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IAES: Student Links
Unit A: Studying Soil Scientifically
Unit B: Rocks and Minerals
Unit C: Shaping the Land
Unit D: Plate Tectonics
Unit E: Weather and Atmosphere
Unit F: The Earth in Space
Unit G: Exploring the Solar
System
Unit A: Studying Soil Scientifically
Activity 7
Mapping Soils
- Soil Taxonomy
- This site provides the second edition of the US classification system, based on soil properties actually seen in the field, called Soil Taxonomy, A Basic System of Soil Classification for Making and Interpreting Soil Surveys. There is a PDF format for printing or viewing that includes text and soil maps. Printed copy is also available.
- The Twelve Soil Orders
- This site gives a detailed description of the twelve soil orders and detailed maps of their locations in the United States.
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Unit B: Rocks and Minerals
Activity 15
Mineral Properties
- The Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
- Find gemstones grouped by a range of search criteria, including color and crystal shape. The site also has information about minerals, a photo gallery, and a glossory. Site authored by Hershel Friedman.
- Minerals by Name
- An alphabetical listing of minerals. The description of each mineral includes a photo, its chemistry, and its physical characteristics. Site developed by Amethyst Galleries, Inc.
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Activity 29 Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition
Activity 30 Challenges of the Mississippi Delta
Activity 33 Earth Processes and Boomtown's Coast
Activity 29
Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition
American Geological Institute's Earth Science World Image Bank
To view many photographs of structures formed by erosion, go to this site maintained by the American Geological Institute and do a search for key words such as "erosion," "deposition," or other terms such as "delta" or "canyon" for many excellent images.For example, the following photographs relate well to this unit:
hl4l7n shows erosion in an area cleared for construction (those are lower case l's, not ones)
hszrp6 shows features formed by erosion.
hgmxt1 shows Devil's Tower. The hard rock that forms the tower was revealed after erosion of the surrounding softer rock.
hhrg5b shows a delta.
hdef5b shows a housing development on the Mississippi River delta.
This site, sponsored by NASA, will lead you to images and descriptions of landforms from around the United States.
Comparing Erosion
Compare the photos from the following links either by printing each of them or by opening them in separate windows on your computer:
Photo 1
(from the Earth Science World Image Bank)Photo 2
(from the Earth Science World Image Bank)Photo 3
When you get to this site, click on Photos on the left side of the page. The middle photograph in the top row (Photo 2) shows the initial stages of erosion with a pen to provide scale. The site is maintained by the School of Environmental Engineering at Griffith University in Australia.Arrange the landforms due to erosion by size, from smallest erosion channel to largest. Which do you think might form in a very short time? Which do you think took the longest to form?
Hint: Use other objects in the picture to determine the size of the channels.
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Activity 30
Challenges of the Mississippi Delta
Personal Account: Avian Ecology
At this site, maintained by The Virtual Birder, ecologist Jennifer Nesbitt tells why she decided to become an avian ecologist and explains how she conducts research with birds.
NOAA Ocean Explorer: Marine Ecologist
Peter Etnoyer's pet fish had 200 babies in his aquarium when he was in elementary school. Go to this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) link to see what other events inspired this ocean explorer to become a marine ecologist.
Wetland Ecologist
Lief Sigren explains how his work as an ecologist relates to peoples' lives and wetland ecosystems all over the world at this site sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Science .
Environmental Careers for Kids
Do you love trees? Like being outdoors? Check out this site, maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, to see what it is like, and what you need to do to become a forester (a person who works to maintain habitats in the forest).Careers in Science and Technology
At this site, sponsored by The Franklin Institute Science Museum, click on "Geologist" to meet Lynn, a coastal geologist who studies erosion along beach shores.
Discover Engineering
Can you imagine robots so small they can fit inside the human body? How about a spray on skin that can be used to treat cuts? Or a glow-in-the-dark bike? Go to this site sponsored by a group of engineers' organizations, to read about these and other projects that engineers are currently working on. This site also introduces you to several different engineers and describes their projects.Engineer Girl
This site, maintained by the National Academy of Engineering, has fun facts and cool links that show how turning imagination into reality can lead to a career in engineering.
Welcome to the World of Engineering
Do you know what being an engineer means? Do you know what it takes to be an engineer? Go to this site and explore the links on the right to answer these and other career-related questions. This National Academy of Engineering site also provides information about school programs and courses that will set you on the track to becoming an engineer.
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Earth Processes and Boomtown's Coast
Erosion of Sea Stack in Oregon
This site, sponsored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), shows a sea arch in Oregon over a 100-year period of time. Use the photos to answer the questions in your book.Comparison of Erosion Lines
This Santa Barbara County Parks website shows a 1991 aerial photo of a beach with erosion lines from 1998 and 2003 drawn on top of it.
Click here for additional photos from this site.
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Activity 36 Storing Waste
Activity 40 The Continent Puzzle
Activity 44 Mapping Plates
Activity 47 Spreading Plates
Activity 48 Other Types of Plate Motion
Yucca Mountain Youth Zone
A just-for-kids site that has information about Yucca Mountain and nuclear waste. Site developed by U.S. Department of Energy.Earthquakes and Yucca Mountain
You can see maps and more information about earthquakes at Yucca Mountain at the Nevada Seismological Laboratory's site.Yucca Mountain Project: Photo & Graphics Gallery
This U.S. Department of Energy site has photos and other images about Yuccca Mountain. Scroll down and select the "Graphics" link. You can find a map showing the location of high-level nuclear waste storage sites around the U.S.Yucca Mountain Project
Still want more information? Go to the U.S. Department of Energy's site for the general public on Yucca Mountain.
