EarthCycle Activities

Earth is a dynamic yet delicate planet where balance is the key to survival. It is important for humans to learn about Earth's systems and how we fit into this web of life. EarthCycle brings interactive and hands-on presentations to your students in topics that relate directly to the new NCDPI Earth and Environmental Science curriculum goals. Take a journey with EarthCycle and expand your knowledge of geology, oceanography, and meteorology.

Candy Bar Geology This program illustrates how geologists study the subsurface. Students use candy bars to simulate the stratigraphic exploration of a mountain. They utilize the scientific method to piece together information obtained from topographic features, core samples, "road cuts" and "river valleys". The goal is to develop a "geologic" cross section of their candy bar. Sampling error and extrapolation concepts are addressed. Finally, the candy bars are sliced longitudinally and compared with the cross sections. A sweet foray into earth science! Download Candy Bar Geology Lesson Plans (requires Acrobat Reader) Candy Bar Component Hershey Kiss Component

Water What-Ifs Water What-ifs is a part of Science Junction, an interactive science web site which has the goal of creating connections between the researchers and faculty at North Carolina State University and teachers, parents and students. Water What-ifs was created by Lisa L. Grable and April J. Cleveland for the purpose of encouraging inquiry investigations of water quality and collaboration between teachers and students. This site was designed to be a teaching and learning tool for teachers as well as students. The Objectives of this Project Monitor and evaluate the water quality of streams, lakes, ponds and rivers and create a database of information to be shared from year to year. Encourage students to develop and use critical thinking skills to determine how certain factors can change the quality of an aquatic ecosystem. Provide inquiry based lessons which may be used to create a water unit to supplement the water quality testing project. Encourage collaboration between teachers and students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to interact. Allow teachers to learn new skills at their convenience by providing an online tutorial on the basics of web use and water quality testing using LaMotte test kits and CBL (Calculator-Based Laboratories) technology. Provide a way for teachers to link water quality testing and the associated lessons to the National Science Education Content Standards, the North Carolina competency goals for middle school students, the North Carolina earth and environmental science competencies and the Delaware science standards. Provide a research tool to determine if teachers can be taught as effectively through the use of a web tutorial as they can in a face to face workshop situation. Enter Water What-Ifs

Other Earth Science Resources

EnviroSci Inquiry at Lehigh University
http://www.LEO.Lehigh.EDU/envirosci/

COAST Oceanographic Activities
http://www.COAST-nopp.org/

Science Junction Ecology Resources
http://www.ncsu.edu/sciencejunction/terminal/imse/lowres/1/ecology.htm

NC Geological Survey
http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/proj_earth/proj_earth.html