Earth Science Mini-Challenges

Mini-Challenges are short, auto-graded science activities that give students checks for understanding with immediate feedback.
Add any Earth Science Mini-Challenge to your LMS in just a few clicks. Open an activity, scroll to the bottom, and use Embed (Canvas or Schoology) or Share the Link (Google Classroom). Students may retry until successful, then submit a screenshot of their score for credit.

Google Form: Suggest a Mini-Challenge Topic or Activity

Science & Eng Practices

Vocab Review Part 1

Open Link in a New Tab

Science & Eng Practices

Vocab Review Part 2

Open Link in a New Tab

Safety Lab Equipment

Drag and Drop

Open Link in a New Tab

Lab Equipment

Drag and Drop

Open Link in a New Tab

Testable Questions

5 Multiple Choice

Open Link in a New Tab

Nature of Science

5 Multiple Choice

Open Link in a New Tab

Nature of Science

Sort

Open Link in a New Tab

Nature of Science

4 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Scientific Law vs. Theory

5 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Scientific Investigations

Crossword

Open Link in a New Tab

Examples of Models

Drag and Drop

Open Link in a New Tab

Matching Measurement Tools to Their Uses

Open Link in a New Tab

Graduated Cylinder Measurements Set 1

Open Link in a New Tab

Graduated Cylinder Measurements Set 2

Open Link in a New Tab

Triple Beam Balance

Challenge

Open Link in a New Tab

Metric Bases

Drag and Drop

Open Link in a New Tab

Observation vs Inference

Beaver Lodge

Open Link in a New Tab

Observation vs Inference

Bird Tracks

Open Link in a New Tab

Observation vs Inference

Rusty Car

Open Link in a New Tab

Observation vs Inference

Footprints in Sand

Open Link in a New Tab

Observation vs Inference

Muddy Shoes

Open Link in a New Tab

Testable Questions

Set 1

Open Link in a New Tab

Testable Questions

Set 2

Open Link in a New Tab

Testable Questions

Set 3

Open Link in a New Tab

Testable Questions

5 Multiple Choice

Open Link in a New Tab

Solar System

Vocab Review Part 1

Open Link in a New Tab

Solar System

Vocab Review Part 2

Open Link in a New Tab

How Understanding

of Solar System has Changed

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST_History_of_Understanding_Our_Solar_System

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Sort Characteristics

of Inner and Outer Planets

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST_Organizing_the_Solar_System_Worksheet

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Objects in Our Solar System

Vocabulary Review

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST_Solar_System_Object_Vocabulary_Worksheet

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Objects in Our Solar System

Vocabulary Review Part Two

Open Link in a New Tab

Label the Diagram

of the Solar System

Open Link in a New Tab

Planet Distance from Sun

Graph & 3 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST_Planet_Distance_From_the_Sun_Worksheet

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Planet Distance from the Sun Graph vs. Year Length

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST_Planet_Distance_and_Length_of_Year_Worksheet

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Arrange Objects in

Our Solar System by Size

Open Link in a New Tab

Gravity and Orbits

PhET Simulation

Open Link in a New Tab

Earth Moon and Sun

Vocab Review

Open Link in a New Tab

Moon Phases Diagram

Drag and Drop

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST-Modeling-Moon-Phases-Worksheet-and-Key

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Seasons Diagram

Drag and Drop

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST-Why-Do-Seasons-Change-Worksheet-and-Key

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Tides

Drag and Drop

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST-High-Tide-and-Low-Tide-Worksheet-and-Key

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Moon Phases & Tides:

Two Short Activities

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST-Moon-Phases-and-Tides-Worksheet-and-Key

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Moon’s Effect on Tides: Short Reading, Graph, and Data Analysis: 5 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST-Tides-Patterns-and-Evidence_Worksheet-and-Teacher-Guide

