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Adaptive Earth
Science Activities

EPICENTER

West Virginia Geological
and Economic Survey
Publication ED-13
1998

Foreword
In 1992 the National Science Foundation funded “Earth Science in West Virginia for the Twenty-First
Century.” This program evolved into RockCamp, now funded by the West Virginia Geological and
Economic Survey. RockCamp continually provides West Virginia K-12 teachers with experiential upto-date earth science education. After graduating from an introductory session, participants are eligible to apply for advanced leadership sessions (RockCamp II) and field trip-based learning opportunities (RockCamp III, IV, etc.).
The word "adaptive" is not used lightly in the title. Some educators argue that the classroom implementation of new teaching ideas is not so much adoption as it is adaptation. RockCamp participants
have volunteered to share some of their ideas with you. Your task is to imaginatively adapt their ideas
for use in your unique classroom environment.

Tom Repine
RockCamp Director

A small committee of RockCamp graduates selected the activities in this book. Each reviewer was
asked to select five activities from the 200 submissions. They then tested the five in their classrooms.
Adaptive Earth Science Activities thanks them for their work, commitment, and energy.
Freda Akers
Suzanne Anderson
Krystal Berry
Linda Bush
Keith Childers
Barbara Cline
Deborah Conner
Cathy Connor
Deb Hemler

Mark Lemasters
John Lewis
Carol Mathis
Nancy Moore
Sally Morgan
Linda Newcome
Ruth Oaks
Karen Parlett

Devon Raddish
Debra Rockey
Jennifer Smith
Elizabeth Strong
Fran Sturgill
Megan Widdecombe
Karen Williams
Mary Williamson

Production design, production editing, graphic design, and illustrations by Betty L. Schleger, Three
Sisters Production (304-379-2310) in cooperation with West Virginia Geological and Economic
Survey (1-800-WVGEOLOgy).

Contents
And the Winner Is.............................................. 2
Elise Adkins
Latitude and Longitude ...................................... 4
Brenda Anderson
Core Sampling ..................................................... 6
Suzanne M. Anderson
Analogy of Relative Humidity .......................... 8
Pamela Blackford
How Much Lime is in Limestone? ................. 10
Mary Sue Burns
Parking Lot Gravel ............................................ 13
Mary Sue Burns
Groundwater Flowmeister ............................. 16
Timothy A. Butcher
Epicenters ........................................................... 21
Jo Ann Byron
Star Gazing Inside ............................................. 23
Barbara A. Cline
Let's Talk Trash ................................................. 25
Melanie Files
Contour Line Activity...................................... 26
Billie Diane Frame
Our Earth's Address ........................................ 29
James Giles
Mudcracks: A Clue to the Earth's Past ........ 31
Donis Hannah
Are All Limestones Created Equal? .............. 33
Deb Hemler
Whether it Weathers? .................................... 35
Deb Hemler
Spelunking: Exploring Caves and Caverns ... 38
Michele Lomano
Make Your Own Hertzsprung-Russel
Diagram ............................................................... 40
Mark Lynch
Fossil Origins ..................................................... 43
Angela McKean

Weathering and Fossil Preservation ............. 44
Margaret Miller
Compass Treasure Hunt ................................. 45
Nancy Moore
Pasta Paleontology ............................................ 47
Nancy Moore
Rock Riddles ...................................................... 48
Nancy Moore
Deep Ocean Current Forces ......................... 49
Sally Morgan
Fossils in Time ................................................... 51
Karen Parlett
Name that Rock ................................................ 54
Karen Parlett
Mighty Metamorphic Power Rocks .............. 56
Karen Parlett
Musical Rocks .................................................... 57
Kathleen Prusa
Modeling Geologic Columns with
Sand Art .............................................................. 58
Debra Rockey
Doughy Topos ................................................... 61
Christine Sacco
Black-Box Ocean Floor Landforms .............. 62
Ron Sacco
Constellation Box Activity ............................. 64
Jennifer L. Smith
Oooh, What A Relief It Is... ........................... 66
Tanya Smith
Behind Jurassic Park ......................................... 69
Paula Waggy
Contour Mapping Earthquake Intensities .... 72
Paula Waggy and Deb Hemler
Strike and Dip .................................................... 75
Donald J. Wagner
Solar System Travel Company ...................... 77
Karen Williams

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

And the Winner Is...
by Elise Adkins
Logan Jr. High School
OBJECTIVE:

TIME: 5 weeks at 5 minutes per class after the original setup of 1 class period.

• To observe and compare the effects of
running water on limestone and sandstone.

PROCEDURES:

Materials and Equipment:
(For a group of two students)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

2 small empty metal cans
2 pieces of hardware cloth
2 large rubber bands
1 vernier caliper
Permanent marker or whiteout
3 collecting trays (dissecting trays,
disposable aluminum pans, etc.)
1 piece each of sandstone and
limestone (approximately same
size)
1 half-gallon distilled water
1 graduated cylinder
Notebook

water

metal can

rock

1. Remove the bottom of the can. Cover the bottom of the
can with hardware cloth and secure it to the outside of
the can with a large rubber band. Repeat for the second
can.
2. Trace the outline of each rock in the notebook. Measure
the length, width, and thickness of the rock at various
locations and record the data on the drawing. Mark the
measured locations on the rock with a permanent marker
or whiteout so future measurements can be repeated.
3. Place the piece of limestone in the can and label with the
rock type. You can leave the rock in the can throughout
the entire experiment.
4. Measure 30 ml of distilled water in a graduated cylinder.
This water will drain into a collecting tray placed under
the can.
5. Hold the can over the collecting tray and pour distilled
water over the rock sample. Place collecting tray in a warm
location to accelerate evaporation. Label the collecting
tray limestone.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for the sandstone sample.
7. As a control, pour 30 ml of distilled water in a collecting
tray and place it with the others.
8. Repeat steps 4 and 5 a minimum of 15 times for each
sample. Use only the first runoff for evaporation. Discard
all runoff thereafter.
9. Remove each rock from the can.
10. Measure the marked locations; record data. Compare to
the original.
11. Trace the outline of each rock; record measurements at
marked locations. Compare data to the original.
12. Have students discuss the results and explore reasons for
change.
ASSESSMENT:

hardware cloth
rubber band

RockCamp

• Students are to keep a record of procedures and measurements in a notebook. After all measurements are complete,

a chart should be compiled to ease interpretation of the
information. Students are to write a brief summary of their
conclusions. Possible questions to consider to help with the
write-up are:
1. Have the dimensions of the rock samples changed?
2. If so, what could be responsible for these changes?
3. Did the dimensions of one rock change more than the
other?
4. Is there a residue in the collecting tray(s)?
5. What do you think the residue is?
6. Where did it come from?
7. What would happen if water passed through the soil
and layers of limestone underground for thousands of
years?
Further Challenges:
• Compare the beginning and the ending mass of each rock
sample. Calculate the percentage of mass loss in each sample.
(Allow rocks to dry before taking the mass.)
• Use an equal mass of small limestone and sandstone pieces
in each can. Pour 200 ml of distilled water through each
sample and collect the runoff in a collecting tray. Allow water
to evaporate. Compare the residue to that left when the
same amount of distilled water is evaporated.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Latitude and Longitude
by Brenda Anderson
Oceana Middle School
OBJECTIVES:

TIME: 2 to 3 class periods of 40 minutes each.

• Create latitude and longitude lines on
a balloon, determine measurements
in degrees, and use the lines to locate
places as well as learn to use time
zones.
• Understand imaginary lines of longitude and latitude and understand how
these lines help in locating places on a
round surface.

PROCEDURES:

Materials and Equipment:
• Large round balloons or balls
(plain, no writing)
• Permanent markers
• Atlases
• Worksheet of places to identify

RockCamp

1. Divide the class into groups of two. Pass out a balloon
and two permanent markers of two different colors to
each group. (Use permanent markers so lines will not wipe
off immediately.)
2. Have students blow up the balloon and tie it off. Use the
tied part as the North Pole and the other as the South
Pole. Working with these two points, draw a ring around
the center of the balloon for the Equator and mark with
"0" and "Equator."
3. Draw a line halfway between the Equator and each pole.
Have students identify this as the 45° north and south
latitude lines. Draw another line between the pole and
each 45° latitude line. Have students calculate this to be
the 45°/2 or 22½° north and south latitude lines. What is
the value of the latitude line between 45° and each pole?
[(90° - 45°)/2 = 22.5° + 45° = 67.5°]. Continue this until a
sufficient number of lines are on the balloon. Make sure
each latitude is labeled with "North" or "South" and value
in degrees.
4. Draw a line from the North Pole to the South Pole. Mark
this with "0" and the "Prime Meridian." Then mark a half
circle on the other side of the balloon directly behind the
Prime Meridian. Label this "180°" and the "International
Date Line." Repeat the halfing process and then create
additional longitude lines. Mark off these longitude lines
on the balloon using care to keep the lines as straight as
possible. Do this on both sides of the Prime Meridian.
5. Students have now gridded their balloon just as a globe of
the earth is gridded. They are now ready to work with
these lines to place specific towns on the globe. Using an
atlas, look up the longitude and latitude of well-known
cities of the world and mark them on the balloon globe.

ASSESSMENT:
•
•
•

Using a short verbal exchange, determine if the students
have distinguished the difference between latitude and
longitude lines.
Deflate one of the balloons. Lay it out as flat as possible.
Compare and contrast the appearance of the flat balloon
grid with the spherical balloon grid.
Have students describe the geometric shape made by
longitude lines at the Equator and poles. Why does this
occur? Can they explain why a map of a polar region might
show a different-sized area than a map of the equatorial
region?

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Core Sampling
by Suzanne M. Anderson
Worthington Elementary School
OBJECTIVES:
• Infer from formulating a model that
studying cores is one way to interpret
Earth’s history
• Model core sampling using a pasta
noodle
• Model a sedimentary rock formation
Materials and Equipment:
• Different breads (white, wheat,
banana nut, etc.)
• Various spreads (peanut butter,
jams, jellies, fresh fruit, etc.)
• Cereal (Rice Krispies, Cheerios,
etc.)
• Plastic bags
• Plastic knives
• Paper towels
• Permanent markers (to mark bags)
• Manicotti or other large tubeshaped noodles
• Paper
• Colored pencils
• Straws (optional)
• Refrigerator

RockCamp

Sedimentary rocks are formed from loose particles that
have been carried from one place to another and redeposited. These rocks generally are deposited in layers similar to
the layers in a sandwich. Each layer can be identified by differences in color, texture, and composition. The oldest layer is
the lowest (bottom) layer while the youngest layer is on the
top. Over time the loose particles become compacted and
cemented together to form layers of solid rock.
Evidence of change through time comes from the core
samples that show layers of rock that make up Earth’s crust.
TIME: Two class periods, 30-45 minutes long (including discussion).
PROCEDURES:
1. Have students bring in as many of the food items on the
materials list as possible. You will need enough materials
for pairs of students.
2. Construct the “sedimentary rock” sandwiches. Cereal
within the layers can represent large particles or fossils.
3. Have students write their names on the plastic bags. Place
the sandwiches inside the bags and store the sandwiches
in a refrigerator until the next day. (The bread will harden
a little and the layers will not slide around as much if the
sandwiches are refrigerated.)
4. Next day, have students make core samples using the
noodle as coring devices. Use the noodle to cut through
the sandwich. The sandwich pushed up inside the hollow
noodle is called a “core sample”. To get the sandwich out
of the noodle, break the noodle gently. (You could use
straws to gently “plunge” the sandwich out of the noodle.)
5. On a sheet of paper have the students draw a picture of
the "core sample." Color the different layers according to
a predetermined legend (brown for peanut butter, red
for jelly, etc.), and label them. Inform students that they
have created a "strip log"--a useful tool made by geologists to model rock units.
6. Have students compare strip logs. Can they interprete
the sequences of their classmates' sandwichs?

ASSESSMENT:
• Evaluation can be based on teacher observation of students’
performance and cooperation, evaluating the drawings, and
both written and oral questions. Student journals including
all work, legends, and the interpretation of classmates "cores"
are helpful.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Analogy of Relative Humidity
by Pamela Blackford
Martinsburg High School
OBJECTIVES:

TIME: 25-45 minutes.

• Develop a graph with experimental
data that will help students construct
their own definition of the relationship
between air temperature and the
amount of water the atmosphere can
hold.

PROCEDURE:

Materials and Equipment:
•
•
•
•
•

30 beakers
Sugar
Measuring spoons (10-15)
Hotplates
Graph paper

RockCamp

1. Place students in small groups. Each group will need 3
beakers, a supply of sugar, and 2 spoons. (You can have
the students bring water to a boil or you can have a large
common container of boiling water available.)
2. Record observations in a journal.
a. 1st beaker:
• Heat water to boiling or get some boiling water from
the common container. Measure and record temperature.
• Add 1 teaspoon of sugar at a time to the water and stir.
Does it all dissolve?
• Continue to add sugar one teaspoon at a time until all
the sugar no longer dissolves.
• Record your observations.
b. 2nd beaker:
• Using water which is at room temperature, stir in one
teaspoon of sugar at a time until all the sugar no longer
dissolves. How many teaspoons of sugar did it hold?
c. 3rd beaker:
• Repeat steps above using ice-cold water. How much
sugar did it hold? Measure and record temperature.
3. Students will use their data to make a graph showing the
relationship between the amount of sugar dissolved and
the temperature of the water.
4. After the graph is completed, provide students with a water
temperature. Ask them to use their graph to estimate the
amount of sugar that can be dissolved in it.
5. Verify the estimate through experimentation.
6. Plot the results on the graph. Ask student to suggest possibilities for any differences found between estimate and
experimental result.
7. Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 with another water temperature.
8. Ask the students to explain the relationship on their graph.
9. Have students look up the definition of relative humidity.
10. Ask students to relate their results to develop a simple
definition of relative humidity.

