TN Earth Science Standards - Cycles in the Earth System

site for teachers | PowerPoint show | Acrobat document | Word document | whiteboard resource | sound | video format | interactive lesson | a quiz | lesson plan | to print

Checks for Understanding 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.10 | 3.11 | 3.12 | 3.13 | 3.14 | 3.15 | 3.16 | 3.17
Science Curriculum Standards 3204 - Earth Science	Internet Resources
Use models to explain the theory of plate tectonics. 3.1	Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics - a 41 slide PowerPoint show with excellent images and animations. This Dynamic Earth - The story of Plate Tectonics from the USGS Hell's Crust: Our Ever Changing Planet - from the PBS Savage Earth series, several good animations can be found at this site. Major Tectonic Plates of the World - The earth's surface is broken into seven large and many small moving plates clearly labeled on this map Major Types of Plate Boundaries - good illustration from the USGS Movement of Seismic Waves - high quality transparency master Moving Slabs - simple tectonic plate map from USGS Plate Tectonics - from a show hosted by WHYY Plate Tectonics - the Cause of Earthquakes Plate Tectonics map and a description of the three types of boundaries. Plate Tectonic Movement Visualizations - index of a large number of resources Plate Tectonics Practice Exam - twenty-two multiple-choice questions developed by university students Plate Tectonic Puzzle - lesson plan including puzzle pieces to cut out Plate Tectonics Quiz - ten multiple-choice questions from Geography4Kids Plate Tectonics Quiz - twelve multiple-choice questions, each on a separate page Plate Tectonics Quiz - press Start then click on the named part of the drawing - his is hard! or Plate Tectonics Quiz - twenty multiple-choice questions from Glencoe Science Plate Tectonic Reconstruction Service - In this section you can calculate plate tectonic reconstructions of any age back to 150 My. Recent Earthquakes: Last 8 to 30 days - from USGS Science Odyssey: You Try It: Plate Tectonics - A hands-on exercise about plate tectonics and earthquakes from PBS. (requires Shockwave plug-in) or Seismic Waves - This real-time 3D application allows users to create seismic waves of any magnitude and pass them through a variety of terrains. The student can view the seismic activity in the terrain through both a textured and wire frame view. Subduction - the birth place of a volcanic mountain range [good animation] Teaching about Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics - plan for a virtual journey to the earth's center Tectonic Plates - high quality transparency master
Apply mantle convection currents to distinguish between divergent and convergent plate boundaries. 3.2	Earth's Interior and Plate Tectonics - covers the following: The Earth's Interior, The Lithosphere and Plate Tectonics, Oceanic Lithosphere, Continental Lithosphere and Plate Tectonics. [pop-ups here] Earth Like a Puzzle - learn about plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes at this site from Scripps Institution of Oceanography Pangea to the Present - a study of the history of the Earth's tectonic plates. Plate Tectonics map and a description of the three types of boundaries. Plate Tectonics - the Cause of Earthquakes [this expired page is also from the Internet Archive known as the Wayback Machine] Science Odyssey: You Try It: Plate Tectonics - A hands-on exercise about plate tectonics and earthquakes from PBS. Requires Shockwave plug-in
Explain and map the relationship between plate tectonics and mountain building, volcanoes, and earthquakes. 3.3
Distinguish between minerals and rocks. 3.4
Identify minerals according to their physical properties. 3.5	Earth Science Lab - mineral physical properties and identification, 20 minerals to identify How to Identify Minerals - from the San Diego Natural History Museum Identification of an Unknown Mineral - a step by step process Identifying Minerals - mineral properties and terms explained Mineral Identification - a McGraw-Hill self checking quiz - nine multiple-choice questions Mineral Identification Key - use this process to identify a mineral Mineral Identification quiz - testing Moh's Hardness Scale
Distinguish among sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. 3.6	Animation of clastic sedimentary rocks forming Animation of metamorphic rocks forming How Sediments are Deposited - This animation shows a side view of an area where a river flows into a lake. Introduction to Geology - a rock cycle quiz Multiple choice rock quiz - twenty multiple-choice questions Multiple Choice Rock Quiz - twenty questions - Physical Geology Multiple Choice Rock Quiz - twenty questions from Prentice Hall Rock Expert Quiz - Name the type of rocks correctly and earn a Rockhound Expert Award!
