Earth Science Lessons:
20 Unique & Simple-to-Use Activities
These twenty web-based earth science activities seamlessly work together to fire up learning in your year-long earth science course.
For grades 8, 9, and 10, this set of geoscience, hydrology, meteorology, and astronomy lessons is hassle-free and engaging.
(To skip past the in-depth overview below, just scroll to access the resource at the end of this page.)
A Useful Tool for Teaching Middle and High School Earth Science
The activities in this set cover a broad spectrum of fundamental earth and space science concepts. They are designed to be a cohesive element of a year-long earth science curriculum.
Each lesson follows the same format for a consistent teacher and student experience throughout the entire school year.
Each lesson is a self-contained resource that can be used instantly by students. No additional materials or prior knowledge are needed.
Each lesson follows a webquest format, connecting students with online informational texts from well-known organizations that are experts on each earth and space science topic. Students read the texts and answer a series of questions on each topic.
They can be used in the classroom or at home.
A complete answer key is provided for each lesson.
All webquest links are routinely checked and maintained to make sure they are in good working order. So that you always have access to the newest edition, webquests are delivered through the site TeachersPayTeachers.com.
(More about that at the bottom of this page.)
Connecting Students to Recognized Authorities in
the Earth and Space Sciences
Each webquest functions like a tour guide, leading students to grade-appropriate content from respected and knowledgeable sources.
Geology Sources:
Five web-based rock science lessons link students to online texts from the American Geosciences Institute, the National Park Service, the United States Geological Survey, the Smithsonian Institution, and more.
Hydrology Sources:
Five web-based water science lessons link students to online texts from the International Association of Hydrogeologists, the Groundwater Foundation, the National Snow and Ice Data Center, and more.
Meteorology Sources:
Five web-based atmospheric science lessons link students to online texts from the National Severe Storms Laboratory, the World Meteorological Organization, the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and more.
Astronomy Sources:
Five web-based space science lessons link students to online texts from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope team, European Southern Observatory’s Supernova Planetarium, the Hubble Space Telescope team, the National Solar Observatory, and more.
How to Use Each Webquest
1.) Share the PDF webquest file with clickable links to student computers.
2.) Print the accompanying worksheets.
3.) That’s it! Students are ready to begin.
Students click the links embedded into engaging photographs in the webquest to find answers to questions in online texts from credible and authoritative sources. (The questions follow the order of the links.) Students write their responses on the accompanying worksheets.
There are no lengthy teacher instructions to read because there are no complicated steps to follow. There are no supplemental materials to gather. You won’t need to pre-teach any of these topics in order for students to grasp this material. These earth science activities are designed to engage students right away, simplify lesson prep, and save teachers time.
Once you share the webquest to student computers and print the worksheets, your students are ready to get started.
Explore the Earth and Space Science Lessons
This set of lessons is organized into four thematic areas of earth and space science curriculum: geology, hydrology, atmospheric science, and astronomy.
Geology Lessons:
Geology is the study of Earth’s composition and the processes that act on it. The following geoscience lessons are included:
Rock Cycle and Rock Types Lesson
Students learn about the processes of the rock cycle and three main rock types: sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous. They also find out about Earth’s layers, tectonic theory, intrusive and extrusive igneous rock, magma, lava, and more.
Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition Lesson
Students learn about the geologic processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition. Special attention is given to glacial, coastal, and stream processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition. Learners also explore include chemical and physical weathering, agents of weathering and erosion, mass wasting incidents, and more.
Plate Tectonics Lesson
Students learn about tectonic shift (plate movement), plate margins (convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries), layers of Earth (crust, mantle, core), and faults. Related concepts include subduction, the lithosphere, the asthenosphere, fold mountains, the mid-ocean ridge system, and more.
Volcanoes Lesson
Students learn about composite and shield volcanoes, magma chambers, lava, basalt and pyroclastic flows, the volcanically-created mid-ocean ridges, supervolcanoes, scientific findings about Earth’s interior gained from the study of volcanoes, and more.
“These include some interesting internet resources that I probably would never have found on my own”
Earthquakes and Tsunamis Lesson
Students learn about the causes and processes of earthquakes and tsunamis. Related concepts and vocabulary include faults, subduction, seismic wave types, epicenter, hypocenter, the tools and methods of seismology (including seismographs, seismograms, and triangulation), and more.
Hydrology Lessons:
Hydrology is the study of Earth’s water. The following water science lessons are included:
Water Cycle Lesson
Students learn about water’s unique properties and study its movement through the hydrosphere via the various water cycle processes: evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, sublimation, infiltration, and more.