ASSESSMENT:
Journals are reviewed according to the following scale.
A. Journal very complete, neat, well written. Student's ideas are
supported by observations.
B. Journal complete, neat, needs some grammatical work. Most
ideas are supported by observations.
C. Journal lacking some information, not very orderly, needs major grammatical work. Very few ideas support by observation.
D. Journal incomplete. Observations lacking. Very few ideas presented. None supported by observations.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

How Much Lime is in Limestone?
by Mary Sue Burns
Pocahontas County High School
OBJECTIVES:
• Determine the percent composition of
lime (calcium oxide) in a limestone
sample.
• Determine the best economic use for
a particular type of limestone.
• Recognize the integrated nature of
chemistry and geology.
Materials and Equipment:
(Class of 30 working in pairs)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

30 safety goggles
30 lab aprons
30 beakers (250 ml or others)
30 pieces of filter paper (15 of
these for Step #9 must be high
quality for very small particles)
15 funnels
15 graduated cylinders
15 stirring rods
Centrigram balances
Limestone samples (use local
samples that students bring in or
teacher supplied. Samples should
be crushed or chipped.)

Reagents:
(Amounts are approximate)
•
•
•
•

300 ml 6M hydrochloric acid
400 ml 0.5M ammonium oxalate
150 ml ammonium hydroxide
5 ml methyl orange indicator (pH
meter or pH paper may be substituted)

RockCamp

Limestone (CaCO3) is primarily made of calcium carbonate. Lime (CaO) is this carbonate minus carbon dioxide. Limestone is an important economic resource. Appropriate uses
depend on the chemical composition of the sample, primarily
the CaO content. For example a cement company in
Martinsburg, WV uses the New Market limestone, which has
a very high CaO content, mixed with the Chambersburg limestone which has a CaO content that varies from 38% to 52%.
The final product will have a CaO content of 58% to 65%.
Dolomitic limestone, which contains less CaO and more MgO,
is not suitable for cement-making and is primarily used as
aggregate (road bases, concrete, railroad ballast, etc.).
The procedure that follows is not intended to give a precise quantitative measurement of the CaO content. However, with care, student results should be adequate for comparison and for determination of appropriate economic uses.
All metallic compounds will be dissolved in the hydrochloric
acid. Any insoluble material, at this step, will consist primarily
of silicas. Addition of the ammonium oxalate precipitates
calcium as calcium oxalate. Most everything else stays
dissolved. The mass of the calcium oxalate can be used to
calculate the CaO content of the original sample.
This lab is not difficult for students who have prior experience working in the chemistry lab. It does require that
students are familiar with basic techniques including measuring mass and volume, filtering, and use of reagents.
Many textbook chemistry labs are very abstract to
students. The practical application, stressed in this lab, should
add relevancy to previously learned skills and concepts. This
activity would benefit both chemistry students and earth
science students.
TIME: 40-60 minutes plus additional time to allow filter
paper to dry.
PROCEDURES:
1. Put on safety goggles and lab aprons.
2. Find the mass of a sample of limestone. Use about 0.5
grams. Record the mass to the nearest 0.01 gram (or 0.001
gram, if possible).

3. Place the sample in a beaker. Add 20 ml of 6M hydrochloric acid. Wait until all bubbling stops.
4. Add a very small amount of additional hydrochloric acid.
If bubbling occurs, wait until it stops and continue to add
a small amount at a time until no more bubbling occurs.
5. Filter the solution into a clean beaker to remove any insoluble residue.
6. Slowly add 20 ml of 0.5M ammonium oxalate to the filtrate in the beaker.
7. Add about 2 drops of methyl orange indicator to the beaker.
8. While stirring, gradually add ammonium hydroxide to the
beaker until the contents just turn yellow. Add an additional 5 ml of 0.5M ammonium oxalate.
9. Measure and record the mass of a clean piece of filter
paper. (Use type that will filter out very small particles.)
10. Filter the contents of the beaker using the massed filter
paper.
11. Allow the filter paper to dry thoroughly.
12. Measure and record the mass of the filter paper and precipitate.
13. Calculate the mass of the precipitate by subtracting the
mass of the filter paper. (This is calcium oxalate monohydrate.)
14. Calculate the CaO content of your sample by multiplying
the mass of the calcium oxalate by 38.39%.
15. Calculate the percent CaO in your original sample.
16. Write a statement describing an appropriate economic
use for the type of limestone you tested. Compare the
composition of your sample with those tested by classmates. Back up your statement with evidence gained in
the chemical analysis.

SAFETY NOTE: Skin contact with
these reagents should be avoided.
Should it occur, rinse the affected
area with large amounts of water.
Also, this lab should be performed in
a well-ventilated area. All safety
procedures for a high school chemistry laboratory should be followed.

ASSESSMENT:
• Students results can be compared for consistency of results and to known ranges of CaO content. Student tests of
New Market and Chambersburg limestones fell within
known ranges.
• Students should be able to describe an economic use for
limestone consistent with their results.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

• Lab results can be checked for completeness.
• Follow-up activities can ask students to describe an example
of the importance of chemistry in evaluating geologic resources.
Teaching Suggestions:
• Do this as a microscale lab using a wellplate and smaller
quantities. Use the same mass for each sample and compare
relative amounts of calcium by estimating the height of the
precipitate in the wells.
• Maximum precipitation of calcium and minimum precipitation of everything else occurs at a pH between 3 and 4.5. A
pH meter, pH paper, or other indicator could be used in
place of the methyl orange.
• The heating of the solution, to 80-90 degrees celsius before
proceeding to Step #6 will increase the size of the calcium
oxalate crystals. They form very quickly from cold solutions and are small enough to go through ordinary filter
paper. This requires more time and more safety precautions, but should increase the accuracy of results. A fume
hood is recommended during the heating and during the
addition of ammonium hydroxide to the warmed solution.
Further Challenges:
• Estimate the silica content of the sample by saving, drying,
and weighing the insoluble residue from Step #5.
• Save the filtrate from Step #10 and analyze for magnesium
content.
• Have students write chemical equations for the reactions
that take place.
• Have students use solubility tables to explain the rationale
behind the method of retrieving the calcium.

RockCamp

Parking Lot Gravel
by Mary Sue Burns
Pocahontas County High School
Gravel parking lots are an easily accessible but often overlooked geologic resource for teachers and students at most
rural schools. The type of gravel found is usually indicative of
an abundant nearby source. So, even though it is not in situ, it
does give some clues about local rock types. In this way, comparisons can be made about different regions. This is also a
good way to begin considerations of human impact on the
land and the use of natural resources. In this activity, models
are used to determine why gravel is used on parking lots.

OBJECTIVES:
• Increase awareness of human impact
and use of a natural resource.
• Use models to observe differences in
properties of materials.
• Determine why gravel is in parking
lots.

Materials and Equipment:
TIME: 30 minutes for Pre-lab and Procedures; 30-60 min• 4 plastic soda bottles (1 or 2 liter)
utes for Further Challenge.
• Plastic or cloth netting (gauze or
cheesecloth)
PROCEDURES:
• 2 rubber bands
Pre-lab preparation: Cut the top off of two of the soda • Gravel
bottles close to the curve. Use a graduated cylinder or mea- • Soil
suring cup to measure out a known quantity of water. Pour • Sand, asphalt, clay, or other material (optional)
this into the soda bottle and mark this level with a marker.
Do the same to the other soda bottle. Cut the bottom off of • Container for water
the other two bottles. Using the rubber bands, put netting • Timer or watch
over the mouths of the two bottles that still have tops. Invert • Sample data table (sample included)
these into the first two bottles. A small hole must be cut in
each of the lower bottles in order to allow air to escape
during the investigation.
The following may be done in groups or as a whole class
experiment:
1. Place some gravel in the top section of one of the soda
bottle columns.
2. Put soil in the other column to the same level.
3. Pour water into the top of the gravel column, timing how
long it takes to reach the marked level; or time how long
it takes for a certain quantity of water to drain through.
Repeat for the soil column and any other materials. Record
data and observations.
4. Students should provide a well-worded hypothesis to
explain the observations and data.
5. The economic and environmental impact of simple crushed
stone versus soil versus pavement should be explored.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

ASSESSMENT:
Tell students they are preparing a report for an environmental company evaluating parking lot construction. Students
can prepare a short written description of their findings. In
the course of their paper, they seamlessly incorporate answers to the following questions:
• What would happen to rain that landed on packed soil?
Describe what a dirt parking lot would look like after a
heavy rain.
• What would happen to rain that landed on a parking lot
that was covered with a thick layer of gravel? What would
this parking lot look like after a heavy rain?
• Many parking lots are paved. What would be the advantages of this? What would happen to rain that landed on a
paved parking lot?
• Why do people put gravel on parking lots?
Teaching Suggestions:
• Use a key or field guide to identify the rock types in the
samples.
• Use a geologic map showing exposed rock types and locate
the collection sites for the samples. Is there any correlation
between the exposed rock types and the gravel sample?
• Test the pH of water before and after it runs through the
gravel sample.
• Observe gravel samples from other states. Compare these
and hypothesize why they are different or similar.

second soda bottle

first soda bottle

test material
(gravel, soil, asphalt)

netting
(cheesecloth or gauze)
rubber band

RockCamp

Further Challenge:

Materials:

• Is all parking lot gravel the same?

• Various samples of gravel (these
could include student- or teachercollected samples. Samples could be
collected as a class activity).
• Each group of students conducts an
open-ended investigation to determine as much as possible about the
properties of the gravel pieces in a
given sample. Students should also
look for weathering effects and fossils. Each group presents their findings and explanations of the rocks'
geologic and economic history.

Further Challenge Questions:
a. Describe the properties of the rocks in your gravel sample.
Include any similarities and differences that you noticed.
b. Did any of your observations give any clues about the type
of place where this rock was formed or where this rock
has been?
c. Compare your sample to those of the other groups. Is
there anything that is unique about your sample? Explain.
Describe the similarities and differences among the various samples.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Groundwater Flowmeister
by Timothy A. Butcher
Williamstown High School
OBJECTIVES:
• Learn how water flows through the
ground and its effects on stream
levels.
• Learn how contaminates seep into
groundwater and affect water supplies.
Materials and Equipment:
• Clear plastic or glass container
(4" x 12")
• Fine sand
• Small gravel
• Fresh modeling clay
• Plastic cup
• 20 oz. plastic bottle
• Food coloring
• Spray pump (cleaned)
• Smoother (cardboard or plastic)
• Straw
• Gauze bandage
• 3' rubber hose
• Nail
• Knife/scissors
• Water
• 8" x 12" sheet white paper

Contrary to the belief of many, groundwater is not usually found in underground streams as we see in caverns, but is
stored in layers of porous rock, flowing at about 4 cm/day.
Groundwater is often viewed as a limitless resource which
will remain constant regardless of rainfall. Knowing water is
stored in rock, the water must somehow move into this aquifer
and replenish itself. Through rainstorms, the supply of groundwater is replenished or recharged at the high point in the
watershed. Groundwater usually flows to lower elevations
and fills streams, ponds, etc.
However, in time of drought the aquifer is not recharged,
dropping the water table and causing the level of the stream/
lake to fall. This drop in water level may result in residential
wells going “dry” (the water level is too low for a pump to
function).
The amount of rainfall is not the only item which affects
the water table. People are currently using groundwater and
over-drilling aquifers at such an alarming rate that we can
cause water tables to dry. Some refer to this as "water mining." Home owners and industry, especially agriculture, are
combining to place an enormous stress on the water table.
We live in a society of buried waste and storage tanks.
These waste products and tanks often leak, very quietly, tons
of toxic chemicals into our water table, contaminating a great
area. The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that
between 1950 and 1975, 5.5 billion metric tons of hazardous
waste were spilled onto or buried in dumpsites throughout
the United States. These have a great probability of eventually winding up in our groundwater supply.
TIME: Construction 1 hour; activities one to five 50-minute
classes.

RockCamp

PROCEDURES:
Flowmeister Construction
1. Divide the clear container with a modeling clay wall, so
you have approximately a 1" channel on the front side.
The clay wall should be about 1/4" thick. To reinforce the
wall, roll clay to make supports.

2. Taper the edges of the clay against the container by running your finger down the border between the clay and
container, making a firm bond between the two.
3. Cut out a small portion of the wall on the left side, so that
only 3/4" of clay is left to the bottom.

4. Construct a clay object in the shape of a wing. Attach the
clay object to the clay wall approximately 3/4" from the
bottom. This represents an impermeable object.
5. Cut the cup in half so each side has a top and bottom
portion. Then cut the top half off of one side.
6. Cut the bottom of this piece, leaving a 1/4" ledge.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

7. Using the nail or scissors, punch 5 holes in the side to
allow for drainage.

8. Place sand on the bottom, producing a small incline. Use a
smoother to smooth this layer. A smoother can be a piece
of cardboard or plastic.
9. Place the plastic drainage piece against the clay wall lying
flat on the sand. Turn a small portion of clay over the
cup’s lip. This will create a stream bed.
10. Fill remaining channel with gravel.
11. Poke a hole in the bottom of a 20 oz. bottle. Place a finger
over the hole, fill with water, replace lid and sit upright on
a paper towel.
12. To remove water from the back, place one end of the
rubber hose in reservoir and the other in a bucket. Start
siphoning by using your mouth or a hand pump.
Using the Flowmeister
To Produce Stream Flow:
1. Place the bottle on the right end of the container so the
hole is exposed over the soil layers.
2. As water flows, observe the spread of water across the
aquifer into the stream bed.
To Demonstrate Drilling and Using a Well:
1.
2.
3.
4.

