It's not hard to get young students interested in the earth sciences that explain and describe the world around them. And yet for many students, the upper elementary and middle school grades are the last time they'll be exposed to earth science topics in school. (Although I just visited a high school that is returning earth science to the curriculum in response to the state's science assessment.)

But SciLinks does not skimp on earth science topics. By entering keywords such as volcano, rock, glacier, plate tectonics, geyser, weather, or earthquake, you'll find many informational websites for students, background information for yourself, and teaching suggestions.

Several sites recently submitted to SciLinks include a wealth of ideas and multimedia resources. Earth in the Universe and Earth System, Structure, and Processes from Teachers' Domain have images, Flash interactives, and videos. You can incorporate these into your lessons, or use the many lesson plans (with connections to state standards) included. Registration for the site is free. Rock Cycle has animations of the rock cycle and the formation of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.