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Earth Sciences

Sites for Learning and Exploring

YouTube Channels & Podcasts

Earth Science General

Climate & Weather

Environment & Sustainability

Sites for Learning and Exploring

Earth geological and climatic history | Khan AcademyWhat is the Earth made up of and how do we know? What causes the seasons? Are there longer-ranging cycles in Earth's climate?

OLogy: The Science Website for Kids | American Museum of Natural HistoryFind out about fossils, the universe, animals, and much more! On OLogy, kids of all ages can play games, do activities, collect cards, and meet scientists.

Online Tutoring, Classes, and Test Prep - Varsity Tutors

Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science.Mystery Science offers open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science. The hook, visuals, and activity have all been prepared for you. Less prep, more learning.

ScienceScience explains and demystifies the world through the objective of gathering and analyzing data. Explore the natural world, engineering, space, military technology, physics and even supernatural phenomena.

Science Journal for Kids and TeensMaking cutting edge scientific research accessible to kids. A free STEM teaching resource.

ExploreLearning Gizmos: Math & Science SimulationsHundreds of online simulations with lesson materials, supporting research-based strategies to build deep conceptual understanding in math and science.

Explore & More | Highlights KidsFind answers to popular science questions, watch fun fact videos, and test out a new experiment or two.

2 Free Courses to explore the hydrosphere or how water shapes the land.

STEM Packs - Education - RiAus

By converting our sims to HTML5, we make them seamlessly available across platforms and devices. Whether you have laptops, iPads, chromebooks, or BYOD, your favorite PhET sims are always right at your fingertips.Become part of our mission today, and transform the learning experiences of students everywhere!phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/filter?levels=elementarySchool

Experiment Library | Science Experiments | Steve Spangler ScienceFor those of you who couldn’t join us on Facebook this week (@spanglerscience), we’ve been working hard to provide fun and amazing at home experiences to those who have been impacted by the current events.

YouTube Channels & Podcasts

BBC Earth KidsWelcome to BBC Earth Kids, combining fun facts, amazing creatures, your favourite faces and a whole load of cool stuff about our planet. Be prepared to squea...

Kids Listen: Tumble Science Podcast for KidsExploring stories of science discovery. Tumble is a science podcast created to be enjoyed by the entire family. Hosted & produced by Lindsay Patterson (science journalist) & Marshall Escamilla (teacher). Visit www.tumblepodcast.com for more information and educational content.

Global Weirding with Katharine HayhoeGlobal Weirding: Climate, Politics, and Religion with Katharine Hayhoe is produced by KTTZ Texas Tech Public Media and distributed by PBS Digital Studios. Ne...

The Kid Should See ThisSmart videos for curious minds of all ages: Search & enjoy 4,000+ smart & super-cool, “not-made-for-kids, but perfect for them” videos in the classroom or together at home. Click play and start a conversation.

‎Brains On! Science podcast for kids on Apple Podcasts‎Education for Kids · 2020

But Why: A Podcast For Curious KidsBut Why is a show led by you, kids! You ask the questions and we find the answers. It's a big interesting world out there.On But Why, we tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world.Have a question? Send it to us! Adults, use your smartphone's memo function or an audio app to record your kid's question (get up nice and close so we can hear). Be sure to include: your child's first name, age and town. And then email the audio file to questions@butwhykids.org.

Wow in the WorldHosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz guide curious kids and their grown-ups on a journey into the wonders of the world around them. We'll go inside our brains, out into space and deep into the coolest new stories in science and technology.

The Science Factory(new videos every Wed/Fri) Welcome! On this channel, Mr. Brian shares his favorite science experiments, games, and art projects from his decade of experience...

SciShowSciShow explores the unexpected. Seven days a week, Hank Green, Michael Aranda, and Olivia Gordon delve into the scientific subjects that defy our expectatio...

The Water Cycle

History of the Life of Earth

Kids ScienceKids Science is the home of science & technology on the Internet for children around the world. Learn more about the amazing world of science by enjoying our...

Listen To Science FridayIt's brain fun, for curious people.

Smithsonian ChannelSmithsonian Channel™ is where curiosity lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. This is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentari...

Museum newsHear behind-the-scenes stories and read about our latest discoveries, research expeditions and collection objects on display.

Volcanoes

Earth Science General

Australia over timeLearn about our evolving landscape, Australian megafauna and other extinct animals and how we use fossils to relate the animals of the past with those of today.