RockCamp

Cut straw into 3" sections.
Drill a well by pushing the straw into the soil layers.
Place gauze in spray pump tube (keeps out sand).
Insert spray pump into well and start pumping.

To Demonstrate Contamination:
1. Take eye dropper and place drops deep in the soil for
deep contamination or take eye dropper and place drops
on surface for surface contamination.
2. Watch it spread and notice the events which happen
around the clay.
3. Use spray pump to pump water supply from soil. Observe how groundwater becomes contaminated.
4. Spray contaminate onto white paper.
Calculations:
1. Speed at which water contaminations flow.
• Measure time and distance of water flow and use
formula: speed = distance/time.
2. Area which contaminate covers.
• Measure the length, width, and height. This may have to
be estimated.
• What are some problems a well may encounter?
Further Challenges:
• Turn bottle off to simulate no rain. Watch what happens to
the water level.
• Open bottle lid so stream flows out bottom of bottle. This
simulates a major thunderstorm (flood).
• Build barriers to stop contamination.
ASSESSMENT:
• Can students accurately describe the movement of groundwater through rock?
• Presented with definitions of the terms "porosity" and "permeability," students are able to complete a written assignment comparing and contrasting the porosity and permeability of various rock types relative to stream recharge and
toxic waste disposal and clean-up.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Assessment Questions to be Answered from
Recorded Student Observations:
• How does water flow through the ground?
• What types of contaminates will seep into groundwater?
• Describe how a contaminate might affect a water supply for
a city, in a housing development, or in a single-family home
with well water.
• How does groundwater affect stream (pond) levels?
• As the dye flows, describe the path it follows.

RockCamp

Epicenters
by Jo Ann Byron
Shady Springs Junior High
TIME: Preparation and one 45-minute period.

OBJECTIVES:

PROCEDURES:

• To calculate distance to epicenter
from seismograph using arrival times
of P-waves and S-waves.
• To find on a map the location of the
epicenter of an earthquake.

1. The mathematical solution for each situation is calculated
as follows:
Arrival time of S-wave minus arrival time of P-wave times
60 seconds per minute times 2 miles per second (speed of Swave) times 3 miles per second (speed of P-wave) equals the
distance of epicenter from seismograph.
By doing some of the fixed calculations first, a short version of the previous equation would be:

Materials and Equipment:
•
•
•
•

Compass
World map
Ruler, edge of paper, or string
Calculator (optional)

Arrival time of S-wave minus arrival time of P-wave times
360 equals distance to epicenter from seismograph.
2. Here are some representative data for students to use
for practice.
Distance from
P-waves S-waves
epicenter
Hawaii
12:00
12:09
___________
miles
3240
Alaska
11:08
11:14
___________
miles
2160
California
10:43
10:48
___________ miles
Cuba
10:00
10:10.41 ___________ miles
Iceland
10:01
10:07.94 ___________ miles
Italy
10:02
10:10.33 ___________ miles

EPICENTER

3. Use a world map with a scale. Have students draw circles,
to scale, around each of the locations given in the chart.
The radius of their circles should be equal to the calculated distance from the earthquake epicenter. The common point defined by an overlapping of circles reveals the
geographic location of the epicenter.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

ASSESSMENT:
• Students can accurately calculate the distances from the
epicenter.
• Students correctly identify the location of the epicenter.
Further Challenge:
• A tsunami is a seismic sea wave that can be caused by an
earthquake. They travel an average of 400 miles per hour.
To determine how long it will take a tsunami to hit a given
area, divide 400 into the distance from the epicenter to the
“hit” area.

RockCamp

Star Gazing Inside
by Barbara A. Cline
Jefferson Elementary Center
Commercially available inflatable planetariums are expensive to buy or require reservations for borrowing far in advance. This homemade version is inexpensive, flexible, and
fun to make. Older students can make the planetarium. Teachers will have to construct it for younger students.

OBJECTIVES:
• To construct an inexpensive
classroom planetarium.
Materials and Equipment:

TIME: Pre-class setup and 5 minutes per student groups of
3 for viewing.
PROCEDURES:
1. Take two plastic sheets and put one on top of the other.
2. Tape all four edges of the sheets together using duct tape.
3. Cut a hole half the size of a floor fan in one end of the
plastic.
4. Tape the sheet to the floor fan.
5. Inflate planetarium by turning on the fan.
6. Cut a slit in the side of the inflated planetarium. This allows students to enter the planetarium to view the sky.
7. Make a sun and attach to the top of the fan.
8. Cut out the planets and arrange them in scale distance
from the sun on top and outside of the planetarium.
9. Use star stickers to "draw" a model of a constellation
onto the transparency or plastic wrap (Saran Wrap works
best). Then tape the transparency constellation or plastic
wrap constellation to the outside and top of the planetarium. Have the constellations match the night sky at
the time you use the planetarium.
10. Darken the room, enter the planetarium, and use a flashlight to find the night space objects.

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

2 plastic sheets 10' x 10'
Duct tape
Floor fan
Extension cord
Scissors
Scale models of the planets
Constellation patterns
Star stickers
Transparent tape
Flashlight

ASSESSMENT:
• Sketches of constellations should help student recognize
them during a review process.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

PLASTIC

FAN

ENTRANCE

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TAPE

Let’s Talk Trash
by Melanie Files
Berkeley Springs High School
In areas where recycling is stressed, about 50% of the
population recycles the allowed materials. What isn't recycled
or reused is pitched in the trash.

OBJECTIVE:

TIME: One 60-minute class period.

• Inspecting a bag of trash.
• Deciding how to recycle or dispose of
the contents.

PROCEDURE:

Materials and Equipment:

1. Empty the contents of the bag onto the table.
2. For each item indicate in your journal at least one way
that you could:
a. reduce the use of the item.
b. reuse the item (recycle the item).
d pre-cycle (choose not to use/buy the item) and tell why.
3. After you have completed the journal entries, compare
and discuss the ways the items could be used and reused.
4. Construct something using all of the materials, including
the bag they came in!

• One bag of trash (supplied by
instructor)
• Scissors
• Glue
• String
• Staples/tape

ASSESSMENT:
• Completeness of journal description and tables.
• Demonstrate student understanding of key terms by writing a short essay on recycling.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Contour Line Activity
by Billie Diane Frame
Martinsburg North Middle School
OBJECTIVES:

TIME: One 50-minute class period.

• Develop the concept of
representing the earth, or small
portions of the earth, on paper.
• Explain scale as representations in
miniature form.

PROCEDURE:

Materials and Equipment:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Clay (various colors)
Pencil
Paper
Thick book
Thin book
Piece of cardboard
Colored pencils
Toothpick

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1. On the piece of cardboard, form the clay into the shape
of a mountain. Include hills and valleys, steep slopes and
gradual slopes.
2. Lay a thick book on the table beside the “mountain.”
3. Have the student sight across the book to the mountain
and put marks all the way around the mountain at the
same level as the top of the book.
4. Draw a line around the mountain with a toothpick, connecting the marks made in step #3.
5. Have the student stand above their mountain and look
directly down at the line just drawn. Ask these questions:
Does the line form a circle? What shape does it form?
What might the line represent?
6. Use a thinner book and draw a line further down the
mountainside.
7. Stack two books and draw a line further up the
mountainside.
8. Have the student stand over their mountain and look down
at the contour lines. Ask the question: Are the lines the
same distance apart all the way around the mountain?
Where are they closer together? Where are they further
apart?
9. Have the student draw two views of their mountain on
paper.. One will be a sketch of a profile of the mountain.
Ask them to devise a way to show what the mountain
looks like from an airplane. When finished tell the students they have drawn a Contour Map.

ASSESSMENT:
• Journal entries describe the activity and results. Entries must
be concise, legible, accurate, and useful. A table of contents
must be included and the pages numbered. A student definition of a contour line, what it represents, and some properties of contour line spacing should be included.
• Student must demonstrate an understanding of contour lines
and contour maps by describing the landforms observed on
an assigned map. These observations will be entered in the
journal.
• Evaluation is also based on teacher observation, discussions
with the student(s), and peer-group contract grading.
Teaching Suggestions:
• Modifications can easily be made depending on the grade
level or the individual ability/interest of the students. Topographic maps and symbols can be introduced. Schedule a
spokesperson from the state geological survey to present a
program to the class. Contact a local surveyor and plan a
local field trip to an on-sight surveying business.
• The teacher’s objective is not to present a thorough treatment on map reading, but to develop the concept of representing the earth on paper that can lead into further discussion and maps activities.
• Review all directions orally. Display them in the room at
the same time. This will alleviate questions that may occur
during the activity. Designating stations within the room
and letting the students work cooperatively in groups will
provide optimum learning situations for all.
Further Challenges:
• As an extension activity, have the student exchange contour maps with a classmate. The student will look at the
classmate’s map only (not the clay model). They should each
try to visualize and sketch what the other’s mountain looks
like just by looking at the map drawing. (Then they can look
at the actual mountains and see if they were right.)
• At this point, each classmate can try to construct a new
clay model using the contour map and the original materials
Adaptive Earth Science Activities

only. When models are complete, comparisons can be made
for accuracy.
• More contour lines can be added by stacking various width
books. Just remember to keep all lines from intersecting
each other.
• Information obtained through constructing a model or exchanging maps with classmates can be charted or graphed.
The entire class can assemble their hills and valleys to create a landscape. Locating some of the highs and lows on the
earth will help the student visualize their planet.

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Our Earth's Address
By James Giles
Craigsville Elementary School
TIME: 45 minutes.

OBJECTIVES:

PROCEDURES:

• Increase the level of students' retention concerning latitude and longitude.
• Differentiate between lines of latitude
and longitude.
• Describe how latitude and longitude
are used to identify locations.

1. Arrange the class into groups of four.
2. Select one group to cut a piece of yarn that will reach
across the room. Have them tape it across the center of
the room from east to west. Tape the yarn about six feet
from the floor. Label the yarn the "equator." Discuss aspects of the equator with the class.
3. Select another group to cut a piece of yarn (use a different color). Ask them to tape it across the center of the
room perpendicular to the equator (north to south). Label this line the "prime meridian." Discuss the aspects of
the prime meridian with the class.
4. Instruct the students to make longitude lines that will divide each row of students. Use the same color yarn used
to make the prime meridian.
5. Instruct the students to make latitude lines that will divide the class into a grid system. Use the same color yarn
used for the equator. When completed, each student will
be inside their square.
6. After the class has built the latitude/longitude system, there
are several concepts that can be taught using the grid pattern:
• Latitude/Longitude;
• Room location of each student;
• World wind patterns;
• Climate zones by latitude;
• Your city/town address by latitude and longitude;
• Continent hemisphere locations;
• Different hemisphere locations;
• Compass direction from the classroom;
• Plate tetonics;
• Topographic maps.

Materials and Equipment:
•
•
•
•
•

Yarn (2 skeins of different colors)
Masking tape (1 roll)
World map (flat)
Scissors
Globes

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

ASSESSMENT:
• When asked to move to a new square, the student will be
able to identify their new location based on the constructed
longitude and latitude lines.
• When asked to construct a paper map of the room, students will cite the lines as references to locate various objects.

Yarn Prime Meridian

Yarn Longitude Line
30° N
Seats
15° N

Yarn Equator

15° S

Yarn Latitude Line

30° S

30° W

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15° W

15° E

30° E

bls

Mudcracks: A Clue to the
Earth’s Past
by Donis Hannah
Robert L. Bland Middle School
TIME: Two to three 45 minute class periods.

OBJECTIVE:

PROCEDURES:

• Achieve an understanding of how
sedimentary deposits, such as
mudcracks, can form clues to the
Earth’s past.
• Determine how infilled mudcracks
can be used to determine "which way
is up?"

1. Predict what environments are needed to form mudcracks.
2. Students predict what will occur before activity is initiated (what will the dried mud look like?).
3. Collect or make mud and place 1/2 inch to 1 inch of mud
on shallow aluminum pan.
4. Dry in oven at 250-300 degrees until dry or on electric
stovetop at low setting until dry, or air and sun dry it.
(Drying outside in the sun allows for potential evidence
of animal trails, tracks, or burrowing.)
5. Add loose sediment (such as fine sand) to show how cracks
fill in as layers form.
6. Add another layer of mud to dried layer. Allow this layer
to dry.
7. When dry, slowly separate the two layers of mud.
8. Have students record observations made about the two
layers when separated.
9. How can these observations be used to identify which
way is up?
10. How would a geologist use fossil mudcracks to tell if a
layer of rock was folded?

Materials and Equipment:
• Shallow aluminum pans (suitable
for oven or stovetop heating) or
styrofoam plates or trays
• Mud with a consistency of thick
pudding

Up
Second Layer
First Layer With Mudcracks

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

ASSESSMENT:
• Results of mudcrack study in a journal should include:
a. descriptions of the activity;
b. the predicted results;
c. the observations made;
d. conclusion based on what was learned about mudcracks
and how they can be used to interprete the Earth’s past.
Teaching Suggestion:
• If the opportunity allows, take the students outside where
existing mudcracks have formed so they can make comparisons. The most exciting opportunity, if conditions allow, would be to air dry your mud, so the students can
observe the trails of life forms in it.