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Layers of the Earth

Vocab Review

Open Link in a New Tab

Plate Boundaries

Vocab Review

Open Link in a New Tab

Weathering, Erosion

& Deposition Vocab Review

Open Link in a New Tab

Weathering, Erosion

& Deposition Vocab Review

Open Link in a New Tab

Rocks and the Rock Cycle

Vocab Review

Open Link in a New Tab

Layers of Earth’s Geosphere

Drag and Drop

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST-Earths-Layers_Worksheet-and-Teacher-Guide

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Plate Boundaries

Sort the Boundary Types

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST-Plate-Boundaries_Worksheet-and-Teacher-Guide

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Igneous, Sedimentary, & Metamorphic Rock Sort

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST-Rock-Types_Worksheet-and-Teacher-Guide

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Weathering, Erosion,

& Deposition Sort

Open Link in a New Tab

Download VST-Weathering-Erosion-Deposition_Worksheet-and-Teacher-Guide

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Soil Erosion Graph

3 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Using Fossils to Order

Rock Layers (Easier)

Open Link in a New Tab

Using Fossils to Order

Rock Layers (Challenging)

Open Link in a New Tab

Fossils in Rock Layers

5 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Cohesion and Surface Tension

5 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Download 01_Walking_on_Water_Worksheet_and_Teacher_Guide

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Adhesion and Cohesion

5 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Download 02_Water_on_the_Move_Worksheet_and_Teacher_Guide

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

How Water Moves in Plants

5 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Download 03_From_Roots_to_Leaves_Worksheet_and_Teacher_Guide

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Ice in Water

5 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Download 04_Ice_in_Water_Worksheet_and_Teacher_Guide

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Water as a solvent

5 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Download 05_What_Will_Water_Dissolve_Worksheet_and_Teacher_Guide

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Water Warms & Cools Slowly

5 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Download 06_Water_Warms_and_Cools_Slowly_Visual_Math_Worksheet_and_Key

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Water Shapes Climate

5 Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Download 07_Water_Shapes_Climate_Grade6_Visual_Worksheet_and_Blue_Answer_Key

Requires VST Teacher Membership – Monthly, VST School & District Membership, or VST Teacher Membership – Annual membership

Properties of Water

Vocab Review

Open Link in a New Tab

Water in the Environment

Vocab Review

Open Link in a New Tab

How Do Solar Energy, Water, and Air Create Weather?

Open Link in a New Tab

Atmosphere, hydrosphere, or powered by solar energy

Open Link in a New Tab

What Drives Water

Movement on Earth?

Open Link in a New Tab

Water Cycle

Drag and Drop Diagram

Open Link in a New Tab

Convection Currents

Demo and Questions

Open Link in a New Tab

Layers of the Atmosphere

Drag and Drop

Open Link in a New Tab

Atmosphere Composition

Drag and Drop

Open Link in a New Tab

Earth’s Energy Budget

Vocab Review

Open Link in a New Tab

Energy Forms

Vocab Review

Open Link in a New Tab

Earth’s Energy Budget

Drag and Drop Diagram

Open Link in a New Tab

Earth’s Energy Budget

Cloze Activity

Open Link in a New Tab

PhET’s Greenhouse Effect

Drag and Drop Diagram

Open Link in a New Tab

Climate vs Weather

Sort

Open Link in a New Tab

How Do Solar Energy, Water, and Air Create Weather?

Open Link in a New Tab

Atmosphere, hydrosphere, or powered by solar energy

Open Link in a New Tab

What Drives Water

Movement on Earth?

Open Link in a New Tab

High and Low Pressure

Weather Map Activities

Open Link in a New Tab

Weather Map Symbols

Drag and Drop

Open Link in a New Tab

Cold Front vs. Warm Front

Sort

Open Link in a New Tab

Cold Fronts

Drag and Drop Diagram

Open Link in a New Tab

Renewable vs. Nonrenewable

Energy Sources Sort

Open Link in a New Tab

Natural vs. Human Caused

Air Pollution Sort

Open Link in a New Tab

Sea Level Rise

Cause and Effect Sort

Open Link in a New Tab

Thank you to Elizabeth Spike and the Clean Air Partners for support in creating these mini-challenges!