Ocean Lesson
Students learn about ocean zones, chemistry, and circulation. Related concepts include waves (parts of a wave, wavelengths, etc.), thermohaline circulation, tides, tidal currents, wind currents, ocean pressures, deep ocean, hydrothermal vents, and more.
Groundwater Lesson
Students learn about aquifers and water tables, permeability and infiltration of soil and rock, groundwater recharge from precipitation, groundwater discharge to springs and surface water bodies, the work of professional hydrogeologists, and more.
Cryosphere Lesson
Students learn about Earth’s frozen waters: glaciers, ice sheets, ice shelves, icebergs, sea ice, permafrost, and snow. They also discover related vocabulary and concepts like glacial retreat, age of glaciers, types of glaciers, bergy bits, and growlers, as well as the geography of permafrost.
“This resource has been such a time saver with distance learning! These webquests will also make excellent sub plans in the future!”
Watersheds, Rivers, and Lakes Lesson
Students learn about characteristics of watersheds, such as their varying sizes and the flow of water into aquifers and water bodies. Students also explore river systems as well as limnology (thermal stratification of lake layers, lake turnover, etc.).
Meteorology Lessons:
Meteorology is the study of the processes and phenomena of Earth’s atmosphere. The following atmospheric science lessons are included:
Atmosphere Lesson
Students learn about the formation, composition, and layers of the atmosphere: the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. Learners also find out about the Karman line, the hydrostatic balance, air pressure, bioaerosols and other aerosols, the ozone layer, and more.
Air Pressure and Winds Lesson
Students learn about the transfer of the Sun’s heat energy through radiation, conduction, and convection; temperature and pressure differences between air masses; and convection cells (Hadley cell, Ferrell cell, polar cell). Additional wind-related topics include the Beaufort scale, global winds (trade winds, westerlies, and polar easterlies), tornadoes, microbursts, and the Coriolis effect.
Clouds Lesson
Students learn about ten main types of clouds: high clouds (cirrus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus), middle clouds (altocumulus, altostratus, nimbostratus), and low clouds (stratus, stratocumulus, cumulus, cumulonimbus) and about Luke Howard’s historic role in creating this classification system. Related concepts include cloud composition and formation, the condensation of water vapor, the correlation between cloud types and levels of the troposphere, and cloud features such as light scattering/color, height, altitude, and vertical extent.
Tornadoes, Thunderstorms, and Hurricanes Lesson
Students learn about the difference between tornadoes and funnel clouds, types of tornadoes, and classification of tornadoes under the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale. Students also explore the formation of lightning and its relationship with thunder as well as the thunderstorm life cycle (the developing/cumulus stage, mature stage, and dissipating stage). Finally, students learn about tropical cyclones (hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons), storm surge, and hurricane formation and behavior.
“Great! Extremely satisfied”
Air Masses, Fronts, Weather, and Precipitation Lesson
Students learn about weather, climate, air pressure and atmospheric air flow , temperature and humidity variation among air masses (maritime, continental, Arctic, polar, and tropical), fronts (cold fronts, warm fronts, stationary fronts, and occluded fronts), types of precipitation (rain, drizzle, sleet, hail, and snow), and more.
Astronomy Lessons:
Astronomy is the study of space and the objects in it. The following space science lessons are included:
Universe and Our Milky Way Galaxy Lesson
Students learn about the red shift and cosmic background radiation evidence supporting the Big Bang theory, the composition of the universe (including chemical makeup, dark energy, and dark matter), and potential ways the universe might end (a “big chill”, “big crunch”, or a “big rip”). Students also find out about galaxy groups (like our Local Group), clusters, and features (composition, active galactic nuclei, and black holes). Finally, they explore features of our Milky Way including its spiral arrangement, the high density of stars near its core, and its black hole.
Sun Lesson
Students learn about our Sun’s star type (yellow dwarf) and its role in the solar system. They learn about its size, its characteristics, and the movement of energy outward from the core. They discover the processes of the Sun’s formation and how its life as a star will one day end. Learners also explore the Sun’s composition and regions: the core, radiative zone, convection zone, photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. Students also learn about the following solar features: rotation, prominences, filaments, coronal mass ejections (CME), its magnetic field, the solar wind, the heliosphere, and the solar cycle.