The Fate of Carbon | PBS LearningMediaStudents examine the importance of carbon and learn about two Earth systems, the solubility pump and the biological pump, which cycle carbon from the atmosphere into the oceans and back again. In this interactive lesson, students watch short descriptive videos about this topic. They read and highlight video transcripts and complete short writing assignments that reflect what they've learned. As a final assignment, students recreate the steps involved in both pumps and then write a clear, descriptive paragraph or two describing one of the pumps.

Volcanism | PBS LearningMediaVolcanoes provide spectacular evidence that we are living on a dynamic planet, where land can be created or destroyed without regard to human structures or civilizations. This interactive resource adapted from the National Park Service provides an introduction to the wonderful diversity of volcanoes, describing how they form and explaining the great variation in their size and shape and in the processes that created them.

Savage Earth | Animations | PBS LearningMediaThese animations illustrate the action of volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and Earth's hot zones. Savage Earth explores the science behind volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. From the legendary fury of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. to the devastating convulsion of Kobe, Japan, in 1994, this series tells the stories of these great natural disasters, the scientists who struggle to understand and predict them, and the people whose lives are forever changed by their merciless force.

Ocean Circulation in the North Atlantic | Interactive Lesson | PBS LearningMediaStudents explore the ocean’s role in redistributing the Sun’s energy on Earth in this interactive lesson from WGBH. Students are introduced to factors influencing global ocean circulation, with a focus on the significant North Atlantic region. Through data visualizations from NASA, students investigate how factors such as sea surface temperature, density, winds, and various types of ocean flows interact in the transport of heat from equatorial regions northwards in the North Atlantic. To view the Teaching Tips and Non-Visual (NV) supports for this interactive lesson, go to Support Materials below. This resource was developed through WGBH’s Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms project, in collaboration with NASA. Click here for the full collection of resources. The associated lesson plan The Ocean and Climate: Heat Redistribution includes more supports for teachers and students, including handouts and materials for diverse learners.

Carbon Dioxide and the Carbon Cycle | PBS LearningMedia Explore how human activities alter the carbon cycle and cause atmospheric carbon dioxide to increase. Learn about the reservoirs and flows of the carbon cycle and how human activities increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the air and ocean. This increased atmospheric carbon dioxide causes global warming. Two succeeding interactives from the Pacific Islands Climate Education Partnership and WGBH show how higher carbon dioxide levels cause global warming (Earth's Energy Flows and Climate) and highlight climate change impacts and adaptation strategies for ecosystems and human communities (Impacts of Climate Change in the Pacific Region).

Antarctic Extremes | PBSJourney to Antarctica in a new digital series from NOVA and PBS Digital Studios, and discover what it takes to do science in Earth's most remote natural laboratory. Hosts Caitlin Saks and Arlo Pérez set up shop at the largest research base in Antarctica and embed with scientists and support staff alike to find out what it’s like to live, work and do science on our southernmost continent.

Research QuestResearch Quest is a series of real world science investigations designed especially for kids.

Terms of use - Queensland Museum NetworkWelcome to our Online Collections where you can search a selection of cultural artefacts, historical objects, biological specimens and geological samples held by Queensland Museum.

Volcanoes | Kids Discover Online

Coastal Geological Processes | PBS LearningMediaCoastlines are places of continuous, often dramatic geological activity. Shaped by the actions of waves, tides, currents, and other forces, coastlines change daily and seasonally, but especially over long time periods. In this interactive resource from the National Park Service, learn about the forces that help shape coastal landforms like cliffs and beaches.

The Rock Cycle | PBS LearningMediaIdentify the three main types of rock, find out how to tell the different rock types apart, and see how rocks change from one type into another.

Crash Course Earth Science

MinuteEarthScience and stories about our awesome planet! Created by Henry Reich, with Alex Reich, Peter Reich, Ever Salazar, Kate Yoshida, David Goldenberg, Arcadi Garc...

Continental Drift: What's the Big Idea? | PBS LearningMediaIn this blended lesson supporting literacy skills, students learn how the theory that explains the position of Earth's continents was established and later modified. Students develop their literacy skills as they explore a science focus on how the scientific community operates. During this process, they read informational text, learn and practice vocabulary words, and explore content through a video and interactive activities. This resource is part of the Inspiring Middle School Literacy Collection. Students need to be signed in to complete this lesson. Go to "About This Activity" in "Support Materials" below or click here.

Water Science

Water Model | PBS LearningMediaHow does water move through Earth’s layers? Use the model templates to explore the differing permeabilities of different sediment types, drill wells into model landscapes, explore the difference between confined and unconfined aquifers, discover how water moves around gaining and losing streams, and explore the difference between rural and urban area aquifers. Create your own landscapes to test ideas about water movement and sustainability of wells. Use the graphs to measure the amount of water from each well and monitor the level of water in streams.