Interpret a diagram of the rock cycle. 3.7	Animation of clastic sedimentary rocks forming - Use the movie controls to examine each part of the sequence or Animation of metamorphic rocks forming - Use the movie controls to examine each part of the sequence or How Sediments are Deposited - This animation shows a side view of an area where a river flows into a lake. Interactive Rock Cycle Animation - a cutaway view of Earth showing where some common rock-forming processes occur. Embedded animations will illustrate the path of a rock moving through the rock cycle. Introduction to Geology - a rock cycle quiz The Rock Cycle - Look at the diagram and see if you can trace a rock through the rock cycle. Rock Cycle - includes link to each of the three types of rocks Rock Cycle from the Mineralogical Society of America Rock Cycle - a review lesson followed by a quiz [from McGraw Hill] A Schematic Sketch of the Rock Cycle - boxes represent earth materials and arrows represent the processes that transform those materials Three Rock Cycle Quizzes - each with five questions
Explain a model of the hydrologic cycle. 3.8	Create a model of the water cycle - lesson plan from Oceans Alive Droplet and the Water Cycle - Avoid pitfalls and predators while you navigate a Droplet through several challenging levels of the hydrological cycle. Evaporation and Condensation - analysis of the part these processes play in the water cycle Evaporation and Condensation - from USA Today weather Evaporation and Condensation - a water cycle in a mayonnaise jar Factors Affecting the Rate of Evaporation - a Wikipedia article Follow a drop through the water cycle How You Can Make a Model of the Water Cycle - print this to give to your students [this expired page is from the Internet Archive known as the Wayback Machine] The Hydrological Cycle - Watch the animation and then drag the words into the correct positions on the diagram. Click the browser's refresh button at the top of the screen if you would like to see the animation play again. [this expired page is from the Internet Archive known as the Wayback Machine] Ideas for teaching about the water cycle - from Pro Teacher Introduction to the Water Cycle - index page for three other pages listed on the left side of the page Jumbled Water Cycle - click and drag components to their proper place Study Jams: Water Cycle Video - a video from Scholastic.com does a good job of explaining the cycle [the quiz does not work properly] Water Cycle Water Cycle Animation - Observe a raindrop traveling through various paths of the water cycle. In this visualization, the blue raindrop shows where water is. The red arrows show the processes that could move it to another place. Water Cycle Animation - from BBC Water Cycle Animation - make changes to the image by selecting buttons on the left - from EarthGuide Water Cycle: Condensation - from Water Science at the USGS site Water Cycle: Evaporation - from Water Science at the USGS site The Water Cycle - US Geological Survey's Water Cycle - one of the most complete explanation of the cycle The Water Cycle Lesson Plan - five activities in one [this expired page is from the Internet Archive known as the Wayback Machine] Water Cycle Player - interactive animation from Discovery Education Water Science - US Geological Survey's (USGS) Water Science for Schools web site! They offer information on many aspects of water, along with pictures, data, maps, and an interactive center where you can give opinions and test your water knowledge. Water Cycle - thirty-three slides with some good images Water Cycle - a slide show by Soo Park, Alex Reynolds, Kate Schmidt, Connie Woo, and Christine Zackrison Water Cycle Lesson Plan - from Planet H2O Water Cycle WebQuest - [designed for 5th grade] Water Wizard quizzes - Do you have a fountain of knowledge when it comes to water? Well, dive right in and test your knowledge of water with these Water Wizard quizzes. The Watershed Game - Many things happen in a watershed that affect the quality of the water we rely upon . Examine the issues in each area of the watershed, then see the impacts of your choices.
Distinguish between mechanical and chemical weathering. 3.9	An animation showing the formation of an unconformity - This animation shows the formation of an angular unconformity. The final result allows you to infer the sequence of the rocks' formation. [produced by Jennifer Loomis, TERC] Break it Down - Students in Ms. Lee's class are studying the processes of weathering. The steps for their investigation and the data they collected are shown in this sample lab activity Factors that contribute to rock weathering Weathering of Rocks - complete and extensive information about factors related to rocks breaking down
Describe the impact of water on the evolution of landforms. 3.10	Create a New Hawaiian Island - read the page then click on the link at the bottom of the page to experiment with these local effects on climate by creating a new Hawaiian island! or
Collect and interpret basic weather data from meteorological instruments: thermometer, rain gauge, and barometer. 3.11	Cloud Forecasting - Clouds can tell you many things about what the weather will do. Use what you learned to make a forecast for your Dad. Help Dad plan the rest of your trip. Compare and contrast warm and cold fronts - excellent animations of each type of front Meteorology Online: Weather Forecasting - a ThinkQuest entry Predicting Weather - posted by United States Search and Rescue Task Force Real-time data sources to use in weather forecasting projects Weather Underground - look up any city in the US and most cities around the world Intellicast Radar Loop of the last 2 hours covering the contiguous United States. This Doppler radar site indicates clouds, rain and snow with different colors, and refreshes 4 times per hour. Interactive Weather Map - allows you to center on any location and zoom in all the way to individual county level. National Forecast Maps from NOAA Conditions for the last 24 hours reported by the National Weather Service - Select State from the pull down menu, then select City Satellite Movies of Air Masses Moving across North America or Tips for Forecasting the Weather - step-by-step process including links to real time weather data Weather Activities - three levels of practice reporting weather followed by three levels of predicting the weather Weather Instruments - this 36 slide PowerPoint show has excellent views of weather instruments used to collect data Weather Maps Analysis Quiz - twenty question multiple-choice quiz on using weather charts Daily Weather Maps from NOAA - Click on the Surface Weather Map to see a larger map