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Are All Limestones Created
Equal?
by Deb Hemler
Preston High School
Sedimentary rocks include those which form as layers of
sediment, become compacted and cemented, or fall out of
solution. One example of sedimentary rocks is a group known
as the carbonates. Carbonates, such as limestones, are considered nonclastic sedimentary rocks because they are not
formed from the cementation of fragments of pre-existing
rocks. Rather, they are primarily composed of the mineral
calcite. Calcite is comprised of the compound calcium carbonate (CaCO3) which is commonly found in solution in ocean
water and is readily incorporated into the shells of sea organisms. A classic mineral characteristic of calcite is that it readily
reacts with hydrochloric acid (HCI). This investigation uses
this property to see whether all limestones have the same
calcium carbonate composition.
TIME: Two 45-minute class periods.
PROCEDURES:
1. Wearing safety goggles, use a masonry hammer to powder medium-sized limestone specimens from each of the
three locations. Using a mortar and pestle, work the power
to uniform size.
2. Mass l-gram sample of crushed limestone from site A.
Transfer to a clean 150-mL flask.
3. Pour 50 mL of dilute HCl over each sample. Let the solution react. Swirl the flask often to ensure all of the limestone has reacted to the acid. Continue this process until
no visible or audible fizz is detected.
4. Mass a clean, dry piece of filter paper. Record.
5. Filter the solution in 150-mL beakers to obtain the undissolved residue. (Note: Suction filtration works best; however, if gravity filtration is only available then allow 15-20
minutes of the period for filtration.)
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for limestone samples from site B and C.
7. Using forceps, place filter paper on a watch glass and place
in an oven or leave out to dry overnight.
8. Mass the insoluble residue and subtract the weight of the
filter paper.

OBJECTIVE:
• Recognize the difference in composition of carbonate rocks.
• Relate this to depositional
environment and economic
importance.
Materials and Equipment:
( for class of 30)
• 15 samples from 3 different limestone formations
• 15 pairs of safety glasses
• 15 rock hammers
• Diluted hydrochloric acid (5-10%)
• 15 triple beam balances
• 15 graduated cylinders
• 15 funnels
• 15 pieces of filter paper
• 15 Bunsen burners
• 45 cotton swabs (Q-tips with
paper stems)
SAFETY NOTE: When using hydrochloric acid, follow all lab safety
measures.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Questions:
1. Calculate percentage of calcium
carbonate in each sample. How
does the amount of carbonate
compare in each type of limestone? What could have caused
this difference?
2. What metals, if any, were
present in the carbonate
samples?
3. Investigate the importance that
purity (percentage of calcium
carbonate) plays in the economic
value of limestones.
4. What are your recommendations for the use of these limestones?

9. Compare the results obtained for the samples.
10. Using the data from other groups, calculate the average
insoluable residue mass for each limestone sample.
11. Place the wet tip of a cotton swab into the insoluble residue of site A. Flame the swab and record any color change.
12. Repeat for site B and C.
Teaching Suggestions:
•

•

RockCamp

West Virginia limestone samples from the Ordovician,
Mississippian, and Devonian work well for this lab. If accessible, limestone from Florida could be substituted for
one sample or used to add an addtional treatment. Dolomite and siderite are other carbonates which may be used,
however the word "limestone" in the lab title should then
be changed to "carbonate" to reflect this modification.
For younger students, the teacher should powder the limestone for students. The rock can be placed in a plastic bag
to minimize airborne fragments. A masonry hammer or
heavy rock hammer works best for this.
This activity utilizes many laboratory techniques in one
activity: using a mortar and pestle, massing powders, filtering and drying filtrates, and using flame tests. This lab is
best staged near the middle to end of a semester when
students have had prior experience with these varied techniques.
The flame tests may be left out as these results are often
inconclusive. Due to its magnesium content a dolomite
may be used to produce a different flame color. Only cotton swabs with paper stems should be used.
Older students can calculate the relative deviations of their
data from class averages.

Whether it Weathers?
by Deb Hemler
Preston High School
Students generally comprehend that mechanical weathering of rocks leads to the formation of sediments. What is not
realized is the amount of energy in an environment or the
length of time required for processes to happen. The following activity is a lesson in mechanical weathering, a process
involving the physical breakdown or disintegration of rock by
erosional agents such as wind, water, and ice. These agents
carry materials which wear down rocks through actions such
as abrasion. The speed at which rocks weather depends on
several variables. This semester-long activity investigates the
process.
TIME: Two 50-minute periods to organize, and then one 50minute period a month for a semester for data
collection.
PROCEDURES:
1. Assign students into 12 groups, for each group mass one
each of the limestone, shale, and sandstone samples and
record. Soak samples for one week in water and record
the new masses.
2. Cut the wire mesh with wire cutters into six 10 cm x 10
cm squares (see drawing on next page).
3. Wire four of the squares together to form a cube without wiring the top. Place the samples of limestone and
sandstone into the wire cube and secure the last wire
square to the top of the cube (see drawing on next page).
4. If a stream environment is available near the school, the
project should be done there. If one is not within walking
distance, have the groups place the samples in those environments near home.
5. Groups 1 and 2 will place their cages in the fast-moving
water of the stream. Groups 3 and 4 will place their cage
in slow-moving water. Groups 5 and 6 will place their
cage in a pool (still water).
6. Groups 1 through 6 should stake their cages and secure
them to the stakes using heavier wire. Flagging may be
attached to the stakes for easy relocation and data collection.
a. Students will record the velocity of the stream at the
various sites. Using a meter tape, measure 10 meters,

OBJECTIVE:
• Examine physical weathering of rocks.
• Investigate the efficiency of various
erosional agents.
Materials and Equipment:
(for class of 30)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

12 shale samples
12 sandstone samples
12 limestone samples
12 pieces of wire mesh
(30 cm x 20 cm)
12 strips survey flags
12 wire cutters
12 metal stakes
1 roll wire
Pliers
6 portable balances
6 metric tapes
6 stopwatches
6 oranges (or floating balls)
Thermometer
Mallet
Wind gauge

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

10 cm

Wire mesh design for cutting out
cubes for construction

Wire mesh cube with
rock samples

RockCamp

drop an orange, and record the time it takes for the
orange to travel the 10 meters. The velocity can be
determined by dividing distance by time.
b. Once a month students should return to their sites
and record the masses of their samples and stream
velocities on their data sheets. Students should express lost mass in terms of percent mass lost.
7. Groups 7 and 8 will place their samples on the floor of a
picnic shelter (preferably in a windy area). Groups 9 and
10 will place their samples out in the elements. Groups
11 and 12 will place their samples in a sheltered room
with no temperature controls. Groups 7 through 12 will
alternate recording daily temperatures, wind speed, and
precipitation at the beginning of class. Temperatures should
be averaged monthly and precipitation totalled.
8. At the end of the study, groups will assimilate their data
and present their findings to the class in a “poster session.” All groups prepare graphs illustrating the relationship between loss of mass over time and variable(s) such
as water velocity, amount of rainfall, or temperature. Their
posters are displayed on the walls of the classroom.
9. Given a copy of the cumulative data, their final project is
to write an individual paper on the class results. Their
discussion should include the weathering rates of the three
types of rocks and the overall effectiveness of each environment as an erosional agent (still, slow, and fast water,
and precipitation and wind).
Questions To Be Addressed Might Be:
• Which rock sample initially absorbed the most water? Of
what importance is this?
• Which sample weathered the most? Is this consistent with
what you have learned about the local geology?
• Which erosional agent is the most effective? Explain the
mechanism behind this type of erosion.

ASSESSMENT:
• Did students successfully use the available data to compare
and contrast the samples?
• Does the data support their contention that the experiment was conducted over the course of the academic year/
semester?
• Is the graphical representation of the data appropriate?
Teaching Suggestions:
• This project can be done as a year-long study to simulate
actual data collection and research. It could be simplified
for younger students. If the cages are constructed for the
students in advance, little time is required for setup and
these may be used the following year.
• While chicken wire is easier to cut, it is too pliable and only
with some difficulty will form rigid cubes. Being a thin wire,
it will degrade more rapidly than a stronger gauge.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Spelunking: Exploring Caves and
Caverns
by Michele Lomano
Hedgesville Elementary School
OBJECTIVE:
• Determine which rock type best forms
caves.
Materials and Equipment:
(for each group of students)
•
•
•
•
•

6 Small beakers or baby food jars
Diluted hydrochloric acid (5-10%)
Triple-beam balance
Grease pencil or masking tape
2 similar-sized pieces (hand specimen size) each of sandstone, shale,
and limestone
• Paper towels
SAFETY NOTE: When using
hydrochloric acid, follow all lab
safety measures.

A cave or cavern is a natural opening in the ground that
extends beyond the zone of light. Caves can occur in various
rock types, but one rock type forms the most numerous
caves—limestone. Limestone is composed of the mineral calcite (CaCO3).
Most caves are formed by moving acidic water. Carbonic
acid (H2CO3), produced when carbon dioxide (CO2) combines with water, dissolves limestones. This acid begins to
move slowly in small fractures in the limestone. This process
may continue for thousands of years as the cracks become
holes, and the holes become rooms, forming caves.
While this dissolving process continues, another process
may occur—deposition.
Stalagmites, stalactites, columns, and flowstone are formed
in the reverse way of that by which the cave itself forms. The
formations occur when the mineral calcite, which dissolves
from the rock as the cave is forming, is deposited. The dripping or seeping of the calcite-rich water determines the shape
of the formation. When the water evaporates, the CO2 leaves
and only the calcite is deposited. Most formations are estimated to grow only one cubic inch per 120 years.
TIME: One 40-minute class period or one prior day setup
and next day activity.
PROCEDURES:
1. Hypothesize which rock type best forms caves. Record
hypothesis.
2. Label each beaker with the following:
A. Sandstone w/water
B. Shale w/water
C. Limestone w/water
D. Sandstone w/acid
E. Shale w/acid
F. Limestone w/acid

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3. Using the triple-beam balance, measure the mass of each
rock piece and record the data. Place each piece in the
beaker labeled with its rock type.
4. Pour 50 ml (or enough to cover rock sample) of water in
beakers A, B, and C. Pour 50 ml of diluted hydrochloric
acid (or enough to cover rock sample) in beakers D, E,
and F.
5. Let the beakers stand undisturbed for 20 minutes. Starting with the rock in beaker A, CAREFULLY and THOROUGHLY rinse the rock, being careful to avoid contact
with the skin. Remove the rock, dry, then measure the
mass of the rock. Record the results. Repeat this process
for rocks B-F.
ASSESSMENT:
• Student data is clear and reasonable.
• Students properly relate the formation of a cave in limestone to chemical weathering.
• Students identify the solution weathering of limestone as
chemical weathering.
• Students use observed results to successfully determine the
effects of acid on various rock types and devise a way of
positively identifying limestones in the field.

Questions:
1. In which beakers did change
occur in the rock mass? In which
beakers did no change occur?
2. Which rock type lost the most
mass?
3. Why do you feel change
occurred in some rock but not
in others?
4. At the rate at which the rock in
question 3 was dissolving, how
long would it take to completely
dissolve?
5. Compare and contrast the caveforming abilities of the rock
types you have tested.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Make Your Own HertzsprungRussell Diagram
by Mark Lynch
Lewis County High School
OBJECTIVE:
• Create and use a Hertzsprung-Russell
diagram.

By plotting the absolute magnitude against spectral class
or surface temperature of stars, a useful pattern results. Most
of the stars fall along a broad line running diagonally from hot
and bright to cool and dim. Such graphs are very valuable to
astronomy especially when studying life cycles of stars.

Materials and Equipment:
TIME: 50 minutes.
• Graph paper (1 per student)
• Colored pencils (1 set per group)
• Data tables (samples included)
References:
Astronomy: From the Earth to
the Universe. Jay M. Pasachoff.
Saunders College Publishing. 1991
Earth Science. Edward Tarbuck
and Frederick K. Lutgens. Charles
E. Merril Publishing. 1985

RockCamp

PROCEDURE:
1. Draw a spectrum across the bottom of the graph using
colored pencils. This should look like a continuous spectrum (rainbow).
2. Plot the stars on the graph using the absolute magnitude
versus the temperature. Use different colors that correspond to the colors you drew across the bottom of the
graph.
3. Observe the heavy concentration of stars along the main
sequence.
4. Label areas of the chart that correspond to the location
of dwarfs, giants, supergiants, and white dwarfs.
5. Add some of the names of the stars you have heard of
from the second list of stars.
6. Add the progression of stars from dust and gas at M 0 to
a Black Dwarf at K +14. Draw a line to show how a star
might move around in the H-R diagram during its life.

