This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on Earth's past beginning about 4.6 billion years ago and takes students through the development of our planet from its formation, to first signs of life, to primitive organisms, to modern day humans. By creating a timeline students realize how recent an addition humans are to this planet. It includes ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on recent dinosaur excavations in Argentina and why this is a good place to look for dinosaur fossils. Students read articles, conduct research, and complete worksheets to find out information about what is found in Argentina and why. Included are objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on the science of paleontology, how scientists have made conclusions about the lives of dinosaurs, and the scientific techniques used for gathering information about dinosaurs. It includes objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, evaluation ideas, suggested readings, and vocabulary. There ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on the history of the Earth from 4.6 billion years ago to the present. Students look at different time periods and major events in the Earth's history, putting it all together in a classroom display. Included are objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, evaluation ideas, suggested readings, ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on the ecology of the Grand Canyon area. Students act as scientists investigating the damming of the Colorado River by the Glen Canyon dam and experimental flooding that took place in 1996. They then write a proposal as to whether or not more experimental flooding should be done on the area considering ... Full description.

This computer activity provides a basic understanding of what a fossil is and the factors involved in becoming part of the fossil record. It is organized as an informational tour in two sections: one for middle school and one for high school. Students move at a self-selected pace by progressing and answering questions. A teacher's guide contains all necessary instructions as well as lesson plans, ... Full description.

This website integrates video footage and information with lesson plans and activities to teach students about the concept of relative dating. Students will graph a range chart for ammonites, determine the geologic age for several rocks, and determine which rocks will be most useful for oil companies looking to drill oil. This site contains lesson plans, student worksheets, discussion questions, and ... Full description.

This activity illustrates how dark land surfaces, light land surfaces and water all heat at different rates. Students determine whether land or water absorbs heat more quickly and how this difference affects weather and climate. Full description.

This activity has students plot the locations of active volcanoes on a world map to discover how these locations relate to the those of earthquakes and lithospheric plate boundaries. Students work in three groups, two of which plot earthquakes and the boundaries of the Earth's plates. The three maps are superimposed and students discuss the relationships. This activity has an objective, a list of ... Full description.

This resource presents information about using living things like trees and coral reefs and everyday occurrences like snowfalls to look at what has happened in past climates in order to understand what is happening today, or what might happen in the future. Scientists who do this are called paleoclimatologists. Some of the things that can be learned from tree rings include insect outbreaks, glacial ... Full description.