Mr. Nolde's Sixth Grade Earth Science Page

Many of the activities linked on this page still use Flash.

At this point in time, my best suggestion is to use Chrome browser. When doing so, be sure to add the RUFFLE extension. You can download that extension by going to this site.

HTML5 activities are being posted here as more of them become available on the world wide web.

If a site uses flash, you will see this symbol next to the link:

If a site uses HTML5, you will see this symbol next to the link:

Name That Rock! -This game will help you to study for our lab practical on some of the most common types of rocks found on Earth.

The 15 Most Wanted Quiz Game! -This game will also help you to study for our lab practical on some of the most common types of rocks found on Earth.

Online Lab Practical -This page contains pictures of some of our most common rocks in the world. On a separate piece of paper, see if you can correctly identify each one of the rocks.

Here's a Second Online Lab Practical! -This page also contains pictures of some of our most common rocks in the world. On a separate piece of paper, see if you can correctly identify each one of the rocks.

Minerals and Metals Around the House -Did you ever stop and think about just how many raw materials are used in all of the things that we have in our house? This game helps you discover just some of the many minerals and metals that are used in making the many things that we take for granted.

Drag & Drop Rock Cycle Chart -This activity will help you review all of the basic processes that happen throughout the course of the rock cycle. See if you can correctly place each label into this rock cycle chart.

Layers of the Earth -This site does a great job of quickly explaining the three basic layers of the Earth.

Mohs' Drill & Castle of Doom! -Learn about Mohs Mineral Hardness Scale while escaping the Castle of Doom! The walls are closing in on you. To escape, you must drill through the walls. See if you can find the right drill to blast through the wall.

How do Diamonds Form? -This is a question that I often get asked. This page has a great animation that does a good job of explaining the process that can turn carbon into a diamond.

Soil Composting -Plants need soil that is enriched with nutrients. You can help enrich the soil by composting. In this activity, decide which items get recycled, and which items need to be put in the composting bin.

Test Your Soil IQ -Let's see just how well you understand the basics of soil and why soil is so very important to us. See if you are a soil expert by getting all 8 questions correct in this activity.

"The Dirt on Soil"- Soil Safari -Get ready to take the pilot's seat of the Earth Ship as you travel on a microscopic safari through the soil beneath your feet! Your help is desperately needed in this area where a toxic chemical is making its way through to the underground water. Your job is to discover what kind of soil organism can actually eat this toxic chemical. Can you find this organism in time to save the meadow? Let the adventures begin!

Soils Around the World -Did you ever stop to think about the fact that soil is NOT the same everywhere in the world? Depending on the type of climate & topography, soil varies from place to place. For example, the type of soil that you will find in a tropical rainforest will be quite different from a soil that you might find in a desert or in an polar region. This activity has a really good interactive map that lets you explore the various soils of the world.

Profile of NJ's State Soil -This site has a picture of a typical soil profile from the state of NJ that will help you with the last step of our lab examining how soil varies from place to place.

Dirt Detective: Trees & Soils -This activity helps us to understand what soil scientists do. Perform two tests on the soil samples to learn why you find different trees growing in different environments. As you do this activity, think about which soil type is most similar to the soil that we find in Edgar woods!

Which Types of Soils Absorb Water the Fastest? -See if you can correctly predict which soil type: gravel, sand, or silt will absorb water the fastest. Be sure to click the red "off" button at the exact time in which the water gets completely absorbed by the soil type!

Shape it Up! -In class, we explored how the Grand Canyon was formed by the powerful eroding force of water. This activity explores how wind, water, volcanoes, and glaciers have had an impact on the shape of our land over time. Be sure to play this game more than once! Although you might get the same landform with the same erosional force, it might be showing you a different length of time!

Types of Mass Movement -As we discovered when working with our stream tables, gravity has a huge impact on the movement of sediments. In this activity, be sure to read the overview first. Then click on the overview tab. There are 8 slides for you to check out before going over to the interactive model.

How do Sinkholes Form? -Do you remember what we learned about chemical erosion? This activity really helps explain how caverns and sinkholes form under the ground.

Groundwater Adventure -Be sure to check out this interactive adventure that will help to understand and see groundwater, sinking streams, rock and other features in the structure of karst.

The Water Cycle Explained -Click on the various parts of this interactive to learn more about all of the processes that are involved in the water cycle.

Water Cycle Diagram -Click on the various parts of this interactive diagram to learn more about all of the processes that are involved in the water cycle.

