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

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Science & Eng Practices

Vocab Review Part 2

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Safety Lab Equipment

Drag and Drop

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Lab Equipment

Drag and Drop

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Testable Questions

5 Multiple Choice

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Nature of Science

5 Multiple Choice

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Nature of Science

Sort

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Nature of Science

4 Questions

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Scientific Law vs. Theory

5 Questions

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Scientific Investigations

Crossword

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Examples of Models

Drag and Drop

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Matching Measurement Tools to Their Uses

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Graduated Cylinder Measurements Set 1

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Graduated Cylinder Measurements Set 2

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Triple Beam Balance

Challenge

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Metric Bases

Drag and Drop

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Observation vs Inference

Beaver Lodge

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Observation vs Inference

Bird Tracks

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Observation vs Inference

Rusty Car

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Observation vs Inference

Footprints in Sand

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Observation vs Inference

Muddy Shoes

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Testable Questions

Set 1

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Testable Questions

Set 2

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Testable Questions

Set 3

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Testable Questions

5 Multiple Choice

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Solar System

Vocab Review Part 1

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Solar System

Vocab Review Part 2

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How Understanding

of Solar System has Changed

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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

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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

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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

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Label the Diagram

of the Solar System

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Planet Distance from Sun

Graph & 3 Questions

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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

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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

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Gravity and Orbits

PhET Simulation

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Earth Moon and Sun

Vocab Review

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Moon Phases Diagram

Drag and Drop

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Layers of the Earth

Vocab Review

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Plate Boundaries

Vocab Review

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Weathering, Erosion

& Deposition Vocab Review

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Weathering, Erosion

& Deposition Vocab Review

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Rocks and the Rock Cycle

Vocab Review

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Layers of Earth’s Geosphere

Drag and Drop

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Plate Boundaries

Sort the Boundary Types

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Igneous, Sedimentary, & Metamorphic Rock Sort

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Weathering, Erosion,

& Deposition Sort

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Soil Erosion Graph

3 Questions

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Using Fossils to Order

Rock Layers (Easier)

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Using Fossils to Order

Rock Layers (Challenging)

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Fossils in Rock Layers

5 Questions

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Properties of Water

Vocab Review

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Water in the Environment

Vocab Review

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

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Atmosphere, hydrosphere, or powered by solar energy

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What Drives Water

Movement on Earth?

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Water Cycle

Drag and Drop Diagram

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Convection Currents

Demo and Questions

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Layers of the Atmosphere

Drag and Drop

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Atmosphere Composition

Drag and Drop

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Earth’s Energy Budget

Vocab Review

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Energy Forms

Vocab Review

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Earth’s Energy Budget

Drag and Drop Diagram

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Earth’s Energy Budget

Cloze Activity

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PhET’s Greenhouse Effect

Drag and Drop Diagram

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Climate vs Weather

Sort

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

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Atmosphere, hydrosphere, or powered by solar energy

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What Drives Water

Movement on Earth?

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High and Low Pressure

Weather Map Activities

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Weather Map Symbols

Drag and Drop

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Cold Front vs. Warm Front

Sort

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Cold Fronts

Drag and Drop Diagram

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Renewable vs. Nonrenewable

Energy Sources Sort

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Natural vs. Human Caused

Air Pollution Sort

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Sea Level Rise

Cause and Effect Sort

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