Earth Science Packet: Layers of the Earth, Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, 4 Types of Mountains and More!
This 150+ page Earth Science Packet includes worksheets about the solar system, the layers of the Earth, plate tectonics, the ring of fire, earthquake activity and volcanoes. I also included instructions for more than a dozen hands-on activities we did with this unit. This includes activities about plate tectonics, using a compass, earthquakes, volcanoes, instructions on how to make a shake table and more!
My kids were in Grades 1, 4, and 6 when we did this unit the first time. They were in Grades 4, 7 and 9 when we covered it again (and added to the packet).
The link to purchase this Earth Science Unit is down below or in Our Store. Don’t forget to check out the Earth Science BUNDLE options as well!
Some of the topics we covered:
- the solar system
- layers of the Earth, Earth’s axis
- compass directions, compass rose, how to use a compass
- Earth’s geologic timeline
- equator, latitude, longitude — Using a globe to determine latitude and longitude
- Pangaea and continental drift
- understanding convection currents
- tectonic plates
- 4 types of mountains
- 3 types of faults
- earthquakes and faults
- volcanoes – volcanic terms, types of volcanoes
- earthquakes and building construction, earthquake shake table
In all, this packet is more than 50 pages (and includes the suggested answers). In addition to detailed instructions with pictures for all of our hands-on activities, this packet includes the following Earth Science Worksheets:
Solar System Worksheet, Layers of the Earth Worksheet, Earth’s Axis
Plus they did hands-on activities about the solar system and the layers of the Earth.
We did the mnemonics for the planets (both in order from the sun and for the size) and filled out the notebook page. (There are two options, a notebook page or an interactive notebook/lapbook page.)
Layers of the Earth
My kids loved doing the hands-on activity for this! 🙂 There are instructions in the packet. In this section on the Layers of the Earth, there is an interactive notebook activity.
Kids will create their own flap-book notebook page. There is an option for color or for black & white. On the bottom part of that page, there is information about the compositional layers (crust, mantle, core) and the five physical layers (lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere, etc.). If your kids are older, there is a plain notebook page (without making the flap book).
There is a second option – an interactive notebook activity about the Layers of the Earth:
Geography Terms: Equator, Latitude, Longitude Worksheets: (and they learned to find the latitude and longitude of various cities)
3 types of plates, Plate Movement Worksheets, Types of Plate Boundaries:
They did several hands-on activities about plate movement and convection currents.
Hands-on activity learning about convection currents:
Earthquake Activities: Earthquake vibrations, Earthquake Body Waves and Surface Waves, How to make an earthquake shake table
Types of Volcanoes Pages:
There is a cut-and-paste activity, where students learn about the different types of volcanoes: composite volcanoes, cinder cone volcanoes, shield volcanoes and fissure volcanoes. Students cut out the description of each volcano and paste it onto the notebook page. (Older students can just write that information in!)
There is also a new flap-book activity on the types of volcanoes. Students color in the outside and inside of the types of volcanoes and glue the outside of the volcano on top of the inside notebook page:
4 Types of Mountains Worksheets, 4 types of Volcanoes Worksheets, Parts of a Volcano Worksheet:
They did several activities about mountain making and volcanoes.
Click here to save this on Pinterest:
In all, we did over 15 different hands-on activities in this unit. Instructions and photos are included in the packet! 🙂
Be sure to check out the Earth Science BUNDLE options below!
This Earth Science Packet is now over 150 pages with all of the updates and added materials!
The Earth Science Packet is $9.99. Our units are pdf downloads.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me! ~Liesl
Earth Science Packet
Cost: $9.99
Don’t forget to check your PayPal email address for the download link.
Our packets are pdf digital downloads. After your purchase, remember to check your PayPal email address for the download link. This page answers some Frequently Asked Questions or this page for How to Pay with a Credit Card (on PayPal) without creating a PayPal account. Feel free to email me if you have any questions! ~Liesl
There are several Earth Science BUNDLE Options
There are several Earth Science BUNDLE options which include the Earth Science Packet above. These units can also be purchased separately.
See the Earth Science Page for more details (and lots more pictures)!
Earth Science BUNDLE 1
Purchase the Layers of the Atmosphere Packet ($6.99) and the Earth Science Packet ($9.99) together in a BUNDLE with the option below.
Layers of the Atmosphere Unit (50+ pages) – Quick Preview
Click here to find out more about the Layers of the Atmosphere Packet. It is well over 50 pages and has lots of hands-on activity ideas, worksheets, interactive notebook pages and more.
