Celebrate the 27th annual Earth Science Week October 13 - 19!
Since October 1998, the American Geosciences Institute has organized this national and international event to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth Sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth. This year's Earth Science Week will be "Earth Science Everywhere," aiming to help us understand Earth's materials and the rapid or long-term environmental changes
07/04/2025
Happy Fourth of July!
Ever wonder how fireworks get their brilliant colors? Explore how minerals and elements create vibrant displays in the sky with this resource from USGS, a long time Earth Science Week Partner!
Download this resource at: https://bit.ly/4evDolZ
Did you know there are now 288 National Parks and Landmarks managed by the (NPS) that contain fossils? And did you know the American Geosciences Institute manages a collection of 3D photogrammetric models of NPS fossils?
To celebrate , we'll be sharing one model every week leading up to Earth Science Week (October 12-18, 2025) and National Fossil Day (October 15, 2025). That means 15 weeks of fossils!
To kick off the celebration, check out the model of the 200-250 million year old Anchisauripus track that can be found within building stones at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The tools within the Sketchfab platform allow you to view the fossil from all angles. How do you think models like this help us to study fossils?
Access the model at: https://bit.ly/dino-track-gettysburg
Rock Creek Park, managed by the National Park Service, has been identified as a geoheritage site by the U.S. Geological Survey. Learn more about this and other geoheritage sites in the U.S., in addition to educational resources created by the American Geosciences Institute to bring geoheritage into grade 3-8 classrooms.
🌟 Finalist Friday! 🎉
Our Video Contest Finalist spotlight this week is: Raquel Abood Rodrigues and teammates with "GeoEscola: Bridging the Gap Between Earth Science and Education"🌍
Their project, led by the Federal University of Minas Gerais, connects students and public schools in Belo Horizonte with hands-on Earth science learning—showing how “Earth Science Connects Us.”
🌐To view all winners and finalists of the 2024 Earth Science Week contests, visit: www.earthsciweek.org/contests/2024
06/24/2025
The American Geosciences Institute's Education & Outreach team is heading to Corvallis, Oregon this week to host our 2025 Soil Science Workshop for Educators! 🌱
This workshop is part of our ongoing collaboration with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and supports K–12 educators in bringing soil science and geoscience into the classroom.
We’re excited to get our hands dirty and dig into Earth science with teachers from across the country!
06/13/2025
🌟Finalist Friday📝
Our 2024 Finalist highlighted this week is: Patrick Jiang✨
Students in grades 6-9 wrote essays about how understanding a specific earth science concept can help address a challenge currently faced around the world.
06/12/2025
Earth Science Week’s June 2025 Classroom Activity is here!
📍 “EarthCaches Are Everywhere” turns students into geo-explorers! Unlike traditional geocaches, EarthCaches don’t have containers—instead, students visit real sites (or explore virtually) and complete geoscience-based tasks that deepen understanding of Earth systems.
🧭 Created with the Geological Society of America and Geocaching HQ, EarthCaches combine outdoor adventure and science learning. With 70,000+ sites worldwide, there’s likely one near your school!
🎉 International EarthCache Day is Sunday, October 12, 2025—a perfect time to explore a site or start a classroom activity for Earth Science Week!
📱 Use GPS-enabled devices or the Geocaching® app to investigate landforms, ecosystems, and climate through hands-on learning.
🔗 Explore the activity: https://www.earthsciweek.org/resources
🌍 More on EarthCaching: https://www.geosociety.org/earthcache
06/11/2025
🌍 Calling All Grade 3 to Grade 8 Educators in Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia!
The American Geosciences Institute is partnering with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to host a three-day workshop for educators from many subject areas to give feedback on NEW classroom resources on geoheritage—an interdisciplinary field that explores sites with geological significance, that also have educational, cultural, aesthetic, and economic value.
See the flyer below for more information, and visit our website to register today: https://bit.ly/geoheritage-workshop
06/06/2025
🎨 Finalist Friday: 🌟 🖼️
Our 2024 Visual Art Contest Finalist highlighted this week is: A***n Zamora ✨
Students in grades K-5 made artwork illustrating the theme “Putting the in eARTh Science.”
🔗 View all 2024 contest winners and finalists at: https://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/2024/
06/04/2025
🧭 New Classroom Resource!
Explore the mystery of Earth's ocean floor with "Crustal Clues: Investigating Seafloor Spreading" 🌊
Students use real data to plot sediment thickness across the seafloor and connect it to the process of plate tectonics.
Perfect for middle and high school classrooms, the activity builds skills in graph analysis and interpreting visual data—and it’s available in both student and teacher versions!
🔗 Get the activity: https://education.americangeosciences.org/resources/ocean-coring
Grade Levels: Middle School, High School
NGSS: MS-ESS1-4, HS-ESS2-2, HS-ESS2-3
Concepts: Plate Tectonics
Skills: Graph Analysis, Visual Data Interpretation
06/02/2025
📣There’s still time to apply!
The 2025 AGI/ExxonMobil Geoscience and STEM Teaching and Learning Academy (TLA) will be held this July in Alexandria, VA! Designed for K–8 public school teachers who are new to or have recently begun teaching Earth science, the TLA features:
✅ Hands-on professional development
✅ Expert-led sessions
✅ Practical classroom resources
Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis and will continue to be accepted until the academy is filled.
🔗 Learn more and apply today: https://bit.ly/2025-TLA-info
05/28/2025
Join the American Geosciences Institute at the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists Annual Meeting – in Chicago, Illinois, September 22–23, 2025!
Through our Geoscience Experiences for Teachers Out in the Field (GET-Out) program, educators can shadow geoscience professionals, explore active field sites, and bring real-world insights back to the classroom. 🚍⛏️
🔎 Application review begins May 30 – don’t wait!
🔗 Learn more and apply: https://bit.ly/4k3icFf
🌍 Join the American Geosciences Institute beyond the classroom and into the real world of geoscience! Through our Geoscience Experiences for Teachers Out in the Field (GET-Out) program, educators have the opportunity to shadow geoscience professionals, explore active field sites, and return to the classroom with powerful, real-world insights to inspire students. 🚍⛏️
📍In the Seattle area? Join us at the ESIP Summer Meeting – July 23–25, 2025.
📍Closer to Chicago? Attend the Annual Meeting – September 22–23, 2025.
🔗 Ready to GET-Out and explore? Learn more and apply: https://bit.ly/4k3icFf
Celebrate the 23rd annual Earth Science Week October 11- 17!
The theme of Earth Science Week 2020 will be "Earth Materials in Our Lives" focusing on the ways that Earth materials impact humans — and the ways human activity impacts these materials — in the 21st century.
People of all ages are invited, during Earth Science Week 2020, to join in exploring the relationship between Earth materials and people through our available learning resources and activities. The coming year's theme will explore a host of related questions: As scientists, engineers, inventors and others use raw materials to design innovative technologies and goods to meet human needs, how do we evaluate costs and benefits of using Earth materials? How do we adopt policies and practices that allow us to take advantage of the unique properties of raw materials efficiently, generating value while minimizing negative impacts both locally and globally? How do we address the complex, interrelated issues like resource management, waste management, biodiversity, climate change, circular economies, life cycle analysis, and models of sustainability?
