Geology Unit Study - Homeschooling on a Shoestring

This unit introduces students to the basics of geology, including rocks, minerals, fossils, volcanoes, and the processes that shape the Earth’s surface. It includes printables, hands-on projects, lapbook components, themed books, and links to full lesson plans. Topics like the rock cycle, layers of the Earth, and geological time are explored in ways that work for a range of ages and learning styles.

The unit is suitable for grades K–12, with flexibility to adapt based on your learners’ ages and abilities. Please preview links and activities to ensure they are appropriate for your family. New resources will be added as time allows.

Many of the links below lead to printable resources that can be added to a notebook or lapbook for this study.

Table of Contents

Learning Objectives

Many parents and teachers will need to create their own goals. You can compare the goals at these sites to create your own goals depending on how stringent your requirements need to be. All links have several suggested activities for different ages.

Suggested Curriculum Standards:

World Book Scope Basic Course structure https://www.worldbook.com/free-educational-resources#tcos
Michigan Department of Education https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/academic-standards
Maine as an example of state level requirements https://www.maine.gov/doe/ela/standards/index.html
California state level requirements https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
McREL Compendium National Level https://www2.mcrel.org/compendium/
Ontario Canada K-8 Expectations https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum#elementary
Abeka Scope and Sequence https://www.abeka.com/HomeSchool/ScopeAndSequence.aspx
The series of books called “What your nth Grader needs to know” May also be helpful nth representing the grade your child is in. This series only Goes to grade 8

Timeline

UC Berkeley Geologic Time Activity
Geologic Time Scale

Vocabulary

Core	Fault	Magma	Rock cycle
Crust	Fossil	Mantle	Sediment
Crystal	Geologic time	Metamorphic	Sedimentary
Deposition	Geologist	Mineral	Stratification
Earthquake	Igneous	Mohs hardness scale	Volcano
Erosion	Lava	Plate tectonics	Weathering

Video & Software Resources

Bill Nye The Science Guy Rocks & Soil

Games & GeoSafari

GeoSafari

Using the instruction guide for the GeoSafari you can create a ton of cards for this unit. GeoSafari is GREAT for long car trips https://archive.org/details/GeoSafari-Manual
Geosafari (File folder game Ideas will work for Geosafari and Vice Versa)
Donna Young’s Instructions https://donnayoung.org/homeschooling/games/geocards.htm
Make cards:

Timeline events to their date Matching card
True or false cards
Vocabulary Words to real pictures.
Chapter-based quizzes
Cloze (fill-in-the-blank) cards about desert regions or people

Games

Choose games to make https://web.archive.org/web/20040111040408/http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec670/Cardboard/matrix.html

Board games – Ideas for making your own board games at Mary’s Site https://www.angelfire.com/wi2/GamesForLearning/ideas.html

Try your hand at making a file folder game to match this topic. Here are some sample File folder game boards.
Blank Game boards to create any game for this unit
https://timvandevall.com/product-category/board-game-templates/
https://justfamilyfun.com/board-game-templates/

Cookie Mining Game – Mine chocolate chips from a cookie using simple tools while learning about real-world mining costs, land use, and environmental impact. Includes printable worksheets and student instructions.

Art and Craft Ideas

U.S. Geological Survey #D Paper Models
University of North Texas University Libraries Geological Phenomena 3D Paper Models
Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College 3D Model of a Geologic Map
Printable Geology-Themed Paper Toys Includes volcanoes, rock cycle models, and more
Canon Creative Park – Science Papercraft Includes 3D paper volcanoes, fossils, crystals, and Earth layers

Recipes

Make Your Own Edible Volcano Create a model volcano using edible ingredients. Great for combining geology and kitchen chemistry.