Our Layers of the Atmosphere Packet introduces kids to some of the basics about Earth’s atmosphere. It starts with a review of Earth’s systems: the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere and spends time learning about the different layers of the atmosphere (the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere). It has sorting cards and interactive notebook projects on objects & phenomena in the atmosphere. Students will learn about the Sun’s harmful rays — what they are (EM radiation) and how we are kept safe. Finally, this packet touches on satellites and the GPS system.
Purchase the Earth Science BUNDLE 1 with the link below:
Earth Science BUNDLE 1
$14.99
Don’t forget to check your PayPal email address for the pdf download link.
Visit our Store for other packets in science, history, math, spelling and more!
Our units are pdf dowloads! Be sure to check your PayPal email address for the download link!
Earth Science BUNDLE of 5
$34.99 Earth Science BUNDLE of 5 (Earth Science Unit, Layers of the Atmosphere Unit, Magnetism & the Magnetosphere, Weather Unit, New! Rocks and Mineral Packet) – After we studied the Layers of the Atmosphere and the Magnetosphere, we did a big unit on the weather talking about where weather occurs, weather fronts, global and local winds, jet streams, monsoons, natural disasters etc. This bundle also includes a 100+page geology unit on Rocks and Minerals.
More details and lots more pictures at the Earth Science Bundle page.
I’ve just added the Rocks and Minerals Unit to this Earth Science Bundle!
$54.99 Earth Science & Physical Science BUNDLE of 10 (Save over $10 with this Bundle) 1) Earth Science Unit, 2) Layers of the Atmosphere Unit, 3) Magnetism & the Magnetosphere, 4) Weather & Natural Disasters Unit, 5) Rocks and Minerals Unit 6) Water Cycle Unit, 7) Where I Live Activity Packet – My galaxy, solar system, planet, continent, country, state, town, and home! 8) Environmental Studies: Trash and Recycling Unit; 9) Energy Packet: Kinetic vs. Potential Energy, Types and Sources of Energy, Renewable and Non-renewable Resources, Fossil Fuels, the Carbon Cycle 10) Simple Machines
FYI: The Electricity & Circuits Packet is included in the Chemistry Bundle
Be sure to check your PayPal email address for the download link.
These packets are also sold separately in Our Store.
- Visit the Earth Science Page for more details about the Earth Science BUNDLES. (All the units are sold separately as well.)
- Visit this post for more information about the Layers of the Atmosphere Packet.
- Visit this post for more information about the Magnetism Unit.
- Visit this post for more information about the Rocks and Minerals Unit.
- Visit this post for more information about the Weather Unit.
New Rocks and Minerals Unit!
$7.99 New! Rocks and Minerals Unit 100+ pages
Don’t forget to check your PayPal email account for your download link!
If you have any questions or problems feel free to email me or check out the FAQ.
This is included in the Earth Science BUNDLES. More details about the Earth Science Bundles here.
Other Earth Science Bundle Options:
See this Earth Science Page for details!
We did several units that all relate to each other. For younger students, there is a Where I Live Activity packet (My galaxy, solar system, planet, continent, country, state, town, and home!). One year, we went on to talk about the Layers of the Atmosphere. We also talked about Earth’s magnetosphere (and did fun activities related to magnets). After we talked about the layers of the atmosphere we did a unit about clouds and weather… and learned about global and local winds, weather fronts, the jet stream, monsoons, el Niño or la Niña, and more. Note: These packets are also available separately in Our Store.
Again, click here to see the various Earth Science Bundle options! (Units can also be purchased separately!)
Earth Science & Physical Science Bundle of 10:
Click here to find out more about the Layers of the Atmosphere Packet. It is well over 50 pages and has lots of hands-on activity ideas, worksheets, interactive notebook pages and more.
Our Layers of the Atmosphere Packet introduces kids to some of the basics about Earth’s atmosphere. It starts with a review of Earth’s systems: the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere and spends time talking about the different layers of the atmosphere (the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere).
It includes sorting cards and interactive notebook projects on objects & phenomena in the atmosphere. Students will learn about the Sun’s harmful rays — what they are (EM radiation) and how we are kept safe. Finally, this packet touches on satellites and the GPS system.
Purchase the Earth Science BUNDLE with the link below:
Don’t forget to check your PayPal email address for the pdf download link.
Visit our Store for other packets in science, history, math, spelling and more!
Don’t forget to check your PayPal email account for your download link! If you have any questions or problems feel free to email me or check out the FAQ. ~Liesl
Again, if you have any questions just email me at — liesl at homeschoolden dot com. You can also reach me by using the contact form. ~Liesl
You might also be interested in some of our other packets and printables:
Simple Machines Packet – This packet include our hands on activities on levers, wedges and more.
