Our Earth Sciences programs offer a range of educational opportunities for different grade levels, featuring a series of educational activities that build on one another. Teachers can choose to implement these programs in-person or virtually. Teachers will also have the flexibility to request a complete series on a single topic or select activities from multiple topics to tailor the experience for their classroom.
Contact Information
Tim Roberts
tim.roberts@utk.edu
Michael Owen
mowen@utk.edu
Kelly Ravlija
krav@utk.edu
Khalaya Cooper
kcoope53@utk.edu
Earth Science Activities
3rd through 5th Grade
Water Festival
Our Water Festival is all about water. The students will rotate through each station where they will play various games like Water Jeopardy, just like the game on TV. “The Tragic Story of Freddie the Fish” will take students on an imaginary trip down a stream to identify possible sources of pollution that effect fish population and other wildlife. Other activities are H2Olympics, Incredible Journey, and the Enviroscape. Your 3rd through 5th graders will have a great time learning about water.
6th through 8th Grade*
Solar Education*
Take a field trip to Agricenter to learn about Solar Production. This program discusses how solar is produced and Agricenter’s production. We will answer the questions “Do you produce electricity when it is raining or snowing” and “What time of year do we produce more electricity and Why?” Come join us as we learn how to calculate how much Solar Electricity we need to power our home! You will receive a worksheet for the students to estimate solar needs for the classroom and school.
*The Solar Program can be adapted for Middle and High School Students.
9th through 12th Grade
Earth and Human Activities
This activity looks at several issues facing us today. Discussing some of the tough issues to broaden their minds. There are a couple of activities so they can have a little fun and learn at the same time. The following are the topics for this session.
- Trash Talk Activity — Learn about Biodegradable, Non-biodegradable, and Recycling in an interactive setting.
- Food Deserts — What are Food Deserts, Why do we have Food Deserts in Memphis, How do we solve the problem? We may not answer the question but understand the issue and how we can solve the problem.
- Best Management Practices — How are Irrigation Waters controlled? What can we do to preserve water? How are our Forest Managed? What can we do to help?
- Talk with Professionals in the field.
Earth’s Systems
How does our Planet work? We explore different concepts of the Earth.
- Sponge Planet — Soil acts as a sponge to soak up and hold onto, or retain, water. What makes soils act like sponges? What are the different soil textures? How to calculate water holding capacity.
- Why is the Earth Shaking — History of the New Madrid Fault and when can we expect another Earthquake.
- Stormwater Happens! — Students will be able to identify permeable and impermeable surfaces, be able to map a flow path of stormwater, and understand the connection between stormwater and the water cycle.
- Flood Barrier Design Challenge — Understanding causes of flooding and develop and test an engineering design.