Orogenesis

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/10k.html

Name:                            Fundamentals of Physical Geography – Mountain Building
Curriculum Concepts:    Orogenesis, Rocks, Volcanoes, Plate tectonics, Erosion
Level of Information:     Intermediate to advanced

This is a very simple and colourful website whose information is contained in a single page. It begins with a definition of mountains and describes types of mountains. This first section also talks about some well-known mountain ranges and describes how orogeny and erosion have shaped these ranges throughout time. The second section examines the evolution of mountains with more detailed discussions of orogenesis, erosion, and weathering. It also outlines the roles that plate tectonics and volcanoes played in mountain formation. At the end of the site, users can make use of a study guide complete with useful questions, problems, and exercises.

This website contains all of its useful information and images on one page, so navigation is a non-issue. Fonts are nice, large, and bolded for easy reading. Important terms and concepts are further hyperlinked to a glossary of terms. Images are large, colourful, and are accompanied by detailed descriptions. All images help enhance the text descriptions and explanations. The available study guide, problems, and exercises are good bonuses. This is a very nice site for both teachers and all students to use.

Name:                            DiscoverySchool.com
Curriculum Concepts:    Lesson plans on numerous concepts
Level of Information:     Beginner to advanced

This site contains complete lesson plans for studying Earth Sciences at any level from K-12, including objectives and suggestions for evaluation in each lesson plan. Teachers can look forward to lesson plans on Earth’s surface, geological phenomena, oceans, weather, and tectonic plates, but this is by no means a complete list of lesson plans that can be found on this site. If that wasn’t good enough, many of the lesson plans even contain suggestions for adapting the lesson for different grade levels.

This is hands-down one of the best resources for all teachers, and not just Science teachers. The site is colourful and well laid out. All sections of the site are accessible from the always-present menu. Some of the important concepts even have sound files attached to them so that you can listen to its pronunciation. This site is mainly geared towards teachers.

Name:                            The Geological Society of America
Curriculum Concepts:    Lesson plans on numerous concepts
Level of Information:     Beginner to advanced

This site contains complete lesson plans for studying Earth Sciences at any level from K-12, including any required worksheets. Lesson plans are organized by specific topics in Earth Sciences. The section on rocks and minerals is impressive on its own. Lessons for each topic are also further subdivided by grade level. Most lessons appear to be lab-based and very hands-on. Finally, there are literally tons of links to other educational resources within each topic.

This is another amazing resource for teachers, but definitely geared towards Science teachers only. The site is colourful and well laid out. There are so many lesson plans and resources that are listed that the site even provides a handy function to sort by topic or age group. If that wasn’t enough, the site also provides suggestions for readings and class discussions of critical issues. This site is mainly geared towards teachers.

Home            Back to Table of Concepts