Earth and Moon Lesson
Students learn about Earth’s rotation, tilt, orbit, geological history (plate tectonics, ice ages, supercontinents), magnetic and gravitational fields, and more. Learners also discover geological features of the Moon (such as moonquakes, lunar craters, lunar maria) and interactions between the Moon and Earth (like eclipses and tides).
Planets and Space Rocks in the Solar System Lesson
Students learn about the definition of a planet adopted by the International Astronomical Union, the scientific debate it generated regarding Pluto’s planetary status, and the eight planets of our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Learners also discover these solar system objects: Kuiper Belt Objects, dwarf planets, asteroids, meteoroids, meteors (commonly called “shooting stars”), meteorites, comets, and the Oort Cloud.
“Easy to use and covers some fun topics.”
Stars and Black Holes Lesson
Students learn about star characteristics like color, temperature, luminosity (including the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram), and radiation. They find out about the life cycle of a star, how the life cycle varies among high and low mass star types (like our Sun), and stellar evolution among various star types (yellow dwarfs, red giants, white dwarfs, blue supergiants, red supergiants, and neutron stars). Students also learn about nuclear fusion and discover the role of stars in manufacturing elements. Finally, they explore supernovae and the formation and behavior of black holes.
How to Incorporate These Activities Into Your
Earth Science Curriculum
Twenty lessons are included, approximately one for every other week of a forty-week Earth and Space Science course.
These activities are intended to teach students in grades 8, 9, and 10. They are accessible to earth science students at any point in the instructional process: students who have no prior earth science knowledge as well as students who are reviewing what they have already learned.
You can use them to introduce content at the beginning of a unit, to review critical concepts at the end of the year, or shore up understanding at any point in between.
These lessons are self-paced and refreshingly simple to use. Once you share each webquest to student computers and print the worksheets, there is zero further prep. Teachers find they are also convenient to have on hand for sub days!
Why a Webquest Format?
When you’re planning what to include in your earth science course this year, you may be considering the pros and cons of various educational resources. Each teaching tool has its strengths and limitations and every day in the classroom is different.
Some school days, there is time and space for complicated lessons that require lengthy prep and set up. Some days, there just isn’t. Webquests are convenient to have up your sleeve on those inevitable grueling days when there is simply too much to do and you need to streamline your workload.
They keep your students involved in learning while you catch up on grading, catch up on paperwork, or, if needed, simply catch your breath. They also take the planning work out of sub days.
In addition to being easy-to-use, these activities are fun and constructive for students. The clickable links are embedded directly into immersive images so that students do not need to type (or mistype) links.
They simply click through the webquest to reach relevant informational texts. When they arrive at each online text passage, they find vetted information that is suitable for grades 8-10, straight from expert organizations on each earth and space science topic.
Thoughtfully Designed
Teenagers today have long-been engaged with media and design. As a group, they are image and graphics connoisseurs with high standards. Well-designed resources like this series of earth and space science lessons attract their attention and meet them where they are as discriminating consumers of images and design.
This is why the thousands of teachers who have used Forward-Thinking Curriculum resources say over and over that their students love using them.
Each webquest links relevant, real-world images in a congruent and modern layout.
How do I Know the Links Work?
Every link in every webquest is regularly tested and maintained to be sure that it is in good working order.
Teachers always have access to the newest version. Updates are always free.
Why is This Resource Only at TeachersPayTeachers.com?
Providing teachers with continuous access to updates requires the site infrastructure of a larger site than this one. For that reason, this resource is delivered through the Forward-Thinking Curriculum page on Teachers Pay Teachers. The site Teachers Pay Teachers is a well-known and trusted site for educational resources. Account set-up is quick and easy. Once you have an account, you will be notified of updates so that you can freely access the newest version at any time.
Earth and Space Science Teachers Said:
These include some interesting internet resources that I probably would never have found on my own –Erin
This resource has been such a time saver with distance learning! These webquests will also make excellent sub plans in the future! –Chelsea
Great! Extremely satisfied -Jessica
Easy to use and covers some fun topics. –Amelia
To Preview Every Webquest Page
If you don’t have one already, you can quickly set up an account on the popular education site Teachers Pay Teachers. Use the “Go to the lessons” link in the section below to open up a new tab. Then, click the green preview button. This will allow you to preview every page of all twenty webquests.
To Get These Earth and Space Science Lessons
To provide continuous access to the latest version, this set of webquests is delivered through TeachersPayTeachers.com. If you haven’t used Teachers Pay Teachers before, you’ll find that it’s easy to set up an account. From within your account, these lessons are instantly downloadable. You’ll always have free access to updated editions of any lessons you purchase.