Make Edible Rocks

Field Trips

Go Up North to Harbor Springs, Michigan for Petoskey Stone Hunting
University of Wisconsin Geology Museum
Local rock shops or science museums
Fossil digs or mineral mines open to the public
Nature trails or parks with visible geological features (glacial deposits, rock strata, etc.)
Virtual geology field trips from USGS or national parks
DIY backyard rock hunts with identification guides

Activities and Lesson Plans

USGS – Geology Education Resources Lesson plans, classroom activities, and field learning ideas from the U.S. Geological Survey.
NPS Keweenaw National Historical Park – Geology Rocks! Lesson Plan. Hands-on lesson plan introducing rock types and the basics of geology through observation and classification. Great for upper elementary and middle school learners.
The Layers of the Earth Lesson Plan – Educator’s Reference Desk
TPT Free Geology Lesson Plans

Worksheets

Make your own worksheets with these worksheet creation tools:

SchoolHouseTech https://www.schoolhousetech.com/ This company gives away two free software worksheet factories one for Basic math and one for wordsearch utility that will make wonderful complements to this unit when you include the clipart listed in the clipart section.
Start Write – This program makes nice reports and handwriting worksheets for the unit. https://www.startwrite.com/
TeachNology has several online worksheet makers and a ton of Rubric makers. Rubrics work great with Homeschool Tracker because they give you total points and you count up exactly how many points your child gets. https://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/
Online Crossword Puzzle Maker to use with your vocabulary words or locations or even dates from the timeline. https://www.happychild.org.uk/wks/english/ssm/crosswords01.htm

Qld Science Teachers – Geology Worksheets Printable worksheets on weathering and erosion, rocks and minerals, fossils, and earth movements. Designed for junior science but adaptable for multi-age use

Geology Lapbook Ideas

Geology Lapbook (Printable Layout & Mini-Book Components)
Lapbook Style: Standard file folder (two flaps folded inward)

Center Panel (Main Concepts)

1. Types of Rocks (Tri-Fold Book)

Label each panel: Igneous | Sedimentary | Metamorphic
Include space for a drawing + 2-3 facts or examples per type.

2. The Rock Cycle (Mini-Wheel or Flip Book)

Circle diagram showing transitions: melting, cooling, weathering, etc.
Include arrows and labeled rock types.

3. Layers of the Earth (Lift-the-Flap Accordion)

Each flap = Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, Inner Core
Add one fun fact or illustration inside each flap.

Left Flap (Interactive Activities)

4. Fossils: How They Form (Sequencing Strip)

Fold-out strip with numbered steps: Organism dies, covered by sediment, mineralization, discovery.

5. Mohs Hardness Scale (Lift-Flap or Pull Tab)

Each flap shows a mineral (Talc to Diamond) with hardness number and example use.

6. Vocabulary Pockets (Envelope or Library Pocket)

Create mini pockets with flash cards for: erosion, magma, mineral, fault, crystal, plate, strata.

Right Flap (Creative & Application)

7. My Rock Collection (Photo Cards)

Attach clear sleeves or card stock with: name, description, location found.

8. Parts of a Volcano (Lift-the-Flap Drawing)

Labeled volcano with flaps over: magma chamber, vent, crater, lava flow.

9. Creative Writing Prompt (Mini Notebook Page)

“If I Found a Rock That Could Talk…” or “The Day the Volcano Woke Up!”

10. Bonus Game: Match the Mineral (Mini Cards)

Printable cards with mineral names and pictures for memory or matching game.

Assembly Tips:

Use colored card stock or construction paper for contrast.
Glue components into a standard file folder (or two glued side-by-side).
Add labels, tabs, and decorative accents.

Optional Add-ons:

Soil Layers Pocket Chart
Earthquake Zones Map
Vocabulary Quiz Fold-In
More Lapbook Templates
Big Book of Books and Activities – by Dinah Zike

Evaluation Ideas

Assemble a three ring binder and please include:

A copy of this unit
Course Description (Highschool Students)
Write a summary about books read for the unit
Write an essay on the various topics discussed
Your Lapbook created for the unit (K-8 Students)
Any worksheets or activity books created with SchoolhouseTech Software https://www.schoolhousetech.com/
Your journal and its contents
Your Log of activities from Homeschool Tracker https://www.homeschooltracker.com/free-homeschool-tracker-basic-edition Its Free!
Your Timeline

Affiliate Links

https://notebookingpages.com/product/famous-poets-notebooking-pages/?ap_id=jodirobertson

Adventure Kidz Outdoor Exploration Kit

Science Covers and Blank Notebooking Pages

This updated Geology Unit Study began as part of a combined Geology and Rocks & Minerals unit, originally compiled on August 1, 2003, and split and revisited on January 3, 2007. It has since been fully reworked with new vocabulary, lapbook components, updated resources, and expanded content for 2025.