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Activity 40
The Continent Puzzle
The Breakup of Pangea
Scroll down the page and use your mouse to animate the movement of the continents over the last 200 million years. Site is part of the Christopher Scotese's PALEOMAP project at the University of Texas at Arlington.Plate Tectonics Animation
You can choose the length of time you would like to animate the movement of the continents, beginning as early as 750 million years ago. Site maintained by the University of California's Museum of Paleontology.Historical Perspective of Plate Tectonics
See five images that trace the movement of the earth's continents over the last 225 million years at this U.S. Geological Survey site.
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Major Tectonic Plates of the World
This U.S. Geological Survey site contains a world map with major tectonic plates identified by name.Tectonic Plate Motion
Examine a world map showing plate movement based on satellite data. You can then scroll down to the index map to select a region of the world and see vectors showing the direction and magnitude of movement. Site developed by NASA's Space Geodesy Laboratory.Plate Tectonics
You can see a world map with vectors showing the direction and magnitude of movement within tectonic plates. Site developed by the late John C. Butler, a professor at the University of Houston.
Activity 48
Other Types of Plate Motion
SEPUP Plate Motion Simulation
Use this simulation to complete Activities 47 and 48. Observe the movement of convergent, divergent, and transform plate boundaries over periods of time from 10 years to 20 million years.
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Unit E: Weather and Atmosphere
Activity 51
Investigating Local Weather
Local weather information
Use this link to investigate your local weather. On the site, enter your city in the search box, then look for the "Seasonal Weather Averages" link about half-way down the page (above the Astronomy bar).
Activity 64
Earth's Atmosphere
Earth's Atmosphere Interactive
Use this link to gather and compare data from different atmospheric levels.
Activity 68
Worldwide Wind
Worldwide Wind Interactive
Use this link to collect data about wind direction for cities all over the world.
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Activity 74 As Earth Rotates
Activity 75 Sunlight and Seasons
Activity 76 A Year Viewed from Space
Activity 78 The Earth on the Move
Activity 79 The Predictable Moon
Activity 81 Moon Phase Simulator
Activity 82 Tides and the Moon
Activity 83 Marking Time
The North American Sundial Society
This site provides answers to questions about sundials and gives information about how to make or set up your own sundial. It also provides references and links to other sites.Sundials
This NASA site discusses sundials and obelisks. Links at the bottom of the page will take you to a page on “How Sundials Work” and “Build a Simple Sundial.” The page on “How Sundials Work” includes an animation of the movement of the Sun and shadow from an obelisk.Making a Sun Clock
This site from the Exploratorium tells you how to make a simple sunclock.A Walk Through Time
This site of the National Institute for Standards and Technology provides information on both ancient and modern methods for measuring time.Educational Exhibits about time, clocks, daylight savings, or calendars
This United States Government site has links to additional sites about time.
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Activity 75
Sunlight and Seasons
Sun-Earth Day 2005—Ancient Observatories
This NASA site contains links to a timeline and photographs of ancient structures used to observe the Sun and indicate the seasons.
Activity 76
A Year Viewed from Space
SEPUP Seasons Interactive
Use this link to explore the seasons on Earth as viewed from space.
Activity 78
The Earth on the Move
A Change of Season
This NASA site explains the seasons and includes an animation.Seasons
The animation at this site shows the change in seasons as the Earth orbits the Sun.
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Activity 79
The Predictable Moon
Virtual Reality Moon Phase Pictures
This site of the United States Naval Observatory provides virtual views of the Moon for any date in the past or future.Earth View
This site provides today’s view of the Moon.
Activity 81
Moon Phase Simulator
NASA Eclipse Home Page
This site provides information about eclipses of the Sun (solar eclipses) and the Moon (lunar eclipses).
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Activity 82
Tides and the Moon
Why Tides?
This animation of the Earth’s rotation and the tides helps you understand why there are usually two high and two low tides each day. It also shows how the phase of the Moon relates to extreme tides.Tide Region Selection
This site allows you to look up tides at numerous sites in the United States.
Calendars and their History
This site provides information on the history and astronomical basis of calendars. It includes information on the Gregorian, Julian, Jewish, Islamic, Indian, and Chinese calendars.
Activity 86
Observing The Night Sky
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Activity 97 Exploring Outer Space
Activity 98 Choosing a Mission
Activity 97
Exploring Outer Space
Have you ever wondered what is it like to travel in space? The following NASA sites describe how astronauts handle everyday tasks like getting dressed, eating, sleeping, and exercising while in a microgravity environment.
Are you interested in becoming an astronaut? These NASA sites will help you learn what you can do to work toward a career in space.
How Do you Become an Astronaut?
Activity 98
Choosing a Mission
NASA's Current Missions
This NASA site provides schedules and information about its current missions, some piloted and some unpiloted, that are exploring space right now.
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General Info
Students
Student Links