Earth Science

The Productive Teacher

I use the latest in brain science research to create lessons that are engaging for students and easy for teachers.

There are tons of activities, presentations, and reading passages to help teach (and learn) a variety of topics! Click the topics to learn more!

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Space for Middle School Science

Space is the vast, dark area beyond Earth’s atmosphere. It is a place filled with stars, planets, moons, comets, asteroids, and...

1 min read

The Moon for Middle School Science

The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite and plays an important role in our lives. Scientists believe the Moon formed about 4.5...

2 min read

The Origin of the Solar System for Middle School Science

Our solar system—including the Sun, Earth, planets, moons, and other objects—formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a large cloud of...

2 min read

The Origin of the Universe for Middle School Science

Scientists believe the universe began about 13.8 billion years ago with the Big Bang . The Big Bang wasn't an explosion like a bomb...

3 min read

The Sun-Moon-Earth System for Middle School Science

The Sun, Moon, and Earth work together in an amazing system that affects everything from the weather to the ocean tides. Their movements...

6 min read

Voyager 1 and 2 for Middle School Science

In 1977, NASA launched two special spacecraft called Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 . Their mission was to explore the outer planets of our...

2 min read

Galaxies for Middle School Science

When you look up at the night sky, you’re seeing only a tiny part of our galaxy. A galaxy is a huge collection of stars, gas, dust, and...

2 min read

Understanding Space Exploration for Middle School Science

For thousands of years, people have gazed at the stars and wondered what lies beyond Earth. Ancient civilizations used the night sky to...

5 min read

How Body Fossils Are Made

Fossils are fascinating clues to what life was like on Earth millions of years ago. Read the passage below to learn about how body...

2 min read

Why Does Warm Air Rise?

Warm air rising is one of the driving factors of our weather, but why does warm air rise? This post will explain the physics behind why...

2 min read

The Greenhouse Effect for Middle School Science

The Greenhouse Effect describes how heat from the Sun is trapped by the atmosphere of a planet. It is not unique to Earth, but it is...

2 min read

The Coriolis Effect for Middle School Science

The Coriolis Effect is a small topic in atmospheric science that can be seen in big ways. It explains why hurricanes spin and why massive...

2 min read

Radiation from the Sun for Middle School Science

Radiation from the sun is a fancy term for sunlight. Sunlight is made up of different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. Humans...

2 min read

El Niño for Middle School Science

Have you ever heard people blaming unusual weather on El Niño or La Niña? These weather patterns are caused by the trade winds and the...

2 min read

All About Air Pollution for Middle School Science

Learning about Earth's atmosphere means learning about air pollution. Some air pollution is natural, like the dust and gases released...

2 min read

All About Rainbows for Middle School Science

Rainbows are one of the most fun science topics! Plus, they are a great way to connect light, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the...

2 min read

All About Wind for Middle School Science

Wind is a part of weather and the atmosphere that we experience every day. Understanding wind means knowing how and why warm air rises...

2 min read

Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition for Middle School Science

Weathering, erosion, and deposition is where the atmosphere and the geosphere interact. Wind and water weather, erode, and depose rocks...

3 min read

Lightning and Thunder for Middle School Science

Lightning and thunder are both a discharge of electricity. Lightning is what you see, and thunder is what you hear. Read below to learn...

3 min read

Igneous Rocks for Middle School Science

Igneous rocks form when hot, melted rock (magma or lava) cools and hardens. If the rock cools underground, it forms intrusive igneous...

2 min read