Do you have lesson plans or activities for the classroom?
The USGS Education website is your gateway to classroom resources. Explore links to lesson plans, activities, educational videos, online lectures, posters, non-technical publications, and images for kindergarten through college. This site is an excellent resource for teachers, students, and anyone interested in learning.
Our resources are organized by grade level and topic.
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Tracking change over time: River flooding
Landsat satellites have been capturing images of Earth from space since 1972. These images provide a long-term record of natural and human-induced changes on the global landscape. Comparing images from multiple years reveals slow and subtle changes as well as rapid and devastating ones. Landsat images are available from the Internet at no charge....
Tracking change over time
Landsat satellites capture images of Earth from space-and have since 1972! These images provide a long-term record of natural and human-induced changes on the global landscape. Comparing images from multiple years reveals slow and subtle changes as well as rapid and devastating ones. Landsat images are available over the Internet at no charge....
Alaska volcanoes guidebook for teachers
Alaska’s volcanoes, like its abundant glaciers, charismatic wildlife, and wild expanses inspire and ignite scientific curiosity and generate an ever-growing source of questions for students in Alaska and throughout the world. Alaska is home to more than 140 volcanoes, which have been active over the last 2 million years. About 90 of these...
Adleman, Jennifer N.
The life cycle of a mineral deposit: a teacher's guide for hands-on mineral education activities
This teacher's guide defines what a mineral deposit is and how a mineral deposit is identified and measured, how the mineral resources are extracted, and how the mining site is reclaimed; how minerals and mineral resources are processed; and how we use mineral resources in our every day lives. Included are 10 activitybased learning exercises that...
Frank, Dave; Galloway, John; Assmus, Ken
Living with a volcano in your backyard: An educator's guide with emphasis on Mount Rainier
Today’s residents, as well as residents of centuries past, consider Mount Rainier “the spiritual and cultural icon of the Pacific Northwest.” As a backdrop for many of the State’s residents, Mount Rainier offers beauty, solace, inspiration, and challenge. The mountain sets the daily mood for thousands of people who gaze at...
Driedger, Carolyn L.; Doherty, Anne; Dixon, Cheryl; Faust, Lisa M.
Exploring caves: teaching packet for grades K-3
"Exploring Caves" is an interdisciplinary set of materials on caves for grades K-3. Caves entail at least five scientific disciplines: earth science, hydrology, mapping, biology, and anthropology. Each of these disciplines involves a unique content area as well as the development of particular intellectual skills. This unit aims at helping...
Land and people: finding a balance
Land and People: Finding a Balance is an environmental study project that engages high school students in studying earth science resource issues. The project focuses on the interaction between people and the environment in three regions of the United States: Cape Cod, Los Angeles, and the Everglades. Each section of this project is devoted to one...
Table-top earthquakes; a demonstration of seismology for teachers and students that can be used to augment lessons in earth science, physics, math, social studies, geography
The apparatus consists of a heavy object that is dragged steadily with an elastic cord. Although pulled with a constant velocity, the heavy object repeatedly slides and then stops. A small vibration sensor, attached to a computer display, graphically monitors this intermittent motion. 2 This intermittent sliding motion mimics the intermittent...
Lahr, J.C.
Volcanoes!
Volcanoes is an interdisciplinary set of materials for grades 4-8. Through the story of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, students will answer fundamental questions about volcanoes: "What is a volcano?" "Where do volcanoes occur and why?" "What are the effects of volcanoes on the Earth system?" "What are the risks and the benefits of living...
Chicxulub impact event; computer animations and paper models
Alpha, T.R.; Galloway, John P.; Starratt, S.W.
Map adventures
Map Adventures, with seven accompanying lessons, is appropriate for grades K-3. Students will learn basic concepts for visualizing objects from different perspectives and how to understand /and use maps.
What do maps show?
The purpose of the teaching package is to help students understand and use maps. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has provided the package as a service to educators so that more Americans will learn to understand the world of information on maps. Everything in the package teaches and reinforces geographic skills that are required in your...
Teaching Earthquake Science Made Easy: USGS Partnership Puts Curriculum into the Classroom
MENLO PARK, CA – The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is releasing two new educational resources to help teachers explain earthquake science. The educational tools are part of the USGS commemoration of the 100th anniversary of The Great Quake of 1906.
Students examine a dated tree cross section.
During the 2016 BioBlitz at Bandelier National Monument, members of the New Mexico Landscapes Field Station presented fire history information which intrigued these young students.
Groundwater Outreach in Huron, SD
USGS Hydrologist Ryan Thompson demonstrated a groundwater model to a 4th grade class in Huron, SD, on April 2, 2015. Ryan talked about groundwater and aquifers, and led students through several experiments to help them understand and measure the porosity, specific yield, and hydraulic conductivity of three different sizes of aquifer materials. Ryan also used dye in an
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Earth Science Day outreach in Rapid City, SD, 2014
USGS student hydrologist Bill Eldridge demonstrates an interactive groundwater model to kids attending the Earth Science Day event on October 12, 2014, at the Journey Museum in Rapid City, SD.
USGS scientist talking with a child at a public outreach event
Outreach at Geology Camp 2008
USGS Hydrologist, Andy Long, demonstrates an interactive groundwater-flow model in the USGS South Dakota Water Science Center laboratory to students attending Geology Camp with the South Dakota School of Mines in 2008.