Since 1972 the “Roadside Geology” series has provided introductory information on the geology of states and small regions of the United States. The books provide a combination of maps, travel logs, photos and commentary for the geology that can be seen along highways or visited at parks and public viewing areas. They are popular with geologists and others who are interested in the Earth.
Modern Rock Tumbling by Steve Hart is the most up-to-date book on the rock tumbling hobby. It explains the tumbling process completely and provides enough detail that you should produce excellent results if you follow his instructions.
NASA has published a .pdf document titled: “Exploring the Moon: a Teacher’s Guide with activities for Earth and Space Sciences”. It has lots of introductory content and several activities that can be done with students.
PBS NewsHour examines the challenge of teaching climate change in K-12 schools. In this blog post several teachers share their perspective and approach.
The Earth Science Week newsletter for March 2012 is available. Topics include:
* Earth Science Teaching Award Winner Announced
* Earth Science Week at NSTA 2012 Conference
* Offshore Energy Center Offers Career Resources
* Find K-12 Earth Science Workshop Resources Online
The United States Geological Survey has an “Education Resources” area on their website that can be used by teachers and students to find information about biology, geology. geography, water and more.
William Fritz and Robert Thomas have completed a second edition of the popular Roadside Geology of Yellowstone Country. This 6″x9″ paperback has 311 pages that are packed with detailed information about Yellowstone Geology.
Sinkholes are a common geological hazard in many parts of Pennsylvania. The state geological survey has an educational publication and small website to inform the public about sinkholes.
An post on the Smithsonian blog titled “Creating the Age of Reptiles” explores Rudolph Zallingers “Age of Reptiles” painting and its influence on dinosaur paleontology.
Four-year-old paleontoligist, Stella Hatton was not impressed with the accuracy of dinosaur toys at her local toy store. The Canadian Museum of Nature liked her critique of the toy so much that they sent her a correct triceratops model.
If you didn’t get to see the Dig It! The Secrets of Soil exhibit at the Smithsonian, you can see videos and other information from the exhibit on the Smithsonian website.
Pictured at right are two of the interactive topics.
NASA has a nice collection of “Planetary Puzzles” for you to assemble online. Each of these interactive webpuzzles is based upon a famous NASA image and is rated for its difficulty.
The National Ground Water Association has a website where teachers can find a collection of classroom experiments and activities that are age appropriate for grades K-3, 4-8 and 9-12.
This is a great time to introduce kids to earth science with age-appropriate books. The geology.com store has children’s books on topics that include: dinosaurs, rocks, minerals, fossils, gemstones, volcanoes and more.
Geology of North America as Illustrated by Native American Stories is a teacher’s manual and classroom project workbook that deftly uses Native American stories to explain and illustrate the physical geography and the geology of North American continent to a wide range of audiences and age levels.
Although the number of women enrolled at most universities in the United States exceeds the number of men, the number of women enrolled in STEM programs remains relatively low. An article in the Daily Trojan explores STEM enrollment data and how women can be attracted to STEM programs.
NOAA has a webpage that links to a large number of maps, each showing the age of the ocean floor in a different format. A great resource for teaching, publishing and research.
Sea Grant Alaska has a collection of teaching and learning resources that can be used to create multiple lessons about seamounts for middle school students.
Activities include: learning how seamounts form, mapping seamounts and building a seamount model from a topographic map.
The SciNEWS website has a new collection of resources that guide teachers in preparing learning activities for students that feature new research findings about some of the oldest-know feathers. These are based in part on an assemblage of Late Cretaceous dinosaur and bird feathers discovered in Canadian amber.
The new Earth Science Week newsletter is ready. It can help you get ready for the celebration on October 9-15, 2011. It includes the topics below and more….
* Earth Science Week 2011 Coming Soon: Get Ready!
* Under a Month Left to Enter Earth Science Week Contests
* Change Education With an Earth Science Week Toolkit
* More Geoscience Resources in Spanish and English
* ‘No Child Left Inside’ Day Comes to Your Area
* Visit DC’s National Mall for National Fossil Day Event
* Women in the Geosciences Day Coming in October
* Shine a Media Spotlight on Your Great Activities
* NGWA Webinar Targets Women in Geoscience
* SMILE for Activities Online for Science Teachers
* London Event Marks Earth Science Week 2011
* How to Put Your Event on the Map – Online
NASA’s Earth Observatory has a collection of… “interactive experiments that can be used to teach all ages about the art and science of space-based remote sensing. The experiments focus on how NASA uses remote sensing to study how and why the Earth changes.” Quoted from the Earth Observatory website.
