Earth Science Resources for Teachers and Parents
Listed below are earth science resources for teachers, parents, and community groups to help plan or enhance an earth science study or curriculum.
Living in North Carolina for over 35 years, we have experienced many hurricanes, tornados, ice storms, and two small earthquakes.
The first earthquake our family experienced happened while we were homeschooling. We could see ripples appearing in a glass of water on the table. The shaking was very subtle at first, then after a few seconds, we could definitely feel the floor under our feet shaking. It was the most eerie feeling! In a tornado or hurricane, we would take cover, board up windows, and bring in loose objects from outside. But this was definitely a feeling of helplessness and shock. It also brought some apprehension and questioning, which led to learning more about earthquakes and understanding why they happen.
Over the years we have experienced damaged property and weeks-long power outages from hurricanes and ice storms and used these as an opportunity to learn more about what causes these events and how to prepare and/or respond. (Our local area was spared from hurricane Helene with manageable winds and rains, but even in mid-2026, many of our citizens are still recovering, and we all still feel the heaviness from the loss of life.)
Below is a list of earth science resources I have accumulated or developed over the years (the hurricane unit linked below is one we developed in our homeschool during a particularly active hurricane season in our state), with many new ones added recently. I hope you find this list helpful and a time-saver.
Earth Science Resources for Teachers and Parents
Here are some earth science resources I have found around the web. Enjoy!
Earth science lessons and resources from the American Geosciences Institute
State Soil Investigation – free PDFs for each state from Soils4Teachers.com
Many earth science resources from the Smithsonian
Rock cycle lesson and free printable
Aggregates Matter lesson and activity from the Minerals Education Coalition
Cell phone minerals mini lesson from the Minerals Education Coalition
All About Coal free PDF from the National Energy Education Department
3D Models of Minerals – Classroom activity from EarthScienceWeek.org
Be ShakeAlert® Safe with Rocket Earthquake Activity Book – for elementary grades
Earth Science coloring book from the American Geophysical Union – upper elementary and up. This link opens a PDF.
Water cycle activities and free printable lesson
How Does Water Move Through the Earth? Info and lesson resources
Free Water Education Posters from the US Geological Survey
What is an aquifer? from PBS Learning
Build a Model Aquifer – Grades 3-5
Erosion and Ground Cover from the Soil Science Society of America
Drought unit for upper grades from TERC
Hurricane lesson and printable
Tsunami information and activity
Earth Science Resources from Earth Science Week.org
Learn About the Carbon Cycle – middle and high school from Earthlabs at TERC
Answers in Genesis geology resource page
Earth Science Activities from the California Academy of Sciences
Listen Up: Monitoring Volcanoes with Sound (PDF for middle and high school) from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Biography of Inge Lehmann, a Danish mathematician and scientists, who concluded that the Earth has an inner core.
Layers of the Earth information and activities from the National Park Service.
Make a Layers of the Earth fan from NASA
Kid friendly Earth Science Information and projects from the American Museum of Natural History
Layers of the Earth worksheet activity from the Houston Museum of Natural History.
Make an edible model of the Earth from the American Museum of Natural History.
Layers of the Earth egg dissection activity
Videos:
- What’s Inside the Earth’s Core from SciShow
- How Do Scientists Know the Structure of the Earth’s Interior
- An interview with a field engineer who works in the metals and minerals industry.
Books and Kits
Nature Guide to Rocks and Minerals 
– I love guide books! They are a necessity for any study!
Rocks and Minerals Field Guide of the United States – This is spiral-bound and waterproof
United Scientific™ Mineral ID Kit – does not include samples, only the tools
Rocks and Mineral Testing Kit – includes samples
Rocks and Minerals display box
The Homeschool Scientist’s Earth Science Pinterest Board
I hold a master’s degree in child development and early education and am working on a post-baccalaureate in biology. I spent 15 years working for a biotechnology company developing IT systems in DNA testing laboratories across the US. I taught K4 in a private school, homeschooled my children, and have taught on the mission field in southern Asia. For 4 years, I served on our state’s FIRST Lego League tournament Board and served as the Judging Director. I own thehomeschoolscientist and also write a regular science column for Homeschooling Today Magazine. You’ll also find my writings on the CTCMath blog. Through this site, I have authored over 50 math and science resources.