Water Cycle Game -This activity is a great way to learn about and remember all of the important parts of the water cycle.

Oceans and Continents Quiz Game -See if you can get a perfect score of 33 by correctly identifying all seven continents and four of the five oceans in this game.

Oceans & Continents ID Game -Click on the correct continent or ocean in this quiz game. See if you can get a perfect score of 11 points in the shortest amount of time!

Oceans & Continents Advanced ID Game -In this quiz game, you will need to click and drag the continent or ocean to the correct spot on this map. See if you can get a perfect score of 11 points in the shortest amount of time!

Fifty Nifty United States Quiz Game -See if you can get a perfect score of 50 out of 50 by correctly identifying the location of all fifty states of the U.S.A. in this game.

Place the State -This game is a bit trickier to play than the Fifty Nifty United States Quiz Game. In this game, see if you can correctly place each state in its EXACT place on the map.

Rockman's Geological Time Chart -This site does an excellent job of describing and displaying all of the different geological time periods. Also, be sure to check out Rockman's rock cycle page.

Fossil Fun!- Burying Bodies -A lot about what we have learned about the Earth's history comes from its fossil record. This activity helps you understand what are the perfect conditions in order for a fossil to be formed. Click and drag the dead beast in this activity and place it in different parts of the picture to see what happens!

Making Fossils -A once living organism must go on a lengthy journey before it can reappear at the surface as a fossil. It's very rare that all the conditions are right for this strange process to happen. This website does a very nice job of giving you an overview of the types of fossils and how they form.

Layers of Time! -This is a really cool game. Using the fossils found in each layer of rock, see if you can correctly place the rock layers in order from the oldest layer (being on the bottom) to youngest layer (being on the top.) When doing this activity, be sure to use the fossil clues in each layer to help you match layers of rock that belong together.

Grand Canyon Explorer -This site does an awesome job of explaining a lot of the common questions that students have about the Grand Canyon.... How did it form? Where did all of the rock come from? Why does it look like it does? When did all of this happen?

Photos from the Grand Canyon -Did you enjoy seeing Mr. Nolde's photos from his rafting trip down the Grand Canyon? The National Park Service has posted LOTS of great photos to enjoy. Click on any of the thumbnails for larger pictures.

Plates on the Move -Explore 12 different places around the world and learn how the movement of our tectonic plates has affected these areas in very different ways!

World Plates & Boundaries Flash Map -This flash map allows you to quickly see where the largest of the tectonic plates are located and allows you to animate their size and their boundary outlines.

Divergent Boundaries

Convergent Boundaries

Transform Boundaries

Interactive World Map -This interactive map allows you to display where the various types of plate boundaries are located throughout the world.

Sea Floor Spreading Animation -This flash animation does a fine job of illustrating what happens at divergent boundaries on the ocean floor.

Formation of Ocean Crust -This flash animation gives a good visualization of how new ocean crust forms.

Animation of Convection Currents -As we discovered in class, scientists believe that the continents are slowing moving due to the convection currents that are moving in the semi-liquid mantle below the Earth's crust. This animation does a nice job illustrating this movement.

Convection Currents in a Heated Container of Water -When water boils, it's basically convection currents going at full tilt!! This animation gives us a good visualization of what's really happening at the molecular level. Be sure to click on the bunsen burner to heat up the liquid.

Mr. Nolde's Convection Demonstrations -Why do continental plates move? What causes earthquakes? What causes mountains to form? What causes wind? How does a hot air balloon work? Why is my attic much hotter than my basement? In my humble opinion, I believe that the concept of convection is one of the top 10 important scientific concepts for people to understand when figuring out how things in the world work! On this page are a collection of convection demonstrations that I recorded to video many years ago. They are not the highest of video quality, but they still are an interesting exploration on the concept of convection!

Pangaea Flash Animation -This flash animation shows Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift.

Interactive Time Travel Earth Model! -Have you ever wondererd what the Earth's land features looked like at different time periods? This amazing 3-D model allows you to enter a specific city in the world. Enter in the town or city that you live in. It will place a red pin on the globe for that location. You will be able to see where you lived looked like over time. You can either use the top menu to select a time period, but more interesting than that, is the "Jump To" menu on the right top corner of the screen that allows you to select different life and geological events. Also, be sure to try out different display options as well. Very cool, if I may say so myself!