Online Programs for Families — Sea SmartLearn from home with Sea Smart’s highly trained staff of marine biologists and environmental educators!

Geology

Earth Revealed - Annenberg LearnerA video instructional series on geology for college and high school classrooms and adult learners; 26 half-hour video programs. This…

Mountain Maker, Earth Shaker | PBS LearningMediaIn this activity, explore three kinds of boundaries where tectonic plates meet: divergent, where two plates spread apart; convergent, where two plate push against each other; and transform, where two plates slide past each other.

Dynamic Earth Interactive - Annenberg LearnerDelve into the structure of the Earth to learn what causes earthquakes, volcanoes, and more.

Rock Cycle Interactive - Annenberg LearnerLearn how to distinguish between types of rocks and discover how rocks change over time.

Structure of the Earth! | National Geographic KidsLearn all about the structure of the Earth here at National Geographic Kids! Join us as we explore the different layers - the crust, upper mantle, lower mantle, outer core and inner core...

Infopacket: Rocks and Minerals | Kids Discover Online

The Rock Cycle | Kids Discover Online

Caves and Karst | PBS LearningMediaCaves are natural cavities that form in hillsides and cliff walls and underground, and are accessible at Earth's surface. There are many different types of caves, including solution caves, tectonic caves, boulder caves, sea caves, and lava tubes. All typically form over thousands of years as a result of natural mechanical and chemical processes in soft, fractured, or soluble rock. This interactive activity adapted from the National Park Service details and depicts caves and other karst features.

Terms of use - Queensland Museum NetworkWelcome to our Online Collections where you can search a selection of cultural artefacts, historical objects, biological specimens and geological samples held by Queensland Museum.

GeoSciences Collection

Habitats

Freshwater habitatsFreshwater habitats include lakes, rivers, billabongs, wetlands and ponds. Many animals and plants live in or near these habitats. They rely on them to provide food, shelter and a place to breed.

Urban habitatsLots of people live in big cities and towns. Many Australian plants and animals have adapted to live with us in our gardens, buildings, parks and harbours. Find out what might live in your backyard.

15 rainforest facts | National Geographic KidsJoin us here at Nat Geo Kids to discover 15 cool rainforest facts. Learn fascinating facts about the rainforest's trees, plants, people and more...

Woodland habitatsWoodlands are places where the trees are spaced apart with heath and grassland in between. They often have open grassy spaces as well as clumps of trees, rocks and bushes.

Forest habitatsForests are places with tall trees and a thick canopy. In Australia the three main types of forest include dry forests, wet forests and rainforests.

Coastal habitatsCoasts are places where the land meets the sea.

Antarctic habitatsMany animals live in and visit Antarctica and the islands around it. Antarctic habitats include pack ice, mountains and the surrounding seas.

Arid habitatsAustralia is the second driest continent in the world. This does not mean that areas without fresh water do not have plants and animals. In fact, arid zone habitats are full of life. Some arid zone habitats include tall shrubs, heath, grasslands, sandy areas and rocky areas.

Ocean HabitatOcean Habitat

Florida's Everglades: The River of Grass | PBS LearningMediaIn this blended lesson supporting literacy skills, students learn how the physical conditions of the Everglades, a set of ecosystems in southern Florida, support a wide variety of life. They also learn about the effects that changing conditions can have on this unique environment and its inhabitants. Students develop their literacy skills through a science focus on how physical conditions, living things, and habitats are connected. During this process, they read informational text, learn and practice vocabulary words, and explore content through a video and interactive activities. This resource is part of the Inspiring Middle School Literacy Collection. Students need to be signed in to complete this lesson. Go to "About This Activity" in "Support Materials" below or click here.

Climate & Weather

Cloud Types | PBS LearningMediaBefore going to the beach, you might look outside for signs of clouds or rain that could affect your plans. However, the clouds that you see are more than just determinants of weather conditions. They also help to maintain the energy budget and climate on Earth and are an essential part of the water cycle. Learn about how clouds are named and identified, in this interactive resource adapted from NASA's S'COOL Project Tutorial.

Evidence of Global Warming | QUEST | PBS LearningMediaGlobal warming is a term that describes the overall warming of Earth over the last 40 years. Explore how rising sea levels, increases in ocean heat, and melting glaciers provide evidence of this phenomenon in this interactive explainer.