ASSESSMENT:
Assessment rubric
A. Plots accurately represent data. Student is able to interpret plot by identifying location of main sequence stars
on plot. Student can describe the relationship between
magnitude and temperature.
B. Most data is accurately plotted. Student can identify main
sequence stars on plot. Student has some understanding
of relationship between magnitude and temperature.
C. Majority of data is plotted well. Student has trouble identifying main sequence stars on plot. Student cannot describe the relationship between magnitude and temperature.
D. Plot is very inaccurate. Student has no understanding of
the main sequence portion of the plot. Student will not
try to explain relationship between magnitude and temperature.
Teaching Suggestions:
• Students should have been introduced to magnitudes of stars
and the idea that stars evolve from one type or another.
They also need to have a working idea of how color and
temperature are related.
• You may want to use a larger piece of paper for the graphs,
as they can get crowded if you add all the names.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Hotter Stars
Absolute
Magnatude

Cooler Stars

-5
-4
-3

Data for
Hertzsprung-Russell
Diagram
Absolute
Magnitude
-5
-4.5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
10
11
11
12
12
13
13
14
14
15
15

-2
-1

Temperature
(K)

0
+1

27,000
25,000
5,000
4,000
20,000
15,000
12,000
3,500
10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,500
6,000
5,500
5,000
4,500
3,500
9,000
3,400
8,500
3,200
8,000
3,100
7,000
3,050
6,500
6,000
3,000

+2
+3
+4
+5
+6
+7
+8
+9
+10
+11
+12
+13
+14
+15
+16

O
Temperature (K) 30,000
Common Stars in the
Northern Latitudes
Name
Sun
Betelgeuse
Sirius
Arcturus
Vega
Rigel
Altair
Aldebaran
Antares
Spica
Pollux
Deneb
Regulus
Castor
Polaris

RockCamp

Absolute
Magnitude
4.79
-5.6
1.4
-0.2
0.5
-7.1
0.2
-0.3
-4.7
-3.5
0.2
-7.5
-0.6
1.2
-4.6

B
A
25,000

F
G
7,000

K
5,000

M
3,000

violet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . red

Spectral
Class
G2
M2
A1
K2
A0
B8
A7
K5
M1
B1
K0
A2
B7
A0
F8

Progression of a Typical Dwarf Star
Like the Sun
Spectral
Class
1-Dust and Gas
2-Protostar
3-Sun
4-Giant
5-Variable

6-Planetary Nebula
7-White Dwarf
8-Black Dwarf

M
K
G
K
G
F
B
B
F
K

Absolute
Magnitude
0
0
+5
-5
-5
-3
+2
+2
+10
+15

Fossil Origins
by Angela McKeen
Valley High School
The students are placed in groups of three, and each group OBJECTIVES:
receives a shoebox filled with various fossils. The students
are to sort the fossils, give each fossil a geographic origin, and • Categorize and hypothesize the origin
explain how they believe each fossil could have been formed.
of fossils.
• Explain the reasoning behind their
TIME: Approximately 50 minutes.
ideas.
PROCEDURES:

Materials and Equipment:

1. Separate fossils into groups that are similar in appearance.
2. Write a brief description of each group of fossils. What
type of rock is the fossil in? What does the fossil look
like? etc.
3. Try to come up with a present-day animal or “thing” that
looks like your fossil. Does it look like a flower? Does it
look like a shell? etc.
4. Where do you think this fossil came from? A swamp? A
lake? An ocean?
5. Select one group of fossils and write a brief (at least one
complete paragraph) “history” for these fossils. Where
were they when they were alive? How long ago did they
exist? What happened to them? Why did they fossilize?
6. Be prepared to share your ideas out loud with the class.

•
•
•
•

Marine fossils of West Virginia
Plant fossils of West Virginia
Sheet of poster board per group
Lots of imagination
BRACHIOPODS

GASTROPODS

ASSESSMENT:
• Student achievement is assessed through cooperative participation in a small group (no more than 3 per group).
• Students’ ability to express their thoughts in an organized
written description and ideas.
• Students’ sharing their ideas with the rest of the class.

PLANTS

Further Challenge:
Use this activity as an introduction to the fact that West
Virginia was periodically covered by a shallow sea. Relate this
idea to plate tectonics and reasons for changes in sea level.

bls

Asterophyllites
equisetiformis

Calamites sp.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Weathering and Fossil
Preservation
by Margaret Miller
Pratt Elementary
OBJECTIVE:

TIME: 20 minutes.

• Demonstrate how plants or animals
become preserved as a fossil by
blocking off exposure to water and
air.

PROCEDURES:

Materials and Equipment:
•
•
•
•
•

Disposable cups
2 one-inch diameter balls of clay
3 sugar cubes
1 plastic spoon for each student
Water for each cup

1. Wrap a piece of clay around one of the sugar cubes so
that one half of it is covered with the clay. Wrap clay
entirely around the second sugar cube and seal it tightly.
2. Drop the sugar cube without any clay on it, the cube half
wrapped, and the cube which is entirely wrapped in clay
into the water.
3. Stir until the plain sugar cube is dissolved.
4. Remove the other cubes from the water and examine the
remains.
ASSESSMENT:
• Student observations are recorded in a portfolio. Observations are legible, clear, and sensible.
• Inferences and comparisons should be supported directly
by observations recorded in the portfolio.
Teaching Suggestions:
• Have students first predict what they think will happen.
• Have the students write the procedures. Once the cubes
have been removed, have students write their observations
about the conditions of the two remaining cubes.
• Have students make inferences and comparisons as to how
fossils are preserved.
• Have students write their conclusions.
• If possible, take students on a fossil hunt field trip.

RockCamp

Compass Treasure Hunt
by Nancy Moore
Walton Middle School
Make a set of task cards (one card per group of students),
each card with a starting point (a desk, a tree, etc.), followed
by four directions which include the number of paces to be
taken in a particular direction. The course should have the
students ending up at some object (tree, desk, etc.).
TIME: Prior setup and one 40-minute period.
PROCEDURES:
1. Allow class to experiment with the compass. See if they
can discover and share the techniques for basic compass
orienteering. Make sure students know how to orient
themselves in a particular direction using a compass. If the
student wants to go east, he should hold the compass
parallel to the ground. Without moving the compass, he
must pivot until the red arrow (the north-seeking arrow)
points to “N.” Direct the student to locate a point that is
due east. He now must walk toward that point the number of steps indicated.
2. Have class practice orienting themselves in a variety of
directions. Have them stand with compass in hand. Say,
“Find south.” Check to see that all students are facing the
correct way. Do the same with east, west, and north.
Depending upon the age and experience of students, you
can also try to have them locate NE, NW, SE, SW, NNE,
ENE, etc.
3. Once students can orient themselves well, divide the class
into groups of three or four. Give each group a task card.
The students will follow directions and find their treasure.
ASSESSMENT:

OBJECTIVES:
• Use a compass for orientation and to
follow a course.
Materials and Equipment:
(for class of 30)
• Compasses (30 or 1 per group)
• Index cards with four directions
on them (1 per group)
• Treasure bags (baggies with 1 treat
per student)

Task Card
Starting at your desk
take four paces east,
two paces northwest,
six paces west, and
three paces southeast.
Describe your new
location.

• The students can be asked to stand and orient themselves
in a particular direction. If you do this with individual students, the rest of the class can help you to evaluate by placing their compasses on the table with the north-seeking
arrow pointing to “N” and checking to see that the individual student is facing the right way.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Teaching Suggestion:
• This activity can be done inside or outside.
Extension:
Have students determine the length of their pace. Measure
a hallway or use a field. Have each student count the number
of steps needed to cover a predetermined distance. Divide
the distance by the number of paces to determine the length
of one pace. How could this be used for calculating distance
walked, or the length of a building, or the height of a tree
(geometry lesson)?

RockCamp

Pasta Paleontology
by Nancy Moore
Walton Middle School
TIME: 40-minute period.

OBJECTIVES:

PROCEDURES:

• Use different types of pasta to
represent bones as they reconstruct a
“dinosaur.”
• See one of the problems of a paleontologist as they view the variety of
“dinosaurs” that are constructed from
the “bones.”

1. Give each student or group of students a bag of pasta.
Tell them to pretend that they are paleontologists. Their
assignment is to take these bones and put them together
to make a dinosaur skeleton.
2. Give students enough time to construct their dinosaur,
then encourage them to travel around the classroom to
examine the dinosaurs made by the other students.
Materials and Equipment:
3. Discuss differences and similarities in the dinosaurs. Planteating dinosaurs usually walked on all four legs. Meat-eat- • 1 baggie per student or group
ers usually walked on their two hind legs. Plant-eaters
containing an equal assortment of
often had some sort of protective device (horns, plates,
pasta (elbows, spaghetti broken
etc.). Have students identify the plant-eaters and the meatinto smaller equal size pieces,
eaters made by classmates.
small and large rigatoni, rotini, 1
4. Record characteristics used to identify each pasta dinoshell pasta to represent head).
saur.
5. Discuss the importance of a paleontologist having knowledge of biology, anatomy, etc. Have students think about
identifying unknown animals from strange bones.
ASSESSMENT:
• Students are actively involved in the construction of a "pasta
dinosaur."
• Record why they picked certain pasta to be certain bones.
• Have students observe all constructions. Verbal discussion
of similarities and differences should be supported by their
written observations.
Teaching Suggestions:
• Tell students that their dinosaur will be lying on the table,
not standing up. Relate this to problems encountered by
paleontologists working with real dinosaur fossils.
Further Challenge:
• Give students pictures of dinosaurs and have them identify
them as plant-eaters or meat-eaters.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Rock Riddles
by Nancy Moore
Walton Middle School
OBJECTIVE:
• Use synonyms of words used in earth
science lessons to write “Rock
Riddles.”

“Hink Pinks” are riddles with one-syllable rhyming answers
(fat cat, sweet treat). “Hinky pinkies” are riddles with twosyllable rhyming answers (paper scraper, handy candy). Rock
Riddles are patterned after this.
TIME: 45 minutes.

Materials and Equipment:
PROCEDURES:
• Paper and pencil for each student.
• Copies of dictionaries and thesauruses which can be shared by
students.
What do you
call
a
conversation
among
stones?

Rock Talk!

1. Have students come up with a list of earth science words.
List these on a chalkboard. (Examples: rock, stone, plate,
coal, slate, shale, etc.)
2. Have students come up with words that rhyme with the
earth science words. The pair of words will usually be an
adjective/noun combination. Watch out--they may be quite
silly. (Examples: rock talk, stone loan, plate fate, coal bowl,
late slate, pale shale, etc.)
3. The students must now write a question for which the
rhyming pair would be the answer. They may NOT use
either of the rhyming words in the question. This is where
the thesaurus comes in handy. For example:
a. What do rocks get when they need money? (stone
loan)
b. What happened to the earth’s crust? (plate fate)
c. Where did the black sedimentary rock play football?
(coal bowl)
d. What metamorphic rock was running? (late slate)
e. What do you call a crumbly sedimentary rock that is
light in color? (pale shale)
4. Once students have the knack of writing “Rock Riddles,”
they can write them independently and share them with
their classmates. This may be a fun way to start each class
by sharing a new riddle.
ASSESSMENT:
• Students will be evaluated according to their ability to write
“Rock Riddles.”

RockCamp

Deep Ocean Current Forces
by Sally Morgan
East Fairmont High School
TIME: One 50-minute class period.

OBJECTIVES:

PROCEDURES:

• Find out how different densities affect
a solution.
• Find out how differences in salinity
affect a solution.
• Find out how temperature affects a
solution.

PART A: Density
Obtain the 4 different colored, different density solutions.
It is up to you to determine the layering order of the solutions. Place one or two fingers' width of each solution, drop
by drop, into the test tube (straw) without mixing them, so
that the most dense solution will go to the bottom.
1. Choose a colored solution and place it into the test tube
(straw). Make sure to record the order in which you place
the solutions.
2. Choose another colored solution and slowly place it in
the test tube (straw).
3. If mixing occurs, start a new trial. Make sure to begin with
a different color. Reminder: Record all data.
4. Continue in this manner until you have determined the
order of density.
Questions:
• In which order did you find the solutions layered (from
bottom to top)?
• Why do you think this occurred?
• If these materials were added to the ocean, which order
would they arrange themselves?

Materials and Equipment:
• 8-10 test tubes (straws can be
substituted with clay or potato
slices)
• 4 droppers
• 4 different density solutions of
different colors (alcohol, water,
salt water, and glycerine)
• 4 different saline solutions of
different colors (freshwater, 25%
salt solution, 50% salt solution, and
saturated salt solution)
• Ice
• Candle or bunsen burner
• Beaker
• Food coloring

PART B: Salinity and Density
Salinity affects ocean currents. You will now need to obtain the 4 different colored, different saline solutions.
Repeat the procedures in Part A with the new solutions.
This time you will be determining the order of salinity.
Questions:
• In which order did you find the solutions layered (from bottom to top)?
• Why do you think this occurred?
• If these materials were added to the ocean, which order
would they arrange themselves?

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

• Where in the ocean would the saltiest water be located?
yellow

red

green

blue

freshwater

25%
salt
solution

50%
salt
solution

saturated
salt
solution

red

yellow

blue

green

alcohol

water

salt
water

glycerine

PART C: Temperature and Density
Temperature affects ocean currents.
1. Heat your test tube from Part B. Observe any internal
movement. Record your observations.
2. Obtain a beaker. Fill it half full of warm water.
3. Gently add a drop of yellow or red food coloring at the
center. Observe the movement. Record your observation.
4. Add an ice cube to the beaker of colored water.
5. Add one or two drops of dark food coloring (blue or
green) directly on the ice cube. Observe the movement.
Record your observations.
Questions:
• What happened when you heated the salt water solution?
• Where in the ocean might this occur?
• What happened when the ice and food coloring were added
to the water?
• Where in the ocean might this occur?
ASSESSMENT:
• From this investigation, discuss how the density affects ocean
water.
• Students have recorded data.
• Recorded data supports statements and hypothesis.
• Students relate density, salinity, and temperature to each
other.
• Students develop an understanding of what drives some
ocean currents.

