Buried Treasure: The role of soil in the decomposition process.
Rock And Roll
- Teachnology: Rock and Mineral Lesson Plans: List of lesson plans on rocks and minerals.
- Rocks and Minerals 4 U: Lesson Plans: Lesson plans on rocks and minerals.
- American Coal Foundation: Rocks and Minerals: Lesson plan on rocks and minerals.
- John Hopkins University: Rocks and Minerals Detectives: Lesson plan and resources on rocks and minerals.
- Northeastern University: Department of Earth and Environmental Science: Department of Earth and Environmental Science at Northeastern University.
- The Franklin Institute: Geofind Puzzle: Word search puzzle on geology words.
- Lesson Planet: Metamorphic Rock Formation: Lesson plans on metamorphic rock formations.
- Illinois State Museum: Igneous Rocks: Lesson on igneous rocks for students between the 9th and 12th grades.
- National Teacher Training Institute: Igneous Rocks: Lesson plan on igneous rocks designed for students between 7th and 9th grades.
- Geology: Rock, Mineral and Rock Cycle Classroom Activities: Classroom activities and lesson plans on rocks, minerals and the rock cycle.
X-Ray the Earth
- Oregon State University: The Earth's Layers: Interactive lesson and study plan for the Earth’s layers.
- Enchanted Learning: Inside the Earth: Pictures, information and diagrams of the inside of the Earth.
- NASA: Structure of the Earth: Interactive site on the structure of the Earth.
- ThinkQuest: The Plant Earth: Detailed information on the layers that compose the Earth.
- Utah State Office of Education: Information About Earth's Layers: Information on the Earth’s layers.
- California State University: Earth's Layers: Information on the four layers of the Earth.
- National Geographic: Lesson Plans: Lesson plans on the igneous rocks and the anatomy of a volcano.
- A to Z Teacher Stuff: Volcanoes: Resource to lesson plans and activities on volcanoes.
- Education World: Volcanoes - Nature's Explosive Spectacles: Links to additional lesson plans on volcanoes.
- Instructor Web: Volcanoes: Volcano lesson plan geared towards students in the 4th, 5th and 6th grade.
How the Earth Changes
- EduRef: Water and Soil Erosion: Reference desk lesson plan on water and soil erosion.
- Miami University: Erosion Investigation: Erosion lesson plan for teachers.
- Utah Education Network: Weathering and Erosion: Summary and lesson plan on weathering and erosion targeted towards 5th grade students.
- Quia: Weathering and Erosion: Game using flashcards to learn and understand the terms for weathering and erosion.
- Scholastic: Dirtmeister's Science Lab on Erosion: Interactive online science lab dealing with erosion.
- Casenex: Weathering and Erosion Lesson Plan: Lesson plan on weathering and soil erosion.
- Bright: Erosion: Detailed information on an erosion experiment.
- Success Link: Great Teaching Ideas: Lesson plan on erosion.
- CNN: Lesson Plan: The threatening effects of erosion.
- Review Earth Science: Weathering, Erosion and Soil: Short study guide on weathering, erosion and soil.
Understanding what dirt is made of and the details about rocks, minerals and rock formations are only the beginning of geology. You also need to learn about the different layers of the Earth and how the Earth changes with erosion.
