Earth’s Resources Curriculum Module

Invite students to unlock the mysteries of Earth’s natural bounty

Through hands-on activities, students investigate igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks; rock formation and the rock cycle. They also learn about mineral formation, streak, luster, hardness, and specific gravity. They explore cleavage and fracture, fossils, geologic time scale, chemical and mechanical weathering, continental drift, soil structure, and soil horizons.

The module concludes with a comprehensive culminating activity in which students study unknown rock, mineral, and fossil samples.

Earth’s Resources includes:

• Investigation literature and student guide, comprehensive Curriculum Guide, and a Curriculum Resources CD-ROM with a virtual lab
• Five units of study (labs), each with 1–9 activities (25 activities total)
• Posters on common minerals, geologic time, and Earth’s processes.
• Storage cabinet with materials for 40 students in clearly labeled drawers

The Earth’s Resources Curriculum Module includes the following units of study:

• Unit 1: Exploring Rocks
• Unit 2: Exploring Minerals
• Unit 3: Hunting for Fossils
• Unit 4: Earth’s Processes
• Unit 5: Comprehensive Inquiry Investigation