RockCamp

Fossils in Time
by Karen Parlett
Pleasants County Middle School
This unit consists of a set of activities that introduce students to fossils. It can easily be adapted to other grades with
a few changes. The focus can also be changed. Students can
be introduced to fossil formation, fossil types, index fossils,
or mapping.

OBJECTIVE:
• Use a variety of skills to explore and
develop an understanding of fossil
formation, types, age, environments,
and identification.

TIME: Each station lasts one 45-minute class period. Last 10
minutes are devoted to cleanup and completing record sheet.
PROCEDURES:
Students use a set of learning stations at which they work
in cooperative groups. Students rotate through jobs as the
groups rotate through the stations. The stations are labeled
for descriptive purposes only. They are designed to be
completed in any order.
DAY 1—STATION A: Message in a Fossil
This program simulates a fossil dig and shows the students
tools and techniques used in uncovering fossils.
1. As the students uncover fossils, they match them to fossils in a “museum” and build an appropriate diorama for
their own museum.
2. Record the information in logbook and on time scale chart.
Questions:
• Name two tools a paleontologist uses when looking for
fossils.
• Name two fossils your group found.
• From what era and/or period did those fossils come?
DAY 2—STATION B: Fossil Casting
Each student makes a plaster cast of a fossil of their choice.
1. Soften the piece of clay. Make it large enough to fit the
bottom of the cardboard tube. Do not attach it to the
tube yet.
2. Rub dishwashing liquid on the fossil. This keeps the clay
from sticking to the fossil. Press the fossil firmly into the
clay and then lift it out of the clay. You now have a mold.
3. Put your name on the cardboard tube. Place the tube on
the clay, centering your mold. Seal the tube with the clay
so it won’t leak.
4. Mix two scoopfuls of plaster with about 15 ml of water.

Materials and Equipment:
STATION A: Message in a
Fossil
• Computer
• "Message in a Fossil" software by
Edunetics. Students work through
1 lesson.

Materials and Equipment:
STATION B: Fossil Casting
• Plaster of paris
• Plastic cups
• Stirring sticks
• Water
• Dishwashing liquid
• Graduated cylinders
• Clay
• Cardboard rings
• Labeled collection of fossils
• Fossil handbook
Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Stir the mixture so it looks like pancake batter (thick, but
easy to pour). Add water or plaster as necessary.
5. Pour the plaster mixture into the cardboard tube. Place it
on a tray to dry overnight. This will be your cast.
6. Read about the fossil you are reproducing and choose
one of the following activities to complete:
a. Draw a picture of the animal in the environment it
may have inhabited.
b. Write a short story telling about how this animal may
have lived.
c. Write two or three paragraphs describing a presentday animal that is similar to the fossil you cast.

Materials and Equipment:
STATION C: Mystery Fossils
• Collection of unlabeled fossils
• Variety of resource materials
(fossil handbooks, encyclopedias,
posters)

Questions:
• What fossil did you choose?
• From what era and/or period did the fossil come?
• What does “index fossil” mean?
• Would your fossil be a good index fossil? Why or why not?
DAY 3—STATION C: Mystery Fossils
1. Students use the resource materials to identify at least
five fossils found at the station.
2. Students draw a picture of the fossil and name it.
3. Tell the time range (era, period) and environment or habitat in which it lived.
Questions:
• How many fossils did you identify?
• Which resource helped you find the most information?
• Which fossil was the earliest one you identified? In which
era and/or period did it exist?

RockCamp

Materials and Equipment:
DAY 4—STATION D: Fossil Dig
1. Students work together as a group to sift and search a
box of sand to find fossils.
2. Students draw what they find, identify it and keep one
sample. Extra fossils are returned to the box for the next
group.
Questions:
• Name three kinds of fossils your group found.
• In what type of environment did these plants or animals
live?
• How did you decide what the environment was like?

STATION D: Fossil Dig
• Container large enough for group
of four students to work in
• Fossiliferous soil (obtained locally
or from a reliable source)
• Sand
• Soil
• Rocks for filler
• Identification sheet
• Handbooks
• Hand lenses

Materials and Equipment:
DAY 5—STATION E: Puzzle Time
1. Students glue puzzle pieces to newsprint to make a time
scale poster.
2. Check completed puzzles to make sure they are correct.
2. Students color puzzle or complete a word puzzle based
on geologic terms.
Questions:
• During which era did fossil signs of bacteria and algae first
appear?
• During which period did fish fossils first appear?
• Name the era and the periods when dinosaurs flourished.

STATION E: Puzzle Time
• Envelope containing pieces for 1
geologic time scale puzzle
• Glue
• Newsprint or construction paper
for mounting puzzle
• Colored pencils for coloring completed puzzles

ASSESSMENT:
• Assessment is based on the student’s work at each station,
the completion of the logbook questions, and the geologic
time chart. Most stations also have written work that the
student must complete either individually or as part of a
group.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Name that Rock
by Karen Parlett
Pleasants County Middle School
Objectives:

TIME: One or two 45-minute class periods.

• Reinforce observation, classification
skills, and organizational skills.
• Remember characteristics of the
three main classes of rocks.
• Learn to recognize and identify some
locally common rocks and begin their
own rock collection.

PROCEDURES:

Materials and Equipment:
• Container of mixed gravel including limestone aggregate
• Cups with water for rinsing rocks
• Acid for testing limestone
• Egg cartons for collection
• Pens for marking rocks
• Hand lenses
• Rock identification books
(optional)
• Index cards
Safety Note: When using hydrochloric
acid, follow all lab safety measures.

egg carton

1.
3.

igneous
2.
4.

sedimentary
1.
2.
3.
4.

1. Students work in groups of 4 or 5. Each group will need a
small container of mixed gravel, a cup of water, and paper
towels. Instruct the students to rinse off their rocks and
group them. Give as many or as few limitations as needed.
Give a time limit (such as 5 to 8 minutes) and tell the
students that each group will need to explain how they
grouped the samples. After each group has explained the
classification system used, spend a few minutes discussing
the use of classification in science in general. Introduce or
review the three major classes of rocks and give them
some general characteristics to look for.
2. Ask the student to develop a classification chart based on
the system developed in Step 1. Check each group’s work
and make suggestions where necessary. When students
find rocks that may be limestone, they should test the
rocks with acid. (Teacher may need to do this step for
students depending on grade level.)
3. Each student should prepare a half egg carton for the collection. On an index card, each student should write limestone, sandstone, granite, gneiss, and whatever other rocks
you have available. The index card should be attached to
the inside cover of the egg carton.
4. Each student should then number their rock samples to
correspond to the labels on the index card.
5. Once each student’s collection has been checked, students should use rock identification books
to determine which of their rocks are
sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.
Students then list their rocks on a chart
under the appropriate heading.
metamorphic
1.
3.

index cards

rock samples

GRADE AA
bls

RockCamp

2.
4.

ASSESSMENT:
Assessment rubric
A. Classification system complete. Numerous aspects of rock
description mentioned such as size, shape, color, surface
appearance (luster), hardness (resistance to scratching),
reaction to acid, grain size, composition, rock type (sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic), etc. All samples described.
B. Classification system consistently lacks one or two major
descriptors. All but one sample fully described.
C. Classification system lacks many major descriptors. More
than one sample not described.
D. Classification system inadequate. Many samples not described.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Mighty Metamorphic Power Rocks
by Karen Parlett
Pleasants County Middle School
OBJECTIVE:

TIME: Two to three 40-minute classes.

• Students will describe various ways
rocks can form, and recognize that
rocks change over time.
• Students will write a short story, skit,
or comic strip about how the rocks
became the Mighty Metamorphic
Power Rocks.

PROCEDURES:

Materials and Equipment:
• Various resource books
• Brief description of rocks
• Biographical information of rock
“personalities”

Metamorphic

Power

Mighty Metamorphic Power Rocks
Biographical Sketch:
We are normal igneous and sedimentary rocks.
Gary Granite:
Used to be a hothead magma
man, but is cool now.
Larry Limestone:
Smooth, gray, strong, but kind of
fizzy (or is that dizzy).
Beverly Bituminous
Dark, energetic, "lights up the
room" type girl.
Sammy Sandstone:
Gritty, often tough, but tends to
crack under pressure.
Sharon Shale:
Smooth, but kind of crumbly.
1. Heat and pressure changed us into the Mighty Metamorphic Power Rocks. What are our Mighty Metamorphic
Power names?
2. Use these descriptions, or some of your own, to make up
a story, skit, or comic strip about these rocks who become the “Mighty Metamorphic Power Rocks.” You may
want to add more characters. Just remember to use real
rocks and some real possibilities in your story. Use rock
books and encyclopedias to help you. Add illustrations if
you wish.
3. Students will present this to the class when finished.
Teaching Suggestion:
• Limestone can become marble, bituminous can become
anthracite, sandstone can become quartzite, shale can become slate or schist, and granite might become gneiss.
ASSESSMENT:
• The finished product, story, skit, or comic strip is assessed
as to accuracy and creativity. Students can explain how
change relates the three kinds of rocks.

RockCamp

Musical Rocks
by Kathleen Prusa
Philippi Elementary School

TIME: Approximately 40 minutes.

OBJECTIVE:

PROCEDURES:
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.

6.
7.
8.

• Provide young students with an
innovative way of seeing the differLecture/Discussion: Using the book, observe and discuss
ences in physical properties of rocks.
the differences between rocks and minerals, and then rock
types (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic).
Materials and Equipment:
Activity: Bring out rock samples from each type (for ex- (for each group)
ample: igneous--granite, diorite, basalt; sedimentary--sandstone, shale, limestone, conglomerate; metamorphic-- • Textbook
gneiss, marble, or slate).
• Rock samples
Have students describe the rocks. Color, texture, size, • Toilet paper rolls
mass (heft), roundness, angularity, etc. may be important • Tissues
contributors to their instruments.
• Tape
Have the students decide which work better at being • Paper
shaken, struck, or scraped.
• Rubber mallets
Create instruments from the rocks. Use other materials
(toilet paper rolls, rubber mallets, paper, tape, etc.) to
enhance sounds or to strike the rocks. For example, sandstone pieces can be scraped together, marble can be hit
with rubber mallet, small pieces can be made into shakers
with toilet paper rolls and tape.
Have a rock concert!
Observe reasons for the different sounds.
Make suggestions about the composition and nature of
each specimen.

• Observe how the instruments work.
• Have students make suggestions for the noise each instrument makes.
• Grades are based on participation, creativity, and completeness of ideas about the nature of each specimen(s).
• Students reveal some understanding of the differences in
rocks.

ASSESSMENT:

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Modeling Geologic Columns with
Sand Art
by Debra Rockey
Wellsburg Middle School
OBJECTIVES:
• Construct geologic column models of
regional sedimentary rocks.
• Construct a scale model of rock
layers.
• Compare the models with geologic
time.
• Determine the relative age of each
rock.
• Explain the relationship between
rocks and the environments in which
they formed.
• Relate minable coals to the local
economy.
Materials and Equipment:
(for each group)
• 1 clear plastic tube or plastic
container
• 1 stopper (to seal tubes)
• Clear glue
• Masking tape
• White sand (200 grams)
• Non-toxic powdered Tempera
paint (black, blue, yellow, orange,
red, and green)
• Mixing bucket
• 4-6 containers for colored sand
• Small paper cup (for filling tubes)
• Dowel rod (for compressing sand)
• Set of colored pencils
• Symbol key for sedimentary rocks
• Cross section of local rock outcrop

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Geologists use rock descriptions to construct a vertical
model (geologic column) of a site. By comparing the columns
for different sites, it may be possible to trace (correlate) key
beds from site to site. The accuracy of geologic maps and
estimates of mineral reserves is dependent upon the accuracy of correlations.
Correlations may be made by modeling outcrops and surface exposures. Correlation of sub-surface strata may be made
by modeling drilling data.
Geologists use certain colors to distinguish sedimentary
rock types in stratigraphic models. Sandstones are indicated
by yellow, black is used for coal, blue is for limestone, and
green is used for shale. Red is a modifier used to denote special features of the rock such as reddish shales. Important
features of the rock layer such as fossils or concretions should
also be noted.
TIME: Three 45-minute class periods.
PROCEDURES:
1. Prepare the plastic tube. One end should be permanently
sealed. If necessary, prepare the end of the tube by using
a permanent glue to seal the end.
2. Mix the non-toxic powdered Tempera paint with the sand
and water as needed. You may use buckets or large plastic containers to mix the sand.
3. Divide the students into small groups of 2 or 3.
4. Each group is given a handout of geologic formations. The
students will use colored pencils to shade the geologic
columns and local cross sections to correspond with the
various rock strata. The students will color the rock layers in the following manner: limestone (Ls)--blue; shale
(Sh)--green; coal (C)--black; sandstone (Ss)--yellow; clay-green; and concealed areas--white or undyed sand.
5. Determine any appropriate scale for the model. Divide
the total height of the rock layers in the cross section by
the length of the tube. (Caution: Leave space at the top to
seal the tube.)

6. The students must place a strip of masking tape on the
side of the plastic tube, placed from the sealed end of the
tube to the opening at the top. The tape will be used to
note measurements, presence of fossils, or special features of the rock strata.
7. Each group will construct a geologic column to represent
their assigned outcrop. Using the handouts as a guide, the
students fill their tubes with the colored sand to complete their model. As each layer is poured, it must be
compacted with a dowel rod. (If the layers of colored
sand do not completely fill the tube, the remaining area
should be filled with undyed sand.
8. Each completed tube is capped with a stopper. Attach
labels to indicate the outcrop represented in the model.