Primary Waves -This simple animation shows you what primay waves (also called P-waves) look like during an earthquake. Primary waves are the first seismic waves to arrive at a location during an earthquake. They are the fastest seismic waves and can travel through solids, liquids, and gases. Primary waves alternately compress and stretch the rock through which they pass.

Secondary Waves -This simple animation shows you what secondary waves (also called S-waves) look like during an earthquake. Secondary waves are the seismic waves that move through the Earth after an earthquake, shaking the ground back and forth. They move more slowly than P-waves, but cause the most intense shaking and damage during an earthquake.

Earthquake Simulator -There are a number of factors that have an effect on the magnitude of an earthquake. In this simulator, experiment by adjusting the length of the fault, the depth of the earthquake, the length of how far the fault shifted, and the rigidity of the rockbed.

Build an Earthquake Resistant House -This activity actually lets you design homes that are resistant to more than just earthquakes. You can also design houses that are resistant to floods or hurricanes as well. If working on designing an earthquake resistant home, be sure to click on that part of the map to start your engineering adventure!

The Hot Zones -This is another site that explores how plate movement causes earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains to form. There are a number of really good animations in this site to help explain these wonders of the Earth.

Earthquake Animation -What happens inside the Earth when an earthquake happens? Click here to find out. This site has some good animations that help us to better understand earthquakes.

Earth: All Stressed Out -This step-by-step exploration of what happens during an earthquake features a number of great animations to help us better understand just what goes on during an earthquake.

Top Earthquake States -Which states rank in the top ten for earthquakes? Click here to find out.

Latest Earthquakes in the USA -This site has really great, detailed map of the latest earthquakes that have happened in the U.S. Be sure to click on parts of the map to zoom in! You can also zoom out to see where earthquakes have recently taken place in the rest of the world.

Significant Earthquakes by Year -Are you curious what significant earthquakes happened during the year you were born? Select a particular year using the dropdown menu and you will get a list of most significant earthquakes that happened during that year. Click on any of the earthquake sites to learn more about each earthquake.

List of Earthquake Times & Locations -This site gives you a concise listing in chronological order of the latest earthquakes over 2.5 and their locations. Make sure that you move the map around to see the latest Earthquakes for that particular region.

Mr. Nolde's 2004-2005 Earthquake Journal -Click here to see our first-ever Edgar School Earthquake Journal! Do you notice any patterns as to where the major earthquakes in the world tend to take place?

Mr. Nolde's 2005-2006 Earthquake Journal -Click here to see our second Edgar School Earthquake Journal. Do you notice any similarity in the patterns as to where the major earthquakes in the world took place in this year's journal compared to our previous journal?

Mr. Nolde's 2006-2007 Earthquake Journal -Click here to see our third Edgar School Earthquake Journal. Do you notice any similarities or differences in the patterns as to where the major earthquakes in the world took place in this year's journal as compared to our previous journals?

Mr. Nolde's 2007-2008 Earthquake Journal -Click here to see last year's Edgar School Earthquake Journal. Looking at all of our earlier data, do you find any patterns emerging?

Mr. Nolde's Compiled Classroom Earthquake Journals -This map is the work of ongoing research that Mr. Nolde's students have collected using data from the USGS website. Click here to see what the world map looks like with ALL of the earthquakes that Mr. Nolde's students have plotted over the past 4 years! Do you notice any distinct patterns as to where the major earthquakes in the world take place? Why do you think so??

Volcanoes & Earthquakes of the World -This interactive map shows you where the most recent volcanic and earthquake activity is taking place in the world.

Global Earthquakes and Volcanoes Map -This interactive map allows to highlight where active volcanoes and recent earthquake activity is located around the world.

Volcano Animation -This site gives us a good view of what happens inside a volcano when it erupts.

Potentially Active Volcanoes in the U.S.A. -This interactive map lets you discover and explore where the most likely to erupt volcanoes are located in the United States. Move your mouse over each volcano site and see a picture of what each one looks like!

Visit a Volcano- Cascade Range Volcanoes -This is another interactive map that focuses on the volcanoes all along the west coast of Washington, Oregon, & northern California.

Mount Saint Helens VolcanoCam -Where else can you see what's going on with Mount Saint Helens? Right here on Mr. Nolde's sixth grade page of course! This web cam gives you live images of this active volcano.

Animation of Volcanic Eruption at a Subduction Zone -This site does a fairly good job of simply animating what goes on at a subduction zone. Be sure to continue to press the play button to see the next part of the animation!

