Earth Science Field Investigations | Outdoor Labs | Grades 6–8

Check out a sample here: Earth Science Field Investigation - Product Preview 

Take learning beyond the classroom with Earth Science Field Investigations, a collection of 13 hands-on outdoor science labs designed to transform your schoolyard, playground, or local green space into an exciting outdoor science laboratory.

Instead of simply reading about Earth science, students become field scientists as they investigate rocks, weather, Earth's surface, the atmosphere, astronomy, geologic processes, and more through real-world observations and experiments. These engaging investigations encourage students to ask questions, collect evidence, analyze data, identify patterns, and apply critical thinking to better understand the processes that shape our planet.

While every investigation is fully integrated with the NGS Magnified Earth Science Curriculum, they are also flexible enough to be used with any middle school Earth science program.

What's Included

✔ 13 complete outdoor Earth science investigations

✔ Ready-to-use Teacher Guides

✔ Student Lab Sheets

✔ Discussion & Analysis Questions

✔ Complete Answer Keys

✔ NGSS and TEKS-aligned investigations

✔ Low-prep activities using inexpensive materials

✔ Authentic field-based experiences that encourage scientific thinking

Investigations Include the Following Earth Science Topics:

• Nature of Science
• Introduction to Earth Science
• Mapping Earth's Surface
• Rocks and Minerals
• Plate Tectonics
• Forces That Shape the Earth
• Earth's Changing Surface
• Earth's History
• Earth's Water
• Earth's Atmosphere
• Weather and Climate
• Astronomy and Space Science
• Natural Resources

Why Teachers Love These Investigations

⭐ Encourages inquiry-based learning

⭐ Gets students moving and engaged outdoors

⭐ Builds observation, data collection, and critical thinking skills

⭐ Requires minimal preparation and inexpensive materials

⭐ Works in schoolyards, parks, playgrounds, and outdoor classrooms

⭐ Promotes collaboration and real scientific practices

⭐ Flexible enough to use with any middle school Life Science curriculum

Perfect For

• Middle School Life Science
• Outdoor Learning
• Biology Activities
• NGSS Lessons
• STEM Education
• Science Lab Activities
• Homeschool Science
• Field Investigations
• Science Clubs
• Enrichment Activities

Copyright © Nitty Gritty Science, LLC (DBA NGS Magnified). All rights reserved by author Dr. Erica Colón. This product is to be used only by the original downloader. Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited. This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view. Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Clipart and elements found in this PDF are copyrighted and cannot be extracted and used outside of this file without permission or license. Intended for classroom and personal use ONLY. Due to the nature of digital downloads, all sales are final once the resource has been downloaded.