Stopper
or cap
100 meters

Scale taped
to side

ASSESSMENT:
• The students must correctly label each rock layer in the
model.
• The students must propose at least one environment of
deposition indicated by their model.
• The students must indicate the scale used to create their
model.

Colored sand
representing
sedimentary
rock
sequence

Teaching Suggestions:
• There are some factors which make correlation difficult.
The deposition of a sedimentary rock layer may not be continuous over an extended area. In some areas, erosion may
have removed all or part of the rock layer.
• Plastic tubes should be 30 cm long and have an internal
diameter of 2.2 cm. Each tube holds 180 grams of sand
(slightly more than 1/2 cup of sand)
• The dyed sand can be reused. Rinse the sand with water
and strain it through cheesecloth. Allow the sand to dry
and then re-dye the sand.
• Conduct a field trip to compare the models with the outcrop sites.
• In some cases, siltstone may be distinguished from sandstone by using orange colored sand. The fire clays which lie
under some coals may be indicated by using purple sand.

• Have samples of the rock types available for students to
observe.
• Have the students compare the model geologic columns
with slides or photographs of the actual outcrops.
• Red sand may be used as a modifier to distinguish certain
rock types such as “red bed” shales.
• Place emphasis on recording the proper sequence of rock
layers in the models.

Abbreviations, Color Codes,
and Symbols
for Sedimentary Rocks

Sandstone - Ss (yellow)

Siltstone (orange)

Shale - Sh (green)

Clay (green or purple)

Limestone - Ls (blue)

Coal - C (black)

Concealed areas - (white)

RockCamp

Doughy Topos
by Christine Sacco
Warwood Middle School
TIME: 60 minutes.

Objectives:

• Understand the basic concept of
elevation.
1. Have each group make 4 different sizes of pancakes out • Understand that streams may form
upstream V’s.
of different colored dough.
• Construct a contour map.
2. Trace the 4 pancakes on a sheet of white paper.
3. Have the students stack the four different size pancakes • Construct a topographic profile.
on top of each other, largest on the bottom. Have one • Compare and constuct a flat contour
map to a 3-D model.
edge of the dough line up.
4. Discuss elevation. Discuss the way water will flow. Discuss slope (steepness, gentle erosion from water over a Materials and Equipment:
(for each group)
period of years).
5. Pour water over the dough so students can see the path
• 4 different colors of dough
of water.
6. Have students use a plastic knife and cut out a pie wedge. • Paper and pencil
• Plastic knife
7. Discuss stream flow (V’s).
• Glue
8. Take the traced shapes and cut them out.
9. Glue shapes on top of each other, largest on the bottom. • Scissors
Have one edge of the shapes line up (same as the dough).
10. Label contour lines starting with 0 m.
11. Place a folded piece of paper on the contour map and
mark the contours.
12. Take the marked paper and construct a profile on grid
Topo Dough
paper provided.
13. After profile is made, make a cross section of the dough
1 cup flour
model and compare files.
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
ASSESSMENT:
3 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• Student profile is realistic.
Food coloring
• Student can find stream carved "V's" on a topographic map
and use them to explain the direction of water flow.
Mix together and cook over
• Given a clay model showing dipping layers of rock, the stumedium to low heat. Knead
dents can extrapolate their findings to explain why some
1-2 minutes.
"V's" point downstream.
PROCEDURES:

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Black-Box Ocean Floor Landforms
by Ron Sacco
Moundsville Junior High
OBJECTIVES:

TIME: Allow 3 class periods.

• Measure the depth of various points
PROCEDURE:
simulating sonar mapping of the
ocean floor.
1. Draw a grid on the top of the box lid. (I have the students
• Construct profiles from recorded data.
follow these instructions since the boxes vary in size.)
• Identify examples of ocean landforms.
a. Place box so its length is running left to right in front
of them.
Materials and Equipment:
b. Measure and mark the middle on both ends and con(per student)
nect the marks creating a middle line.
c. Draw two more lines parallel to the middle line and
• 1 shoebox with lid
equally dividing the distance above the middle line.
(or similar box)
d. Draw two more lines parallel to the middle line and
• 1 calibrated chopstick or dowel
equally dividing the distance below the middle line.
rod for a probing device
e. Starting at the left end measure across the top and
• Ruler
bottom marking every inch (or 2 or 3 cm).
• Nail to punch holes in box lid
f. Connect the top and bottom marks to complete the
• Scissors
grid.
• Masking tape
g. Label the five rows of holes A, B, C, D, and E. Label
• School glue
the column of holes 1, 2, 3, etc.
• Supply of cardboard
2. Calibrate the probing device (example: cm)
• Writing utensil
3. Create various landforms by taping cardboard inside the
box.
Examples of landforms:
continental shelf
mid-ocean ridge
continental slope
seamount
abyssal plain
island
ocean trench
guyot
4. Tape the lid on the box.
5. Students exchange boxes with another group (a box with
contents they have not seen).
6. Students use the probing device to determine the depth
below sea level for each grid intersection and record data
on the data table (activity sheet).
7. Graph data from each line to make several profiles.
8. Label predictions of landform names on profiles.
9. Don't open box. Discuss uncertainity of explanation and
inference.
10. Open box and compare profiles with content.

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ASSESSMENT:
• Participation and performance.
• Ability to record data.
• Ability to use data to make and support predictions.

ROWS

A
B
C
D

E
4

COLUMNS

3
2
1

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Constellation Box Activity
by Jennifer L. Smith
Mountainview Elementary
OBJECTIVES:

TIME: Prior preparation and one 45-minute class period.

• Compare and contrast the winter and
summer constellations.
• Use observations and additional
resources to answer questions about
constellations.

PROCEDURES:

Materials and Equipment:
• 2 constellation boxes, one winter
sky and one summer sky (see
separate directions)
• Data sheet to record observations
• Question sheet to be completed
at end of activity
Optional:
• Audio tape of “space” music
• Cassette tape player with headphones
Materials and Equipment for
Constructing Constellation
Box:
• 2 large cardboard boxes (equal in
size)
• Paintbrush
• Hammer
• Pencil, pen, or marker
• Nails of various diameters
• Heavy, black cloth
• Black tempera paint
• Clear, wide packing tape

Construction Directions for Constellation Box:
You will need two boxes for this activity. One box should
represent a winter sky and one should represent a summer
sky. (If you prefer, boxes could represent fall and spring skies.)
1. Turn one box so that the open end faces up.
2. Use packing tape to tape down any flaps that are on the
inside of the box.
3. Paint the inside of the box black. Allow to dry.
4. Turn the box over so that the bottom is facing up.
5. Draw dots in the form of constellations on the bottom of
the box. Using an enlarged star chart from a book will
help. (If you are using a star chart from a book, don’t
forget to reverse the pattern so it will be correct from
the inside.)
6. Use the hammer and nails to punch out the dots through
the bottom of the box. The holes should vary in size to
match the relative brightness of the stars.
7. Turn the box over and cut a "doghouse door" opening in
one side of the box that is large enough for a child's midsection to fit through.
8. Attach black cloth over the opening so that no light can
enter the box. It should be long enough so that it will
drape over a child’s midsection and out onto the floor.
9. When both boxes are completed, place them in a sunny
or well-lit area of the classroom.
Activity Directions:
1. The student will lie down with his/her head and upper
part of the torso inside one of the constellation boxes to
observe the sky and record observations. Be sure to set a
time limit for observing before the student enters the box.
Optional: While lying in the box, student can listen to the
cassette tape of “space” music through the headphones.

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2. The student will lie down in the second constellation box
to observe the sky. He/she will make and record observations.
3. After the student has had an opportunity to observe both
constellation boxes, he/she will use their observations plus
other additional resources to compare and contrast the
visible stars and complete the question sheet.
4. Assign each student a constellation to research. Have them
tell the names of the stars in that constellation, how the
constellation was named, etc.
ASSESSMENT:
The evaluation of this activity can include, but is not limited
to, the following techniques:
• Teacher observations of the activity.
• Student self-evaluation.
• Completeness of student observations and statements.
• Checking answers to the questions.
Further Challenge:
• Invite your students and their parents to bring a blanket
and join you at the school on a Friday evening. Play the
“space” music cassette to get everyone in the mood to stargaze. You may also want to bring along snacks to share with
your fellow stargazers.
• Invite a guest speaker to your classroom to talk about the
stars, planets, the space program, or any other appropriate
topic.
• Have students write and illustrate a book about stargazing
or other appropriate topics.
• Have each student make their own constellation box, following the instructions provided with this lesson.
• Have students graph brightness, size, color, etc. of the stars
in various constellations.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Oooh, What A Relief It Is...
by Tanya Smith
Sacred Heart of Mary School
OBJECTIVES:

TIME: Adapted over 3 or 4 days. Limit group size to 5 students.

• Understand use of cross-sectional
profiles and contour lines to represent PROCEDURES:
elevation.
• Create a landform model demonstrat- 1. Introduce the topic of elevation with a relief map. Discuss
ing an understanding of major landand review the four basic landforms. Involve the group in
forms.
making a cross-sectional profile of the United States.
• Apply concepts through constructing a 2. From the relief map, introduce the use of contour lines.
"contour map" of landform models.
Go over rules for using contour lines. Develop through
discussion and examples.
Materials and Equipment:
Rules for Using Contour Lines:
a. Contour lines never cross.
• Flashlight
b. In areas of high relief (steep areas), contour lines
• Relief map/physical map of the U.S.
are closer together.
• Potters clay (non-firing/2 pounds
c. In areas of low relief (flat areas), contour lines
per group)
are farther apart.
• Tools (popsicle sticks, toothpicks,
d. Contour lines "V" upstream.
etc.
e. Hachure marks show a depression in elevation.
• Metric ruler
• Graduated cylinder
• Clear containers with clear lids
3. Break class into small groups for "Constructing the Land• Overhead transparency
form Models." Each group will use the following materi• Transparency markers
als:
• Tape
a. Approximately 2 pounds of clay
• Water
b. Popsicle sticks, toothpicks (used as "tools")
• Blue food coloring
c. Clear container with clear lid
• Beaker
Each group is responsible for constructing a landform
• White unlined paper
model with the materials provided.
• Newspapers, paper towels (for
4. Let models dry overnight.
spills)
5. Assign each student to draw a cross-sectional profile of
• Collapsible drinking cup
their model and write a short paragraph describing the
• 7.5-minute topographic map of
features of their environment.
surrounding area
6. Review concepts covered so far. Use a collapsible drinking cup to reinforce the use of contour lines. Distribute
materials to groups and lead class through the procedures
for "Constructing Contours." Each group will use the following materials:
a. Previously constructed landform models.
b. Metric ruler
c. Overhead transparency

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d. Transparency marker
e. Tape
f. Water
g. Food coloring
h. Beaker
i. Graduated cylinder
7. Students will work to create contour maps by following
these procedures:
a. Use tape to secure an overhead transparency to the
container's lid.
b. Measure a predetermined amount (e.g. 100 ml) of
colored water into a graduated cylinder and pour the
liquid over the landform model.
c. Place lid over the model and use marker to carefully
trace the water line.
d. Repeat steps 2 and 3, adding a consistent amount of
colored water and tracing the water line until the landform has been mapped by means of contour lines.
e. Drain water off of landform models and dispose.
f. Have a class discussion and demonstration of concepts
and evaluation.
ASSESSMENT:
• Have students present their completed projects to the class
illustrating their understanding of:
a. How elevation is shown on topographic maps.
b. How contour maps relate to cross-sectional profiles
and contour intervals.
c. How the distance between contour intervals indicates
the steepness of the slope of the landform, and basic
landform features.
• Have students exchange contour maps and draw crosssectional profiles from this information, identify features,
and then match with appropriate models.
Further Challenges:
• Provide groups of students with 7.5-minute topographic
maps of the local area and have them identify various landform features.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

• Practice cross-sectional drawings from maps.
• Have a “Topographic Treasure Hunt” and have students
locate specific information on topographic maps.
• Have students construct original topographic maps with
scale and legend.

RockCamp

Behind Jurassic Park
by Paula Waggy
Franklin High School
The possibility of recreating dinosaurs from DNA in insect saliva stirs the imagination. This improbable scenario can
be used to start students considering what other organisms
shared the Jurassic scene with ancient behemoths. They may
be startled to realize that most of the insects alive during
T- rex's reign would be familiar to them, as all but six common modern orders of insects had already evolved.

OBJECTIVE:
• Match modern insects to the time
period in which they evolved as an
attention-getting introduction to
geologic time.
Materials and Equipment:

TIME: 50 minutes.
PROCEDURE:
1. With students working in pairs, pass out the cardboard
or styrofoam strips with insects pinned to them but in
the wrong time periods. As an alternative, students can
use their own insect collections and receive empty strips.
2. Line each strip up with the marked sections matching the
geologic time periods on the Geologic History of Insects
sheet. Use the sketches on the sheet to help determine
where to put each insect. Insect field guides can be used
to check questionable specimens.