How did the Hawaiian Islands Form? -As you might know, Hawaii's Islands have all been formed by volcanic activity. But did you know why Hawaii is a string of islands? This site does an excellent job of demonstrating how the Pacific plate is gradually moving across a hot spot below the lithosphere and how that has formed this string of islands.

Animation of a Hot-Spot -This site also has a great illustration of how hot-spots create a chain of volcanic islands like we have in Hawaii.

Phases of the Moon -This flash animation is one of my favorites out there showing the phases of the Moon!

Moon Phases Simulator -This animation also does a great job of showing the phases of the moon relative to where the Moon is in relationship to the Earth and the Sun.

Moon Phases Interactive -This site does an excellent job in helping you understand why we see the moon only at certain times of the day depending on what phase that the moon is in. Be sure to click on the tab that says "introduction" to get a better understanding as to how the interactive works.

Phases of the Moon from Earth and Space -What's nice about this animation is the fact that you can switch back and forth between views from above (North Pole) and views from the side (oblique view) while at the same time, see what the moon looks like from Earth.

Eclipses and Moon Phases -Be sure to check out both MODES of this activity: Eclipses & Moon Phases. When you check out the Eclipse Mode, be sure to click on your different choices in the View From box! Also, be sure to slide the Top View- Side View slider as well! COOL!!

Moon Phases Gizmo -The Moon phases gizmo actually lets you set how fast the phases of the Moon and the rotation of the Earth take place.

Why do we always see the same side of the Moon? -As you've been carefully observing the Moon during your moon journaling, you've probably noticed that you are always seeing the same surface of the Moon. If you don't believe me, use a pair of binoculars each night and you'll notice that you are always seeing the same craters! Anyhow, in addition to my coffee cup model that we do in class, this website does a good job of demonstrating why we always see the same side of the Moon.

How much do I weigh on the Moon? -Go to the weighing station to find out! As you learned in class, gravity is the force that pulls things towards the center of the Earth. When we weigh something, we are actually measuring this force! Your bodyweight will be different, depending on what planet you're standing on!

Sky Watching -This is a great website that has tons of cool articles about what to look for in our sky over the course of the year. In particular, I like some of the photographs that they include in their articles.

The Sky at a Glance -This is another great site that gives you fascinating information about what you may find in the sky on a clear night. This site usually has a good diagram or two of the evening sky which you might find to be very useful.

How Much Light Pollution is in Our Sky? -This site will give you a great idea as to how much light pollution there is in our area. It will also give you a little bit different perspective of the night sky depending upon what latitude you place yourself in the world. If you move the other slider closer towards the street light, you will see how much more of the night sky that you are missing out on! The constellation in this activity is the constellaion of Orion. Here's a link to help you find the constellation Orion in our night sky.

Moon Phases Calendar -This lunar calendar comes from the Old Farmer's Almanac website. It shows you what phase the moon is currently in and what the moon should look like for the rest of the month as well.

Mr. Nolde's 2006 Moon Journal - Here is next year's moon journal. Are there any similarities or differences with 2005's moon journal? Be sure to check out the page that has all of the still pictures from this slide show as well.

Mr. Nolde's 2007 Moon Journal - Here is 2007's year's moon journal. Be sure to check out the page that has all of the still pictures from this slide show as well.

Mr. Nolde's 2008 Moon Journal - Here is my moon journal from the next year. What makes this moon so different from the earlier ones??

Mr. Nolde's 2010 Moon Journal - And finally.......the last moon journal that I photo-documented. Six years of doing so was an AMAZING experience. I hope that you enjoy them all!

Mr. Nolde's Pictures from the Nov. 8th 2003 Lunar Eclipse -As we learned in class, eclipses of the moon are more commonly seen. If you ever get a chance to witness a lunar eclipse, I highly recommend documenting its progress with a digital camera just like I did!

Mr. Nolde's Pictures from the Oct. 27th 2004 Lunar Eclipse -Here is my second attempt at documenting a lunar eclipse. This time, I was able to do some more experimenting with the shutter speed to capture more of the red & orange colors when the moon was completely eclipsed by the Earth.

Mr. Nolde's Slide Show of the February 20th, 2008 Lunar Eclipse -Here is my third attempt at documenting a lunar eclipse. Again, I was able to do some more experimenting with the shutter speed to capture more of the red & orange colors when the moon was completely eclipsed by the Earth.