The terms “planet” and “dwarf planet” continue to confuse and trigger debate since the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006. NASA has a collection of resources to help teachers present this material. It includes: a teacher’s guide, a student activity, a podcast, poster, video lecture and more.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an Earth Science Week partner, has a climate education website with content for students, teaching ideas for educators, and school program information for administrators.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency recently released several free earthquake education resources for all ages.
SCINEWS has a collection of teacher resources for Hurricane Irene. Content and links include: educator background materials from NOAA, hurricane tracking data, satellite images, damage photos, videos and more.
– Bulk Order Your Earth Science Week Toolkits
– Earth Science Week 2011 Contests
– National Fossil Day Contest
– How to Protect Your Groundwater
– FEMA Resources on Earthquake Education
– NSTA’s Free Webinars
– EPA Climate Resources
As part of Earth Science Week, the National Park Service is running art and photography contests on National Fossil Day, October 12, 2011. The contests are open to any U.S. resident. This contest emphasizes the scientific and educational values of fossils to the public.
“NSTA Web Seminars are free, 90-minute, live professional development experiences that use online learning technologies to allow participants to interact with nationally acclaimed experts, NSTA Press authors, and scientists, engineers, and education specialists from NSTA partner organizations.” Quote from the NSTA announcement
The American Geological Institute’s most recent issue of Geoscience Currents is titled: Critical Incidents: Why Students Choose to Pursue the Geosciences. It explores pre-college and college factors that contribute to a student’s decision to pursue a major in the geosciences.
The American Geological Institute is sponsoring three national contests as part of Earth Science Week 2011, celebrating the theme of “Our Ever-Changing Earth,” October 9-15. Students in K-5 have a two-dimensional art contest, students in 6-9 an essay contest, and a photography contest for the general public.
AGI has published the first of four Geoscience Currents on the topic of geoscience academic provenance. These will explore the pathways that lead students to a college major in the geosciences.
The shapes and colors that you see in an aerial fireworks display do not happen by chance. They are deliberately produced by clever people who apply principles of art, chemistry, physics and math.
The Earth Science Week Newsletter for June is posted on the web. The topics include:
* Contests Add Fun, Learning to Earth Science Week 2011
* Encourage Your Students to Be Junior Paleontologists
* Earth Science Week Kit Available for Pre-Order
* Webinar Looks at Careers in Minerals Exploration
* Professional Development Available From NSTA
* EarthScope Speaker Series Explores Quakes, Eruptions
* Explore Geophysics During Earth Science Week 2011
The MichiganWater Stewardship website has a large number of lesson plans, all related to water, for students in K-12 science classes. They also have a small collection of virtual models and educational games.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and Director of the Hayden Planetarium explains why every student in the United States needs to be literate in science and math.
This video accompanies a CNN article titled: “Why would-be engineers end up as English majors.”
The Earth Science Week Newsletter for May is posted on the web. The topics include:
* Earth Science Week 2011 Toolkit: Pre-Order Now!
* NASA’s Online Training Targets Science Teachers
* Get Ready Now for National Fossil Day 2011
* Ponder Paleontology Through PRI’s Resources
* Make Connections With Earth Science Organizations
* Help NESTA Gauge Needs in Earth Science Education
* Online Videos Depict ‘Faces of Climate Change’
* Become a Proud Sponsor of Earth Science Week
Scholastic, a publisher of educational materials for United States schools has discontinued lessons on coal sponsored by the American Coal Foundation because they did not cover the negative aspects of coal mining and use. The lessons were distributed to 66,000 classrooms.
The Earth Science Week Newsletter for April, 2011 is now available. Topics include:
– Earth Science Education Kits on Sale for $5 Each
– SPE’s Energy4me Sparks Energy Education
– Take Part in Testing World’s Water Supply
– Plant a SEED of Earth Science Learning
– ‘Lite Geology’ Magnifies Earth Science for Students
– Web site Monitors ‘Pulse’ of Earth Science Education
– NASA and NSTA Offer Science Web Seminars
– NRCS Offers Resources for Soil Education
Leaders at the U.S. Department of Education and Homeland Security are urging schools to participate in the Great Central U.S. Shakeout – an event targeting schools in states surrounding the New Madrid Fault Zone.
An article on the LiveScience.com website reports that 13% of high school biology teachers are advocating creationism instead of evolution in their classes.
The Earth Science Week Newsletter for March 2011 is available on the ESW website. In this month’s newsletter they encourage you to start planning your 2011 Earth Science Week activities now!
We now have collections of rocks, minerals and fossils for classroom or personal study. Each collection is contained in a compartmented box for easy storage and use. These kits are perfect for students or anyone who wants to learn about geology or earth science.
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