Background Information for Our Changing
Earth
On this page, you'll find links that fellow
teachers and KSN staff have recommended. These
links are tools to help guide your background
research on the topics covered within your kit.
(If you're looking for detailed
resources about sand, soil, and properties of
rocks, please see the Earth Materials Curricular
Companion.)
general
geology | erosion and landforms | maps, photos, and timelines |
fossils | trying
to control nature | plate
tectonics |
earthquakes | volcanoes | landslides | tsunamis
General Geology
USGS Learning
Web
You name it;
this site's got it. The U.S. Geological Survey created this
site dedicated to K-12 education. Click on Geology, and find
all sorts of sites related to geologic hazards (earthquakes,
volcanoes, and plate tectonics), minerals and fossils
(fossils and fossil collecting, prospecting, rocks and
minerals and mineral collecting), geologic maps, careers, and much
more.
Earth Science
Online Publications
A
large collection of the USGS's earth science publications
online. Many are on specific geographic locales that may
come up in your inquiries. Note, for those using STC's
Catastrophic Events kit, there is a resource dedicated to
Mount St. Helens.
Related kits: Land and Water (STC), Reading the
Environment (Insights), Landforms (FOSS), and
Catastrophic Events (STC)
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Erosion and Landforms
Landforms of Arches National Park
Arches National Park owes its spectacular
beauty to weathering. The series of "digital postcards" from
Arizona and Utah offers an accessible explanation of the
geologic forces that shaped these rocks. This page is one of
several in a series that focus on national parks. (Click
"return to top" for geology from other parks on the
travelers' itinerary.)
The Story of the Ocoee
River
This site
explains the history of a river in southeastern Tennessee,
focusing on how plate tectonic shifts crafted the area and
how clues to the past are revealed in the current landscape.
The step-by-step illustrated description of how continental
drift formed the Appalachian Mountain chain is perhaps the
most solid part.
Related kits: Land and Water (STC), Landforms
(FOSS)
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Maps, Photos, and
Timelines
The
Geology Wing (Timeline Resources)
The
Museum of Paleontology at the University of California,
Berkeley offers this jam-packed and friendly online resource
explaining the history of the earth, showing representative
life forms from the fossil record and tectonics of various
time periods, all organized on a geologic time scale. You
can use the "Geological Time Machine" to jump to any time
period. Don't miss the animations of how the Earth's
continents shifted over the last 750 million years.
TopoZone
TopoZone boasts
contiguous topographic maps of the entire United
States. Created in collaboration with the USGS, it is
perhaps one of the cheapest ways to have map sets
for an entire class.
Related kits: Land and Water (STC), Reading the
Environment (Insights), Landforms (FOSS), and
Catastrophic Events (STC)
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Fossils
Fossils, Rocks, and Time
A USGS online publication which
offers, in somewhat sophisticated detail, the
basics of how paleontologists tell the age of
layered rocks, study the fossils those rocks
contain, and use that evidence to reconstruct
lifeforms and events from Earth's history.
Fossils of La Rancho Brea
This well-written site uses the unique geology of
Los Angeles's La Brea tar pits to illustrate some of the
basics of paleontology. The site addresses the way more
than 565 species of plants and animals came to be fossilized
there, how scientists excavate a site, and how the
fossilized finds are used to piece together a
picture of an unseen environment from 10,000-40,000 years ago (the
end of the last Ice Age).
The World of Amber
This site enthusiastically addresses another unique form
of fossilization, amber. Offers many links to other sites,
which together form a good picture of what amber is, how it
is formed, and the information that it provides to
scientists.
Tapping Educational Resources
This series of articles from the University of
California Museum of Paleontology addresses how to use museums
as valuable classroom resources (specifically targeting
paleontology but the suggestions can be extrapolated to
other topics), followed by a section with activities related
to using rocks, fossils, and other evidence to support
theories.
Paleontology and Scientific Literacy
The University of California Museum of
Paleontology discusses the processes of good science and
addresses the incendiary topic of creationism.
Related kits: Reading the Environment (Insights)
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Trying to Control Nature
What You Can Do to Control Erosion
Explains techniques and structures used to
stabilize soil erosion at construction sites. Use this site
to suggest real-life extensions to your stream table erosion
experiments.
Related kits: Land and Water (STC), Landforms
(FOSS)
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Plate Tectonics
This Dynamic Earth: The Story of Plate Tectonics
This is an online,
illustrated version of a book about plate tectonics
published by the USGS. Offers an interesting look at how the
radical "new" (1960s) scientific theory of continental drift
changed our understanding of earth processes and came to be
widely accepted, the evidence that supports the theory, and
what it means to our daily lives. Lots of in-depth
information for a teacher seeking details. Check out the
link "Plate Tectonics and People" for conversation starters about some of the human catastrophes plate movement caused.