with plotted station observations. How to interpret a weather map How to Read a Weather Map - from Wiki Answers How to Read Weather Maps - This 36 slide shows how to read the various symbols associated with a station. The final slide acts as a quiz, testing understanding. Jet Stream: Online School for Weather - a National Weather Service lesson on learning how to read a weather map Reading and Creating a Weather Map - lesson plan with printable maps integrated Reading Weather Maps - In the sections that follow, students will examine features to look for on weather maps to make a forecasts, general methods of preparing a forecast, and more specific tips for specific scenarios. Surface Weather Analysis - complete listing of weather map symbols Tips for Forecasting the Weather - step-by-step process including links to real time weather data Virtual Weather Map Room - provided by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Weather Forecasting Using the Internet - suggestions for incorporating weather into your curriculum Weather Map Analysis - [designed for grades 6-8] a lesson plan designed for middle school science Weather Quizzes - seven quizzes from easy to advanced from Weather Wiz Kids Weather Watch - a student activity from Scholastic - links to six types of weather instruments and a link to a data sheet to use Weather Watchers - a lesson plan from Illuminations
Analyze weather map data to make simple predictions. 3.12	Analysis Quiz - twenty question multiple-choice quiz on using weather charts Climographs of Selected U.S. Cities - A climograph plots monthly average temperature and precipitation for some location. It provides a quick way of characterizing the climate of a particular place. To view a climograph for one of the U.S. cities listed, click on the city name or the corresponding dot on the map. Climate Information - a source of raw data that your students might use to make their own climograph Daily Weather Maps from NOAA - Click on the Surface Weather Map to see a larger map with plotted station observations. How to interpret a weather map How to Read a Climograph - Every place on Earth has weather. However, different places on Earth have different types of "typical" weather. A quick way to get an idea of the climate of a particular place is to look at a "climate-graph," or "climograph." How to Read a Weather Map - from Wiki Answers How to Read Weather Maps - This 36 slide shows how to read the various symbols associated with a station. The final slide acts as a quiz, testing understanding. Interactive Weather Map - allows you to center on any location and zoom in all the way to individual county level. Jet Stream: Online School for Weather - a National Weather Service lesson on learning how to read a weather map National Forecast Maps from NOAA Reading and Creating a Weather Map - lesson plan with printable maps integrated Reading Weather Maps - In the sections that follow, students will examine features to look for on weather maps to make a forecasts, general methods of preparing a forecast, and more specific tips for specific scenarios. Surface Weather Analysis - complete listing of weather map symbols Tips for Forecasting the Weather - step-by-step process including links to real time weather data United States Climate Page - (Click on state of interest, then select a city to see a climograph) Virtual Weather Map Room - provided by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Weather Forecasting Using the Internet - suggestions for incorporating weather into your curriculum Weather Map Analysis - [designed for grades 6-8] a lesson plan designed for middle school science
Explain the oxygen/carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and carbon biogeochemical cycles. 3.13	Carbon Cycle - from Exploring the Environment Carbon Cycle - presented by Windows to the Universe [three levels of difficulty are presented] Carbon Cycle - includes concept maps of the aquatic cycle and the terrestrial cycle Carbon Cycle - includes several good photo illustrations Carbon Cycle - Wikipedia encyclopedia entry Carbon Cycle - one image [.gif] to use in a PowerPoint show [this expired file is from the Internet Archive known as the Wayback Machine] Carbon Cycle - this Windows to the Universe page offers three levels of explanation; beginner, intermediate, and advanced The Carbon Cycle and Earth's Climate - four good illustrations which you might want to incorporate into a PowerPoint show Carbon Cycle Game - In this game you will travel the carbon cycle. Your objective is to get to all the places that carbon is stored along the map on the game. or Carbon Dioxide - Sources and Sinks - lesson plan from Windows to the Universe Chemical Carousel: The Carbon Cycle - a trip around the carbon cycle Cycles - from the Utah Education Network, also includes the nitrogen cycle Diagram of the Carbon Dioxide Oxygen cycle Oxygen Cycle - Wikipedia encyclopedia entry The Oxygen Cycle - an 8 slide PowerPoint show produced by students The Oxygen Cycle - a 9 slide PowerPoint show produced by students Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide Cycle - a one page student information sheet Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide Cycle - a one page student worksheet Oxygen Cycling - from Geography4Kids What is the Carbon Cycle? - a ThinkQuest site
Recognize the connection between geologic processes such as floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, acid rain, global warming and human activities. 3.14
Construct a geological cycle for a physiographic region or geologic time period in Tennessee. 3.15
Interpret topographic maps. 3.16	Are We There Yet? - students answer ten questions by reading information from maps Eight representations of a single place - Each of these images shows a representation of Mount Shasta, a volcano in California. A fantastic topographic map allows viewers to rotate the map horizontally. A Map For All Reasons - students identify the function of various parts of a map Map and Globe Quiz - Test your knowledge on identifying the parts of a map and a globe. Map Skills Quiz - quiz to test knowledge of reading maps What do Maps Show - Several activities are presented to assist in teaching the concepts of reading maps. What’s On a Map? - eight questions about using various parts of a map World Latitude and Longitude Outline Map - from Enchanted Learning World map to use in latitude & longitude study World Latitude and Longitude Activity to go with the map
Relate current global patterns such as sea level change and geographic climate shifts to events that occurred during the earth’s distant past. 3.17
return to the top of the page