Fourth Grade, Geology Lesson Plans (6 results)

Geologists study the Earth, trying to understand the forces that gradually shape and change the landscape and ocean floor, as well as forces that make themselves felt more suddenly, like earthquakes and volcanoes. The information geologist discover helps in many ways, from keeping populations safe from disasters like landslides to uncovering important ore deposits like titanium used for surgical equipment.

Fossil Fuels: Chocolate Chip Mining

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-8th

9 reviews

NGSS Performance Expectations:

4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and that their uses affect the environment.
MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

Discovering Rainforest Locations

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-8th

"Global Biomes" © 2012 NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center In this activity, students will compare maps showing worldwide temperature, precipitation, biodiversity, and soil nutrition levels to predict where on our planet rainforests are located. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

4-ESS2-2. Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features.
5-ESS2-1. Develop a model using an example to describe ways in which the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.
MS-ESS2-6. Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

New!

AI-powered Formative Feedback in Science Project Pathways

Instant project feedback generated with AI, guided by Science Buddies rubrics!

Your students now have access to enhanced workbooks that provide an evaluation and guiding questions to help them improve their project question, hypothesis, prediction and variable identification!

Learn More & Try It!

Earth's Water: A Drop in Your Cup

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

9 reviews

Photo by Tim McCabe, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Our planet's surface may be mostly covered in water, but how much of that can we use? In this activity, students will see how water is distributed across different sources, how much can be used by humans, and will brainstorm ways to decrease their usage of fresh water. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

5-ESS2-2. Describe and graph the amounts of salt water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.

Weathering: Where Does Sand Come From?

Video Lesson Grade: 4th

6 reviews

In this lesson, students explore weathering—the wearing away of rock by exposure to the elements. They learn how it creates smooth boulders, rounded pebbles, sinkholes to swim in, and caves to explore. In the activity, they explore the connection between weathering and sand using sugar cubes. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.

Earthquakes and Tectonic Plates

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-7th

2 reviews

© 2009 California Academy of Sciences How can we determine the locations of tectonic plate boundaries? How can we use seismic waves to pinpoint the epicenter of an earthquake? In this activity, students will explore these and other questions using seismic data and triangulation. Read more

Measuring Earthquakes

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-8th