This guide introduces educators to the classroom use of oceanographic data from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). MBARI provides near real-time, quality controlled data on surface and subsurface temperature and salinity; CO2 and O2 concentrations; and relative fluorescence, used by scientists to better understand the Monterey Bay ecosystem and draw parallels to the ocean as a whole. ... Full description.

This description of a ground-water aquifer has a graphic representation to accompany it. It is part of the U.S. Geologic Survey's Water Science for Schools website. Links to other parts of the site, such as definitions and types of wells, are included. Full description.

Contour Basics is an exercise designed to introduce students to contour plots. The Contour Activity is a great on-line resource that starts slowly and increases in difficulty. It teaches students basic techniques for generating contours, introduces students to the subtleties of generating contour plots with sparse data, provides many opportunities for students to assess their own progress and understanding ... Full description.

This game is actually an on-campus field lab that has students using directions and a GPS receiver to make their way from one stop to the next. At each stop, they identify a building stone (or tree for an environmental studies or plant biology class). If possible, have the students work in small groups, taking turns using the GPS receiver and with each group having its own direction sheet. At the ... Full description.

This web site is maintained by John Winter of Whitman College, and is an on-line companion to a mineralogy course. The web site contains a course syllabus, PowerPoint presentations and an Excel tutorial. Topics included in the PowerPoint presentations include basic symmetry concepts, 2-D and 3-D translations, crystal properties, and optical mineralogy concepts. Each PowerPoint file can be downloaded ... Full description.

This USGS site explains what an aquifer is and defines the different types of aquifers based on six principal lithologies; sandstone, carbonate, sandstone-carbonate, igneous and metamorphic, sand and gravel, and other rock types. The site features maps and descriptions of the major aquifers in the United States as well as general information about groundwater occurrence and quality. The site also ... Full description.

This site features Flash animations that illustrate various facets of the rock cycle. The visualizations depict rock-forming processes, such as erosion, transportation, deposition, cementation, crystallization, subduction, and eruption, that create sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. They also show cooling environments that result in varied crystal sizes and demonstrate igneous rock classification. ... Full description.

This website contains geologic maps of Kentucky, with a discussion of geologic time in regards to the rocks, minerals, fossils, and economic deposits found there. There are also sections that describe strata and geologic structures beneath the surface (faults, basins, and arches), the structural processes (folding and faulting) that create stratigraphic units, the geomorphology of the state, geologic ... Full description.

This interactive map tool enables students and scientists to better understand the relationships between geophysical and geological processes, structures, and measurements with high-precision GPS data. It contains prepared images taken from the Jules Verne Voyager. Users can choose from a variety of base maps, add a number of geographic and geophysical overlays (e.g. plate boundaries, earthquake and ... Full description.

This National Park Service (NPS) website contains details about Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. It discusses the history of the area, geology of the monument, geologic history, habitats, vegetation and wildlife present in this region. An education section includes a teacher's guide containing geologic activities for the classroom about topics such as earth history, hot spots, volcanoes ... Full description.