Geology Rocks! Activities and Resources for Studying Geology with Your Kids

Geology is a favorite subject in my household. There's so many fascinating topics to explore like volcanoes, earthquakes, dinosaurs, fossils, the rock cycle, and more. My kids are also avid rock and fossil hunters and we love learning all we can about our finds. Our rock hounding adventures and our love for all things geologic has been the inspiration for quite a few of my posts over the last several years. I thought I would share links to all my geology related posts in one spot where they are easy to access.

Activities and resources for learning about geology for elementary students

What is Geology? And Why Study it?

Geology is the study of the Earth's physical structure, its processes, and its 4.5 billion year history. It includes things like the study of rocks and minerals, volcanology, plate tectonics, earthquakes, paleontology, erosion, decomposition, and oceanography.

Geology plays a pivotal role in many different career paths and there is a growing need for geoscientists. Geoscientists are working on solving some of the most critical problems of our time such as sustaining important resources like water, minerals, and energy; changes in our environment and climate, and predicting or preventing natural hazards like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.

Geology Links

Printable Rock and Mineral Journal

Journal for recording rock and mineral finds and for recording identifying observations and properties. Includes information about identifying minerals, a flow chart for determining hardness, a flow chart for determining luster, 2 pages with properties of common minerals, and pages for journaling.

Learning About the Mesozoic Era- The Age of the Dinosaurs

Activities and resources for learning about the animals of the Mesozoic Era

Salt Dough Fossils

Instructions for making mock fossils with salt dough and plastic dinosaurs

Learning About Geologic History- The Paleozoic Era

Activities and resources for learning about the animals of the Paleozoic Era

Learning About Geologic History- The Cenozoic Era

Activities and resources for learning about the animals and geology of the Cenozoic Era

Learning About Fossils

Information about the different types of fossils plus activities and links to resources

Rock Hounding with Kids

Tips and ideas for hunting and collecting rocks with kids

Why Don't Rivers Run Straight? A Hands on Demonstration

A really fun hands on activity that demonstrates why rivers twist and turn

Composting with Kids- A Fun Way to Learn About Soil

Lots of information about how to start a backyard compost bin plus links to resources for teaching your kids about decomposition and the nutrient cycle.

Make Your Own Mineral Identification Kit

Learn how to identify different types of minerals and put together your own simple mineral ID kit

How Metamorphic Rock is Made: A Simple Hands on Demonstration

A simple hands on activity that demonstrates how metamorphic rocks are formed

Our Geology Hike

A simple way to add a little geography study to your homeschool week is by taking hikes or nature walks. Pay special attention to any interesting geographical features that you come across.

What are some of your favorite ways to study geology?

Follow me on:

Facebook

Instagram

Comments

Water Relay Races For Kids

I don't know about your kids, but mine absolutely love games involving water and getting wet in the summer time. In this post I share 5 of our favorite water relay races to play with friends. These are perfect for birthday parties, homeschool get togethers, and other group events. Sponge Relay: For this relay you will need: - 2 teams of several kids each -2 large sponges -4 small buckets or containers of some sort Divide your participants into 2 teams and have each team line up single file at a predetermined starting place. Hand out a sponge to the first participant in each line. Set a bucket of water by each team. Set an empty bucket about 20 ft away from each team. The two empty buckets should be the same size and should have a "fill line" marked half way up. On a count of 3 (or ready set go) the first participant in each line should dip their sponge in the bucket of water, run to the empty bucket, squeeze the water from their spo...

STEM Art: 21 STEAM Project Ideas

My kids love STEM projects and we're always looking for ways to add more art to our homeschool days, so I decided I am going to try to dedicate one morning a week this year to STEM art activities. In this post I share some of the ideas we're planning to try, plus a few favorites we've done in the past. What is STEM Education? STEM education is a blended and often hands on approach to teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which are some of today's fastest growing industries. STEM education offers students the opportunity to problem solve and work on real world problems and questions. Sometimes the acronym STEAM is used, to include the arts. Adding art to STEM education encourages creative thinking and problem solving skills. It can also help make the other included subjects more appealing to some students. STEM Art Projects Penny Spinners- Learn about centrifugal force and make your own spinning tops with this fun post from Teach Beside Me. Explo...

The Ultimate List of YouTube Learning Channels for Kids

As a homeschooling mom whose family lives on a fairly tight budget, I am always looking for more free or low cost educational resources. YouTube is one of my favorites. There are videos on just about every topic under the sun, and there are tons of educational channels specifically made for kids. Here are all the educational channels I could find, organized by subject. And please let me know if I'm missing any great channels, I would love to keep adding to this list! *Disclaimer: I cannot personally vouch for all the content on all these channels (especially considering that values and needs vary from family to family). As a parent, it's important to preview videos before showing them to your kids. General Education - Free School - Homeschool Pop - Khan Academy - Khan Academy Kids - Smithsonian - The Brain Scoop - NPR's Skunk Bear - Varitasium - Crash Course - Crash Course Kids Science - SciShow - SciShow Kids - Nat Geo WILD - National Geographic Kids ...

Make Your Own Mineral Identification Kit

One of my family's favorite hobbies is rock hounding. We love collecting and trying to identify neat rock and mineral specimens that we come across. You can put together your own simple kit for identifying rocks and minerals with materials you likely already have around your home. In this post I will explain how to put together your own mineral identification kit and how to use it to identify rocks and minerals you find on your adventures. Making a Rock and Mineral ID Kit Grab yourself a printable Rock and Mineral Journal for recording your observations here: Printable Rock and Mineral Journal , and then gather the following supplies: -A pencil -A coin -An iron nail -A piece of glass (an old pocket mirror works well) -A ceramic tile -A small watertight bottle or container -Some vinegar -A magnet -A magnifying glass -A dropper (optional) -Rock and mineral guide (optional) -A small container or bag to keep it all in Fill ...

Turmeric Anthotype Prints

In this post I share instructions for a really cool science based art project- turmeric anthotype prints. If you've ever used Sunprint paper, this is the same concept, except you are making the photosensitive paper yourself. For this activity you will need: white paper, turmeric, alcohol (rubbing alcohol or vodka), a paint brush, something to print (leaves, sticks, rocks), baking soda, water, a spray bottle, a tray, and sunshine. *Turmeric stains, so be sure to work in old clothes or use a smock. Start by making a turmeric based ink/paint by mixing about a teaspoon of turmeric powder into 1/4 cup of alcohol. If you end up having a lot of chunks of turmeric after stirring well, you can strain it through a coffee filter, but we have found that this step usually isn't necessary. In an inside space, away from direct sunlight, paint your entire sheet of white paper with the turmeric ink. Then set it aside to dry in a dark space. While it dries, collect items to print. Leaves, fern f...

Search This Blog