What is climate change: facts for kids | National Geographic KidsWhat is climate change (otherwise known as global warming) & why is it happening? Nat Geo Kids explains how it affects our planet & how we can prevent it...

Climate changeScience education resources related to the topic Climate change

Climate Connections Interactive Map | PBS LearningMediaAn interactive map of a year-long expedition around the world to explore how climate changes people and how people change climate.

Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Variations | Interactive Lesson | PBS LearningMediaStudents compare the seasonal weather at their location with another U.S. location. They interpret temperature and precipitation data maps, collecting and recording the data for the two locations in order to find patterns and make comparisons. Visual supports (video, images), data maps, and informational text provide students with the context they need to identify seasonal weather at two locations. The associated lesson plan Investigating Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Variations provides more support for teachers and students, including handouts and materials for diverse learners.

Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere | PBS LearningMediaEarth is surrounded by a blanket of air composed of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, as well as trace amounts of other gases. This atmosphere, extending hundreds of kilometers from Earth, protects Earth's surface from damaging solar radiation and plays a major role in water and energy transport. In this interactive resource produced for Teachers' Domain learn about how atmospheric pressure, temperature, and composition are related to altitude.

Learn with Owlie @ NWS

Sing-a-long with the Weather Dude

Seasonal Science: Thundersnow | PBS LearningMediaHave you experienced a thundersnow storm? Most snow storms form when warm air moves into an area in the winter and rising warm air condenses to form snow. If the warm air rises very quickly, the condensing moisture collides with existing particles in the cloud causing electrically charged areas. When a cloud has charged areas, lightning can result. The accompanying sound is why we call these thundersnow storms. This video and lesson integrate essential vocabulary for the NC science curriculum. The explanation of this rare winter weather includes an engaging way to introduce students to air masses, fronts, storms, and the water cycle.

Comprehending Climate Change Playlist

What Is the Future of Earth's Climate? | PBS LearningMediaEarth's climate is continually changing and is in a warming period now, due in part to enhanced human emissions of greenhouse gases. Throughout this module, you will explore interactions between factors in the climate system that affect Earth's atmospheric temperature. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap heat energy. Sunlight can be reflected by snow- and ice-covered surfaces, or it can be absorbed by darker surfaces. You will examine graphs of greenhouse gas concentration and temperature change. You will run experiments with computational models to compare the effect of different levels of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, and hear from a climate scientist. By the end of the module you will be able to explain how scientists can be certain that Earth’s climate is changing while not being entirely certain about how much it will warm.

Mountain Weather | PBS LearningMediaMountains can be awe-inspiring both for the vistas they provide and for the weather events and long-term climate systems they support. This interactive activity from NOVA illustrates how a moisture-laden air mass interacts with a mountain slope to produce characteristic patterns of precipitation over the mountain and surrounding areas. This interactive activity requires Adobe Flash Player.

Years of Living Dangerously -

Environment & Sustainability

Will There Be Enough Fresh Water? | PBS LearningMediaFresh water is necessary for life. Freshwater resources are unevenly distributed on Earth's surface. The availability of fresh water affects how many organisms can live in an area. Throughout this module, you will explore the distribution and uses of fresh water on Earth. The availability of fresh water depends on the local resources and composition of the underlying rocks and sediments. The sustainability of freshwater sources depends on the rates at which water is being removed vs. being stored. You will run experiments to explore water movement below Earth’s surface, predict water availability related to recharge and water use and hear from a hydrologist doing research on groundwater quality and availability. By the end of the module you will be able to explain how humans can maintain and replenish freshwater supplies long into the future.

Earth’s Albedo and Global Warming | PBS LearningMediaThis interactive activity adapted from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey illustrates the concept of albedo—the measure of how much solar radiation is reflected from Earth's surface. The balance between the amount of solar radiation reflected and absorbed by Earth's surface plays an important role in regulating global temperature. Learn about how Earth materials, such as snow, ice, and water, differ in their ability to reflect and absorb the Sun's energy and how melting polar ice creates a positive feedback loop that accelerates global warming. Investigate how the presence of pollution, such as soot, lowers the albedo of ice and further increases melting. In addition, observe the decline in Arctic sea ice cover from 1979–2007 and the effect of melting ice on sea levels.

Hot Mess | Climate Change is Too Big for our Brains feat. Mike RugnettaWhat can circles and squares from a 19th century novella tell us about Climate Change?

