Earth Science Teaching Resources
Browse printable Earth science worksheets, digital activities and a whole lot more to bring the wonders of our planet to life in your elementary classroom!
This collection of NGSS curriculum-aligned teaching resources has been created by our expert teacher team to save your valuable lesson planning time with differentiated and editable science printables and Google slides.
Looking to learn more about the Earth science curriculum for elementary school, or just need some fresh ideas to engage your students? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is Earth Science?
We know this one may seem obvious — after all, it's right there in the name! But how do you explain this one to your students? Here's a kid-friendly definition you can use!
Earth Science is the study of our planet Earth and it's a chance to learn about the different layers of the Earth, rocks and minerals, weather patterns and climate, water and oceans and natural resources.
Earth scientists use different tools to study the Earth, including looking at rocks, studying the weather, and even using satellites to take pictures from space. By learning about Earth science, we can better understand the world around us and how we can protect and take care of our planet.
What Does Earth Science Look Like in Elementary School?
When we talk about Earth science (or geology) in elementary school, we aren't pulling out reference tables or digging deep into climatology.
On an elementary level, Earth science covers everything from the layers of the Earth to plate tectonics to erosion and weathering. The goal is to provide students with a basic understanding of the Earth and its processes and to develop kids' scientific inquiry and critical thinking skills, laying the groundwork for the more focused Earth science courses available on a high school level.
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Comprehension Worksheets - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Read and learn about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with a reading comprehension passage and worksheet pack.
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Differentiated Winter Word Search Printable
Add a frosty twist to your seasonal studies with a winter word search printable teaching resource.
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Water Cycle Diagram
Display this water cycle diagram when teaching about the continuous movement of water above and on the surface of the Earth.
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Dress for the Weather Worksheet
Identify proper clothing choices for different weather conditions with this worksheet.
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Free Volcano Worksheets
Download a set of free volcano worksheets to introduce your students to vocabulary and concepts related to volcanoes and volcanic disasters.
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Weathering, Erosion and Deposition Doodle Notes
Engage your students with a set of science doodle notes when learning about erosion, weathering and deposition.
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Tornado Worksheets - Informational Writing (2nd Grade)
Use our printable tornado worksheets and organizers to teach 2nd grade informational writing lessons.
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Fossil Coloring Pages
Use our free fossil coloring sheets to explore the different types of fossils.
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Weathering and Erosion – RACES Writing Strategy Worksheets
Combine reading, writing and science with two worksheets about weathering and erosion using the RACES writing strategy for text evidence.
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Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Sources - Anchor Charts
Examine renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, including wind energy, hydro energy, solar energy, natural gas, oil, and coal with a pair of printable posters.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Environmental Word Wall
Help your young students learn about recycling and conservation with an illustrated word wall.
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Weather Tools – Cut and Paste Worksheet
Match weather tools with their corresponding picture and description with this cut and paste worksheet.
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Winter Words - Vocabulary Word Wall
Bring a bit of chill to your classroom with a set of 45 vocabulary cards containing words related to winter.
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Predicting Weather – Worksheet
Use data tables to answer questions and make predictions about temperature and precipitation with this weather worksheet.
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Natural or Man-made? - Worksheet
Distinguish between natural and man-made resources with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Compare and Contrast - Tornadoes and Hurricanes Worksheet Pack
Compare and contrast tornadoes and hurricanes with a set of printable paired passage reading worksheets.
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Tornado in a Jar Science Experiment
Create a Tornado in a Jar with an interactive science experiment slide deck and Tornado in a Jar Science Experiment Worksheets.
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Natural Disasters Word Search
Use a Natural Disasters word search to introduce your students to the vocabulary surrounding these destructive acts of nature.
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3 Types of Rocks - Science Cloze Reading Worksheets
Use cloze reading passages to increase your students’ understanding of the three rock types - sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous.
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How Do Rocks Form? – Informative Text Structure Sequencing Activity
Help students learn about informative text structure and how rocks are formed with an engaging cut-and-paste sorting activity.
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Informative Text Writing Task – Why Do Volcanoes Erupt?
Research and write about how volcanoes erupt with a scaffolded informational writing task.
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Earthquake - Tectonic Plates Geology Diagram & Worksheets
Introduce students to plate tectonics with a labeled diagram and worksheet set featuring different types of volcanoes, layers of earth and landforms.
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Weathering vs. Erosion vs. Deposition Vocabulary Game
Guide your students to review weathering, erosion and deposition vocabulary words with this free dice game.
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What's the Season? Teaching Slides
Help your students explore the four seasons and how they affect everyday life using this colorful teaching presentation.
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Types of Soils – Comprehension Worksheets
Explore the properties of sand, silt, loam and clay with a set of 4 reading passages with accompanying comprehension questions.
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Water Sources Cut and Paste Sorting Worksheet
Explore the different water sources using this cut and paste worksheet pack.
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Weather Worksheets for Kindergarten
Make weather predictions, create a weather report and write about the weather with this set of kindergarten worksheets.
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Cut and Sort - Everyday Examples of the Water Cycle
Explore everyday examples of precipitation, evaporation, and condensation with this cut and paste activity.
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Water Cycle Printable Game
Review stages of the water cycle with a printable dice game.
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Types of Weather Bingo
Identify basic weather vocabulary terms such as windy, cloudy, snowy, cold, etc., with an exciting game of Bingo!
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Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment
Use this science experiment when learning about the different types and features of clouds and how they contribute to the water cycle.
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All About Clouds – Instructional Slide Deck
Teach your students about the different types of clouds with this 19-slide instructional slide deck.
- Earth Science Worksheets
- Earth Science Posters
- Earth Science Templates
- Earth Science Games
- Earth Science Word Walls
- Earth Science Projects
- Earth Science for Pre-K
- Earth Science for Kindergarten
- Earth Science for 1st Grade
- Earth Science for 2nd Grade
- Earth Science for 3rd Grade
- Earth Science for 4th Grade
- Earth Science for 5th Grade
- Earth Science for 6th Grade