What Causes a Solar Eclipse? -In class we discovered what causes a solar eclipse. This website does a good job of explaining this phenomena.

Solar Eclipse Animations -Did you know that there are actually three types of solar eclipses? Click here to see animations of all three types of solar eclipses.

Why Do We Have Tides? -The gravitational pull of both the Sun and the Moon have a tremendous effect on the oceans of our planet. This animation does a great job of showing just how the Sun and the Moon have different effects on the oceans at different times during the Moon's revolution around the Earth.

Why is there 2 Bulges? -Some of you were asking in class why there are 2 bulges of the ocean- one on the side closest to the Moon and one on the opposite side of the Earth. This site does a great job explaining why this phenomenon occurs.

Why Does the Size of the Sun Appear to Change? -This investigation allows you to figure out just how far the Earth is from the Sun at different times of the year. Once you calculate the Earth's distances for each month, you get to see what the Earth's actual orbit looks like!

What is the Reason for the Seasons? -Did you ever wonder why we have winter and summer when we do? Did you realize that half of the world is experiencing summer, while we're experiencing winter? This site helps reinforce some of the ideas that we will explore in class.

Interactive Season Animation -This animation allows you to view the Earth as seen from the Sun. Also, be sure to move the slider from "side view" to "top view" to get a different perspective as to why we have seasons.

Name the Planets -Do you know your solar system? Warm up with this activity! Click and drag the correct name over the correct picture. This activity came out a long time ago! How do I know that?? Well... scientists don't even consider Pluto to be a "planet" anymore. Due to its small size, we now consider Pluto to be a dwarf planet.

Explore the Solar System -Click on the planets and other items of interest found in our solar system to learn more about each.

Design a Planet -This activity lets you design your very own planet. You get to choose what kind of star it orbits around, whether or not it has volcanoes, whether or not it has water, and so much more!

Is the Glass Half-Empty or Half-Full? -This film does a really good job in examining where we are and what we need to do in the world today. If nothing else, this film will make you think more deeply about this question!

Groundwater Adventure - Be sure to check out this interactive adventure that will help to understand and see groundwater, sinking streams, rock and other features that make up the ground that we live on. Be sure to click on the non point source pollution link as well!

What's Wrong with this Picture? -See if you can correctly identify all of the human activities in this picture that are polluting our groundwater.

Animation of a Watershed -This is a great animation that helps you visualize how water drains in a watershed. Just click on the play button to start the animation.

You are the Solution to the Pollution! -When you think about it, you are the solution to the pollution. This is another great site that identifies non-point sources that pollute our drinking water.

100 Ways to Save Water! -We know that one way to save energy is to reduce the amount of water that we use in our homes. This website does a great job of giving you 100 different ideas of how you can save water.

Take the Water Conservation Challenge -Imagine if everyone of us pledged to reduce our water consumption by ten gallons a day! I challenge YOU to take the Water Conservation Challenge!

Air Pollution & Acid Lakes -What happens when factories and cars put too much chemical pollution into our air? It pollutes our clouds, which then pollutes our ponds, rivers, streams, and underground water supplies when it comes down as acid rain. Find out just how bad acid rain can be to all of the plants and animals that live in this water by playing this activity.

Oil & Water Don't Mix! -Did you ever wonder how oil spills are cleaned up? Be sure to check out this activity to learn just how they do it.

Animation of the Greenhouse Effect -This site does a great job of animating and explaining exactly what it is that is causing a trend in global warming.

The Dumptown Game -You are Dumptown's new City Manager. When you start to play, you'll see Dumptown at its worst — it's littered, polluted, and nothing is being recycled or reused. There are many trash cans and dumpsters, but no recycling bins. That means all of the trash is going right into the landfill just outside town, where it isn't doing anyone any good. In your new position, you can start programs that encourage Dumptown's citizens and businesses to recycle and reduce waste.

Grocery Store Wars -This is a funny video with a serious message about choosing organic produce over cheaper produce that has been grown using pesticides. Remember... every choice that you make DOES make a difference!

Click on any of the subject areas to quickly get to that section of the 6th Grade Page.
Earth & It's Materials	Maps & Mapping	Earthquakes	Earth, Sun, & Moon
All About Soil	History of the Earth	Locating Earthquakes	The Environment & You
Landforms, Weathering, & Erosion	Plate Tectonics	Volcanoes	Famous Geologists

Normal Fault	Dip-Slip Fault
Strike-Slip Fault	Blind Thrust Fault