Earth Science 2/3

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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The Rock Cycle for Middle School Science

The rock cycle describes how rocks change on Earth. Rock can transition between sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock as it moves...

3 min read

Metamorphic Rocks for Middle School Science

Metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks are changed by heat, pressure, or both deep inside the Earth. This process does not melt...

2 min read

Sedimentary Rocks for Middle School Science

Sedimentary rocks are made when small pieces of rock, sand, and other materials build up in layers over time. Water, wind, or ice carry...

3 min read

The Nitrogen Cycle for Middle School Science

The Nitrogen Cycle describes how nitrogen moves through the environment. Like carbon, nitrogen exists both in the atmosphere and on the...

3 min read

The Phosphorus Cycle for Middle School Science

The Phosphorus Cycle describes how phosphorus moves through the environment. Unlike carbon and nitrogen, phosphorus doesn't exist as a...

2 min read

The Carbon Cycle for Middle School Science

The Carbon Cycle describes how carbon moves through the environment. Carbon exists as a gas in the atmosphere and as a solid as a part of...

4 min read

Tornadoes for Middle School Science

Tornadoes are one type of extreme weather. They happen when cold air gets on top of warm air. The falling cold air and the rising warm...

4 min read

Hurricanes for Middle School Science

Hurricanes are one type of extreme weather. They are an example of what happens when the water cycle goes into overdrive because of...

4 min read

The Atmosphere for Middle School Science

The atmosphere is a big topic. The atmosphere is the layers of gases that surround the Earth. It is where all of our weather happens. It...

2 min read

All About Weather for Middle School Science

Clouds are an important part of the water cycle. Clouds are how liquid water moves through the atmosphere. This blog post will teach you...

4 min read

All About Clouds for Middle School Science

Clouds are an important part of the water cycle. Clouds are how liquid water moves through the atmosphere. This blog post will teach you...

3 min read

Global Atmospheric Circulation for Middle School Science

Global atmospheric circulation is the way that the air molecules of the atmosphere move around the Earth due to the uneven heating of the...

4 min read

The Water Cycle for Middle School Science

The water cycle is a topic that kids learn about throughout elementary and middle school. The basic ideas stay the same, but the...

3 min read

A Brief Overview of the Jurassic Period for Middle School Science Classes

Earth history is a fascinating topic! It is also a massive topic! The reading passage below will teach you all about the Jurassic Period....

3 min read

Building Background Knowledge: Sally Ride

Why learn about Sally Ride? New science TEKS are coming to Texas! One change is that students will learn about specific scientists in...

2 min read

What is the Difference Between the Asthenosphere and the Lithosphere?

The lithosphere and asthenosphere are both mechanical layers of the Earth. The layers of the Earth can be organized by composition (what...

5 min read

What are Landslides?

Landslides change the surface of the Earth. They happen when rocks, soil, and anything else on the ground falls down a slope after...

2 min read

Learning About How Volcanoes Form

Volcanoes are mountains formed around vents or fissures in the Earth’s crust that release lava, ash, rock, and gases. When volcanoes...

4 min read

Learning About Pangaea the Supercontinent

Designua /Shutterstock.com For most of human history, people believed that the continents didn’t move. However, as technology improved,...

3 min read

How did Scientists Discover Seafloor Spreading?

Seafloor spreading happens at divergent plate boundaries under the ocean. As hot rocks rise in convection currents within the...

3 min read