Greta Thunberg on the Urgency of the Climate Crisis | PBS NewsHour | PBS LearningMediaAlthough more and more Americans are taking the threat of climate change seriously, less than 40 percent expect to make “major sacrifices” to tackle the problem. According to Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenager and climate activist, drastic action is exactly what needs to happen to address the problem. In this NewsHour interview, Thunberg discusses the importance of galvanizing young people across the globe to the climate cause. Thunberg spoke at the United Nations on September 23, 2019 and testified in front of Congress the week prior. She spoke in Washington, D.C. at the Friday Sep. 20 climate strike, as protestors in cities across the globe took to the streets to demand action on climate change. The demonstrations, easily the largest ever to focus on climate, represent a movement driven primarily by young people — many of whom left school to join the walkout. Several participants talked to the PBS NewsHour about their mission to reduce fossil fuel emissions and how they plan to execute it, including meeting with elected representatives and supporting the Green New Deal, closing coal-fired power plants and converting as well as filing lawsuits alleging that the U.S. government has failed to adequately address climate change. September 21, 2019 video and resource materials from PBS NewsHour. Check out our Daily News Story collection, or find more at PBS NewsHour Extra.

Will the Air Be Clean Enough to Breathe? | PBS LearningMediaAir quality can suffer due to both natural and anthropogenic (human-caused) events. Poor air quality can negatively affect human and environmental health. You will explore the flow of pollutants through the air. Air pollution can be caused by visible components (particulates) and by invisible components (chemicals). Air quality depends on pollutant emissions, wind direction, and precipitation events. Throughout this module, you will explore real-time air quality data with maps from the United States EPA. You will run experiments with computational models to investigate how pollutants flow in the atmosphere and look at how factors such as wind, sun, rain, geography and pollution affect air quality. By the end of the module you will be able to predict the effect of human development on a region's future air quality.

What Are Our Energy Choices? | PBS LearningMediaElectricity generation is faced with a growing number of challenges. Energy sources used to generate electricity need to be available, plentiful and energy-dense while not polluting the air, water or land, and minimizing habitat disruptions. Throughout this module, you will explore the advantages and disadvantages of different energy sources for generating electricity and consider the question: what sources will generate our electricity in the future? You will focus on the process of extracting natural gas from shale formations through hydraulic fracturing and run experiments with computational models to investigate how gas is extracted. You will evaluate other energy resources and consider how changes in energy use by individuals are an important part of understanding electricity supply and demand. By the end of the module you will be able to compare the costs and benefits of different sources used for generating electricity.

Ancient Ice and Future Climate | PBS LearningMediaIn this interactive produced by WGBH, graphs derived from evidence in ice core samples help to accurately define the relationship between carbon dioxide and temperature over the past 400,000 years. With this understanding, scientists can create better models to predict future climate change. In the interactive, discover how ice cores are collected and analyzed, learn about orbital variation and its effects on climate, and explore other key concepts such as the carbon cycle, the Earth system, and feedback loops, all of which factor into the explanation.

NOVA | Mountain of Ice: If the Ice Melts | PBS LearningMediaThis interactive adapted from NOVA portrays what might happen to world coastlines if entire sections of the Antarctic Ice Sheet were to melt. By comparing present-day coastline positions with those from the peak glacial advance 20,000 years ago, you can begin to appreciate how much water is contained in glaciers, the importance of monitoring their condition, and the impact accelerated global warming could one day have on sea level.

Native Knowledge 360—American Indian Responses to Environmental ChallengesThe website American Indian Responses to Environmental Challenges shows how Native Nations in New York, California Minnesota, and Washington state use traditional culture, values, and indigenous knowledge, along with Western science and technology, to deal with environmental issues in their homelands today. #NK360

Take Action for Nature and Your Community | PBS LearningMediaIn this media-rich self-paced lesson, students explore human relationships with the natural world, learn how both Alaska Native ways of knowing and Western science can be used to study and help the environment, and take action on a local environmental issue.

Climate Change Increases Poor Air Quality | PBS LearningMediaUse this interactive from Climate Central to see how climate change is affecting hazardous summer air conditions in cities across the United States. In the accompanying classroom activity, students analyze data from ten or more cities and create a graph comparing the increase in stagnant days. Students consider the broader implications of the increase in stagnant days, including a greater public health risk for respiratory ailments. For more resources like this, see the rest of the Human Impact on the Environment collection.

Above The Noise | Climate Change: How Doomed ARE We? | Season 4 | Episode 2Climate change is THE existential question that humanity is facing. But are we too late?

Hot Mess | How to Talk About Climate ChangeTalking about climate change is hard. Not talking about climate change is easy.

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