Made available by Thirteen Ed Online Master Teachers, these lesson plans use internet as well as classroom resources. Some plans are designed for a single class period while others are for an entire unit. These plans give an overview with objectives for learning, procedures for teachers to put together the lessons, and student organizers to hand out during class. Topics covered include experiment ... Full description.

These real-time and forecast satellite images and derivative animations predominantly depict atmospheric and meteorological phenomena (including water vapor) in either the visible or infrared (IR) spectrums. Updates are made at intervals ranging from 15 minutes to 48 hours. Of particular note are a series of real-time Composite Satellite Images, including the Space Science and Engineering Center's ... Full description.

This online publication shows how chemists and geologists used analytical chemistry to determine the age of the Earth and to show that an extraterrestrial body collided with the Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period (K-T boundary). There are also chapters on the application of geochemistry to geologic processes (volcanoes, ore deposits, and others), its use in tracking environmental changes in ... Full description.

For this activity students read the newspaper on a daily basis, listen to news on the radio, or watch television, to acquire material related to the earth sciences. They will look for natural hazards (earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, hurricanes, etc.), human-made hazards (urbanization, compromised engineering projects, etc.), environmental issues, or resource extraction issues which all appear ... Full description.

This portal provides links to selected United States Geological Survey (USGS) educational resources that may be useful to undergraduate educators. Many of these resources can be used directly in the classroom, as preparation for lessons or demonstrations, or as resources for teacher education and curriculum development. The resources are also searchable by state or region with the use of an interactive ... Full description.

This National Geographic news article from December 2001 outlines the eruptive progress of Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico. The article discusses the difficulties of evacuating locals during volcanic disasters because of their overall beliefs that the volcano is their "friend." Users can also link to other National Geographic news stories, special news series and the main National Geographic site. Full description.

Module covering Earth's three fluid spheres: oceans, atmosphere and cryosphere (glaciers). An event seen in each sphere illustrates processes and concepts: El Nino events for oceans; thunderstorm formation for atmosphere; and global temperature change impacts on glaciers. Concepts covered include: properties of air, water, ice as fluids; flow of energy and matter between spheres; short and long-term ... Full description.

This guide instructs teachers in classroom use of the MELTS software package. MELTS is a software package designed to facilitate thermodynamic modeling of phase equilibria in magmatic systems. It is used by scientists to model igneous processes such as the composition of magma melts as pressure and temperature change, or to test scenarios such as how much sulfur a volcano gives off. Teaching topics ... Full description.

This site contains three radio broadcasts discussing: the Parkfield, California earthquake of October 2004; the Mount Saint Helens volcano; and the shortage of flu vaccine in 2004. The 15 minute Parkfield broadcast explains how the Parkfield earthquake was the most monitored earthquake in history. Scientists are studying the San Andreas Fault in the area. Data collected from the recent earthquake ... Full description.

This topical directory provides an alternate way to browse United States Geological Survey (USGS) science programs and activities. It is not an exhaustive list of all USGS science topics but provides a categorization using a thesaurus of related terms that will give definitions, links to science content, and a structured approach to discovery. The directory is divided into fourteen major topic headings, ... Full description.