Digestive System Unit – This packet includes hands on activities about digestion, the length of the digestive tract and more
Animal Unit: Animal Characteristics, Types of Animals, Invertebrate Classification, Animal Tracks, and more!
Rock and Minerals Worksheets – Worksheets plus our hands on activities on the three types of rocks
Native American Indians Worksheets
Grammar Worksheets – Its/It’s Their/They’re/There; Comma Rules
Circulatory System Packet and Lapbook Pages
World Facts & Geographical Features Packet
Do your kids know the 4 largest countries? Which countries have the most people? The longest river? This packet covers basic world and U.S. facts. It also has a section on geographical features and landform words (both the basics like island, lake, peninsula, but also words like atoll, archipelago and so forth). This packet also goes over some of the famous World Landmarks, world deserts and more!
See you again soon here or over at our Homeschool Den Facebook Page! Don’t forget to Subscribe to our Homeschool Den Newsletter. You might also want to check out some of our resources pages above (such as our Science, Language Arts, or History Units Resource Pages) which have links to dozens of posts. You might want to join our free Homeschool Den Chat Facebook group. Don’t forget to check out Our Store as well. 
Again, if you are interested in joining our Homeschool Den Newsletter, feel free to subscribe here:
Happy Homeschooling!
~Liesl
Thank you!!!
Lovely surprise — thanks!
You’re so welcome! 🙂 Liesl
I don’t use any of the social medias. Is this still available for those of us who don’t use those things?
Of course! 🙂 I’m happy you can use it. ~Liesl
Thank you for your wonderful printables!
Hi – I downloaded and I am trying to save it. It wont let me “duplicate” to save it. It says that I need a password (from you). Im on a Mac. Help. Thank yo u
Hi Courtney,
Once you have downloaded the file, it should be on your computer. You won’t be able to use the “SAVE AS” option. Instead you need to go to your download folder and COPY the file and place it in the folder location of your choice. 🙂
Hopefully, this makes sense. Let me know if you have any trouble. 🙂 ~Liesl
Hi, we’re from Italy. We’ve just downloaded your earth science packet: thank you so much. We’re trying to organize co-op classes (in Italy we don’t have any) and we could use it for a science lesson in English 😉
If I may, we’d like to link to this page on our blog.
Thank YOU so much!! I have lots of books but making these sorts of things is just beyond me and I am so appreciative I have pinned and shared and I’ll be back for more!
I’m so glad you found it helpful. We really enjoy homeschooling… and I just love pulling our units together so I love hearing it’s helpful to someone else too! ~Liesl
Thank you so much for this pack,we are just starting a project on space 🙂
Glad you found this useful. If you’re covering space, you might want the packet we did last year on the Layers of the Atmosphere — http://homeschoolden.com/2014/10/12/free-earth-science-packet-on-the-layers-of-the-atmosphere-19-pages/ ~Liesl
This may be a “stupid” question but for what grades is this appropriate?
Thanks.
Hi–My kids were 6, 9 and 11 when we did this unit this fall… But to be honest, a lot of the material I covered was from middle school textbooks… The activities are “fun” so they could be done with any age (in fact, we did some of these when my younger ones were in PreK early elementary). Of course, older kids will “get” more out of this. And, I guess it depends too on what books you add in. We borrowed “easy” books for my 1st grader and my older two read more advanced books from the library (plus, we used the middle school science text we have). The National Geographics (type) documentaries really added a LOT to the unit. My first grader actually enjoyed those too, but I suspect that’s because she has two older siblings and has *always* been part of our homeschool so it feels natural for her to watch more “advanced” videos. I have a harder time seeing some of her friends be patient enough to watch those. Each child is so different. Hope that helps and wasn’t too round-about of an answer!! ~Liesl
Thank you for taking the time to answer! Just discovered your site the other day and I’ll be back often as we begin homeschooling next year. Thanks!
Good luck as your start your homeschooling journey! 🙂 ~Liesl
Hey Liesl! I can’t believe this is the first time I have visited your blog! Luciano will love this.
Hi Kim! Glad to have you here! ~Liesl
Thank you for this. My grade 1 homeschooler loves, LOVES anything earthquake, volcano, rocks etc. We actually just did a project day with another homeschool family last week where we built a volcano and also did a simulated earthquake with jello and marshmallow houses. So much fun. Downloaded this and shared for others.
Thank you very much…
Glad you found it helpful! ~Liesl
Thanks so much for making and offering this packet. I’m looking forward to trying it out and it looks like you have a lot of other awesome subjects available. I’m glad I found your site : )
Glad to have you here! ~Liesl