• 8-10 pinned insect specimens
• Cardboard or styrofoam strips
divided into sections which match
the time periods on the Geologic
History of Insects sheet
• Geologic History of Insects sheet

ASSESSMENT:
•

Ask students to keep the strips lined up beside the Geologic History of Insects charts. Check for accuracy after
they have rearranged the insects into the correct time
periods during which they evolved. For most insects, a
typical member of an insect order has been represented
on the chart. Consider that all the other insects in that
order evolved during the same time period. For instance,
a yellow jacket would be placed beside the Triassic period
where bees, wasps, and ants are listed. The exception is
order Orthoptera. Most evolved during the Triassic period
(i.e. crickets, mantids, katydids, etc.). However, the cockroach was 115 million years ahead of the rest of the order and evolved during the Carboniferous period.

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Further Challenge:
• Pick a geologic time period and research it to find out what
type of plants lived then, what large and small land creatures inhabited the earth, and if any other flying creatures
besides insects had appeared. Draw the environment on a
poster or mural including as much detail and as many
species as possible. This activity can take as long as five 50minute class periods. Working in pairs on a posterboard is
an effective way of accomplishing this. By the end of the
activity after students have shared their research and art
work, they have a good working knowledge of the geologic
time periods.

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Geologic History of Insects
CENOZOIC

(Insects
(Ins
are listed beside the period during which they first developed.)

Quaternary
2 million
years ago

Tertiary

65 million
years ago

MESOZOIC

Cretaceous
144 million
years ago

bent antennae
body quite hairy
narrow waist and
stinger

Termites

Fleas

Jurassic

Permian

286 million
years ago

Carboniferous
360 million
years ago

Devonian

408 million
years ago

Ants

bent antennae
narrow waist
antennae often
knobbed or feathery
and scales on wings

Earwigs

208 million
years ago

Triassic

Butterflies &
Moths

small no wings
thick waist

245 million
years ago

PALEOZOIC

Bees

wings do not
cover abdomen

Flies

Wasps

bent anntennae
narrow waist and stinger

Caddisflies

only
two
wings

Stoneflies Net-veined
Insects

looks like brown moth aquatic insects
but no scales on wings
two tails

Cockroaches

flattened body
long antennae

Springtails

Grasshoppers

long, tough forewings
large hind legs

lacy wings

Beetles

hard forewings
soft hindwings

Dragonflies

clear wings
slender abdomen

Hoppers

small traingle
between wings
wngs do not
overlap

Mayflies True
Bugs

aquatic
insects
3 tails

triangle
between wings
overlapping
wings

no wings
small

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Contour Mapping Earthquake
Intensities
by Paula Waggy and Deb Hemler
OBJECTIVE:
• Investigate a historical earthquake
using the Mercalli Intensity Scale.
• Plot the intensities of the quake to
create a contour map.

Students often associate earthquakes with California and
the San Andreas fault. They do not realize that sizable earthquakes, although not frequent, can occur in other parts of the
United States, particularly their own state of West Virginia.
The following activity makes the topic of earthquakes more
relevant to students living on the east coast.

Materials and Equipment:

TIME: 90 to 135 minutes.

• West Virginia road map
• West Virginia county outline map
• West Virginia newspaper accounts
of the Giles County, Virginia,
earthquake of 1897
• Colored pencils or magic markers
• Mercalli Scale of earthquake
intensities

PROCEDURE:

West Virginia

•Giles County, Virginia

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1. Introduce students to the Mercalli Scale of earthquake
intensities. Students use one of the Giles County, Virginia, earthquake newspaper articles to determine the
Mercalli intensity number to assign to that area of the
state. Students should then assign Mercalli intensities for
all the cities listed on the map. They can use a West Virginia road map to find the locations of the additional cities
not listed on the county map.
2. Instruct the students to write these intensities at the appropriate locations on the West Virginia state map. When
all intensities are recorded, students should draw contour lines delineating areas of similar intensities. They can
color the map using reds, oranges, and yellows for the
highest intensities and greens, blues, and violets for the
lowest intensities.
3. Students then try to explain any patterns that they see in
the contour map.
Questions:
• Ask students why the contour lines are not in neat concentric circles around the epicenter. Relate this to the general
geology and geography of West Virginia. (Reference materials may be required for this.)
• Consider the higher and more rugged mountains in the eastern part of West Virginia as compared to the mountains of
lower elevation in the western part of the state.
• Discuss the fact that every student’s map has slightly different contours. The Mercalli Scale does not match precisely
the newspaper accounts, therefore different values may be
assigned to the same location by different students. How
does the Richter Scale avoid these discrepancies?

ASSESSMENT:
• Identification of Mercalli intensities is appropriate.
• Contour map appropriately reflects available data and
obeys rules of contouring.
• Interpretation of contour patterns is appropriate.
• Hypothesis for contour variations is appropriate.

Weston

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

Modified Mercalli Intensity
Scale of 1931 (Abridged)
I.

Not felt except by a very few under especially favorable circumstances.
II. Felt only by a few persons at rest, especially
on upper floors of buildings.
III. Felt quite noticeable indoors, especially on
upper floors, but many people do not recognize it as an earthquake. Vibration like passing truck.
IV. During the day felt indoors by many, outdoors
by few. At night some awakened. Dishes,
windows, doors disturbed; walls make cracking sound. Sensation like heavy truck striking building.
V. Felt by nearly everyone; many awakened.
Some dishes, windows, etc., broken; a few
instances of cracked plaster; unstable objects overturned. Disturbance of trees, poles,
and other tall objects sometimes noticed.
Pendulum clocks may stop.
VI. Felt by all; many frightened and run outdoors.
Some furniture moved; a few instances of
damaged chimneys. Damage slight.
VII. Everybody runs outdoors. Damage negligible
in buildings of good construction; slight to
moderate in well-built ordinary structures;
considerable in poorly built or badly designed
structures.
VIII. Damage slight in specially designed structures; considerable in ordinary substantial
buildings; great in poorly built structures. Fall
of chimneys, factory stacks, columns, monuments, walls.
IX. Damage considerable in specially structures;
well-designed frame structures thrown out
of plumb; great in substantial buildings, with
partial collapse. Ground cracked conspicuously. Underground pipes broken.
X. Some well-built wooden structures destroyed; most masonary and frame structures destroyed; ground badly cracked. Considerable landslides from river banks and
steep slopes.
XI. Few, if any, (masonry) structures remain
standing. Bridges destroyed. Broad fissures
in ground. Underground pipelines completely
out of service. Earth slumps and land slips
in soft ground.
XII. Damage total. Waves seen on ground surface. Lines of sight and level distorted. Objects thrown upward into the air.

RockCamp

Giles County Earthquake of 1897
In May of 1897, the second strongest earthquake ever to strike the
southeastern quarter of the United States occured near the town of
Pearisburg, Virginia. It was a powerful quake and demonstrated its strength
by damaging buildings in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, and North
Carolina.
It was felt over an area of 280,000 square miles from Georgia in the
south, to Pennsylvania in the north, and from the Atlantic coast west as
far as Indiana.
Today, an earthquake of this size would be detected by numerous
seismographs throughout the world and digital information would pour
into earthquake research centers via satellite networks. However, in 1897
there were no satellite networks or even seismographs to record this
event.
This earthquake was largely forgotten, and within a few decades, most
people living in the area were not even aware that such a strong earthquake had ever occurred in their region. However, in the 1960s, the
construction of nuclear power plants created a demand for information
about the strongest earthquake that could reasonably be expected in all
parts of the country. These maximum expected events were to become
"design earthquakes," i.e. earthquakes that nuclear power plants are built
to withstand.
When the Giles County earthquake of 1897 was named as the design
earthquake for the Blue Ridge physiographic province, scientists wanted
to learn as much as they could about it. With no seismograph records,
the easiest way was to obtain newspaper accounts of its effects. The
following is an example of the 37 newspaper accounts students are provided with:

1897 NEWSPAPER REPORT FROM WESTON, WV
Weston, WV: An earthquake shock was felt here about two o'clock
this afternoon. Several ladies were badly scared, and one fainted. A wall in
the store room of the American Tea Company, which building is owned
by A.A. Lewis, was split from top to bottom, leaving a crack fully one
eighth of an inch wide. Several people were shaken from their chairs, and
numerous articles upon walls and stands were tumbled to the floor.
(Wheeling Register, Wheeling, WV)

Strike and Dip
by Donald J. Wagner
Franklin High School
TIME: 30 minutes.

OBJECTIVES:

PROCEDURES:

• Clarify the concepts of strike and dip.
• Measure strike and dip of a simulated
rock outcrop.

1. Stick a 1-foot piece of masking tape to a flat table top.
Align the tape as directed by the teacher.
2. Line up the edge of the short wooden board with the
masking tape, and prop the board on a textbook. Align
the mark on the board with the edge of the book. This
board represents a tilted rock layer.
3. Obtain a piece of wire and insert it in the center hole of a
plastic protractor.
4. To measure dip angle, place the wire and protractor on
the tilted board, with the wire parallel to the masking
tape and the 90° mark on the protractor straight down. An
index card, one edge on the table, the upright edge aligned
with the 90° mark and the wire, will assure this. The angle
of the dip is read where the upper edge of the board
intersects the protractor. Record this dip value.
5. The direction of the strike is perpendicular to the dip, in
line with the masking tape. Measure the direction with a
compass. Record the strike direction.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 with other boards, props or masking
tape directions as instructed by the teacher.

Materials and Equipment:
(class of 30 working in teams of 3)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

10-20 wooden boards
20-40 wooden wedges (optional)
10 magnetic compasses
10 plastic protractors
10 wires
10+ masking tape
10 index cards

ASSESSMENT:
• This exercise is designed to clarify the concepts of strike
and dip, and possibly practice before a field trip. Informal
observational evaluation may be sufficient. If a grade is desired, simply check the student records of dip angle and
strike direction against your predetermined correct answers.
More advanced students should be more accurate.
Teaching suggestions:
• “Grade level” depends on ability. Students should be able
to read a compass and a protractor.
• Assemble the “rock units” beforehand if you want two or
more angles to measure. Wooden wedges are available at
hardware or building supply stores.
• To allow the teacher to check the accuracy of the meaAdaptive Earth Science Activities

surements, have the students orient the masking tape in a
specific direction (same for all, different?), use a specific book
as a prop (their science text!) and align the book with marks
you have put on the boards (see figure).
• The protractor must be held so that the 0-180° line is
parallel to the table and the 90° line is perpendicular (see
figure).

wooden
rock layers
k
ar
tm
ok
n
e
bo
m
n
ig
al

mas
king
tap
e

DIP
dire
ctio
n

STR
IKE
dire
ctio
n

wire

plastic protractor
wire
angle
of dip
mark
book
right
angle

RockCamp

compass

Solar System Travel Company
by Karen Williams
Elkins Middle School
In this activity I explain to my students that they are now
employees of the SST Co. As such they will have to travel to
their assigned solar body to study it so they can create an
informative yet interesting travel brochure and TV commercial that will entice earthlings into vacationing there.
TIME: Seven to eight 50-minute classes.
PROCEDURES:
1. Assign students to groups of 3 or 4. Have each group
draw the name of their planet/moon from a hat. To cover
8 planets, our moon, the sun, and some of the larger moons
of other planets, they will share the presentations with
each class through the videotaped commercials and brochures.
2. Their exploratory trip will actually involve 2 days of library research. During this time they may NOT use encyclopedias. They should discover basic information and interesting facts about their planet/moon that would be important to the tourists. Some of these include but are not
limited to:
a. Size
b. Distance from Earth
c. Day/night length
d. Length of year
e. Average temperature (day/night)
f. Atmospheric composition and characteristics
g. Surface composition, characteristics, and geology
h. Number of moons and if they make good side trips
(briefly describe)
i. Any information that makes the body unique or special
3. The next 2 days are spent planning their commercial and
creating their brochure. The teacher can provide material to help create these. NASA will provide information
if it is requested. Web sites contain many pictures and
much information.
4. For the brochure, fold a large piece of construction paper
into thirds to make a booklet. Samples of travel brochures

OBJECTIVE:
• Learn about the bodies that make up
our solar system.
• Gain skills in using the tools of the
library.
• Understand how to make a concise,
informative, and interesting presentation.
Materials and Equipment:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Video camera/VCR/videotape
Construction paper
Glue
Markers
Crayons
Colored pencils
Scissors
Pictures, brochures, etc., from
NASA
• Local travel brochures
• Optional: computer for Internet
searches

Adaptive Earth Science Activities

from the local tourism bureau are helpful to have on hand.
Criteria for the commercial are as follows:
a. All students must participate;
b. It must be creative--have them think about what commercials hold their interest;
c. Must last between one and two minutes;
d. Must have visual aids;
e. Must communicate relevant information.
On day 5, return to library to videotape the commercials.
While one group is taping, the others are “checking out”
the brochures as a study method and taking notes. The
commercial is 1-2 minutes in length and all group members must participate in some way.
Show to all classes as a lesson on the solar system. They
should take notes. Show each commercial twice and have
the group answer questions if they are in that class; if not,
the teacher may answer their questions.
The students rate each commercial on a scale of 1-5 for
entertainment value. This will be used as part of the grade
for this project.

ASSESSMENT:
Brochure:
Creativity

Content
Commercial:
Creativity

Content

RockCamp

Is it “eye-catching”?
Is it attractive?
Is the material presented in an
interesting way?
Is it accurate?
Does it contain an adequate amount?
Is it well organized?
Student evaluation.
Does it hold your interest?
Is it a unique idea?
Is it well presented?
Same as brochure.

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Activities ://www.wvgs.wvnet.edu/www/geoeduc/adaptiveactivities Adaptiveactivities

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