Understanding Plate Motions
A great page from the USGS that describes the
different ways tectonic
plates interact with each other at their boundaries and the
resultant
large-scale landforms. Includes clear descriptions, good
illustrations, and
many classic examples.
Plate Tectonics and People
Over geologic time, plate movements in concert
with other geologic
processes, such as glacial and stream erosion, have created
some of
nature's most magnificent scenery and some of our most
economically useful
resources. At the same time, they are often responsible for
widespread
death and destruction. This site offers a nice summary with
good
illustrations.
Savage Earth
A
companion to The PBS "Savage Earth" tv/video series offers
text, video
clips, and animation to explain the science behind and
illustrate the
actions of earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis.
Related kits: Catastrophic Events (STC)
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Earthquakes
What are
Earthquakes?
Good
basic information for teachers on why and how earthquakes
form and the types of recording devices used to measure the
tremors.
Understanding Earthquakes
This site offers easy-to read info on where and
how earthquakes occur. Look at the first-hand accounts from
well-known writers (Mark Twain, Jack London, and Charles
Darwin) who witnessed famous quakes and described what they
saw. Also take a look at the "History" link for an example
of a long-term inquiry. Java animations may take a while to
download.
Earthforce
This site from The
Franklin Institute offers concise information about ways in
which the core, crust, and water of the planet is in motion,
sometimes with catastrophic results. Also provides links to
info about famous earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis,
and to current news sources.
The Mercalli Intensity Scale
The Mercalli Intensity Scale is one common way to
characterize the effects of an earthquake event. This method
requires no instruments, only verbal description, so
historical accounts can be used to understand and compare
past earthquakes. Notice especially how Mercalli ratings
data are mapped to locate the epicenter.
National Earthquake
Information Center
Incredibly comprehensive, this site from the USGS offers all
kinds of earthquake information and links. This is perhaps
the best site for real-time data on current quakes and easy
access to compiled stats about all major earthquakes that
have taken place in the past few years.
Related kits: Catastrophic Events (STC)
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Volcanoes
Volcano World
Dubbing itself "The Web's
Premier Source of Volcano Info," this site does indeed have
a great deal of useful information packaged in an appealing
friendly format, good for students and teachers alike.
There's information about current and predicted future
eruptions, many images, travelogues of volcano adventurers,
sections devoted exclusively to teachers and students, email
eruption updates, and more.
Types and Effects of Volcano Hazards
Outlines the many different hazards
volcanoes pose to people, with a nice diagram and good
explanations. The site also includes a very useful photo
glossary of volcano terms and links to active observatories.
The Educator's Page has lists of free or inexpensive
government publications and maps for your classroom, as well
as videotapes available free through inter-library loan.
Global Volcanism Program
The Global Volcanism Program (of the Smithsonian
Institution) tracks and provides real-time information about
specific volcanoes' activity all over the world. Perhaps the
best part is a great world map depicting the location of
active or potentially active volcanoes.
Cascades Volcano
Observatory
The USGS
offers a close look at volcano study with this Cascades
Volcano Observatory site. Find information about America's
volcanoes: famous eruptions, amazing photos, info about
hazards and specific features, and much more. (Includes a
lot on Mt. St. Helens, for those using the Catastrophic Events
kit.)
Active Volcano Monitoring Techniques
A USGS online publication that discusses
the many different types of observations and techniques
scientists use to try to predict future volcanic eruptions. Making close-to-accurate predicitons is science at its finest!
Related kits: Catastrophic Events (STC)
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Landslides
National Landslide Information Center
This USGS site provides access to a
searchable landslide bibliographic database and real-time
monitoring of an active landslide, as well as other useful
links to recent landslide news and events, info about
landslides in your area, and more.
Landslide
This
feature article from New Scientist magazine discusses a
massive landslide in Hawaii, focusing on the researchers who
developed theories about why landslides occur and the
science behind it.
Related kits: Catastrophic Events (STC)
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Tsunamis
Tsunami!
The University of Washington offers near real-time
tsunami informational bulletins; information about
how a tsunami is generated and how it propagates;
how have tsunamis affected humans; how people in
coastal areas are warned about tsunamis; and how
can you protect yourself from a tsunami.
Tsunami: The Great Waves
This detailed site is an online educational brochure
created by several governmental organizations designed to
increase awareness and knowledge of tsunamis.
Related kits: Catastrophic Events (STC)
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