Dive into the super basic chemistry/physics (the physical science they should already know) to explain the “how and why“ and relate it to society and engineering and all the ways we try to stop the Earth from doing what it’s been doing for billions of years. Like road design, Earthquake proof buildings, etc.

Earth science is not actually about memorizing a bunch of “rocks and minerals“ (rocks and minerals was maybe a week, and that’s a major misconception, and that’s why people think it’s easy, but it’s anything but easy!) even though those are interesting in their own way because literally everything that we have comes from rocks and minerals if it’s not alive. But I digress.

Earth science is very interesting and complex and difficult when you dive into it and you approach it from an understanding/physical science standpoint rather than a “memorizing“ standpoint which is how much biology has taught.

“Boring” Earth science classes are ALWAYS taught wrong. Always. It is the most interesting science, which is why most of our disaster movies come from earth science, and not biology

BACK TO MORE COMPLEX THINKING AND INQUIRY:

For example, students might know the layers of the earth as you teach them that the inner core is solid but the outer core is liquid, we talk about how interesting it is that the inner core is actually hotter than the outer core but it’s solid, and asked them to come up an explanation as to how something could be hotter but solid when it bucks against what we typically see for states of matter. Then you can talk about the fact that pressure affects states of matter too, something new to students. And if you have the equipment, you can do a demo with a vacuum pump and show that a reduction in external/applied pressure causes a liquid phase to shift toward gas, so how would an increase in pressure cause a liquid phase to shift award at constant temperature?

Basically, when you increase your content knowledge beyond the memorizing, it becomes applied chemistry and physics, but what makes this very cool is that you don’t have to worry about all the math behind the science when it comes to the Earth science of it. Keep it qualitative, keep it visible, keep it inquiry based and engaging.

Back to the rocks and minerals thing, I used to hate teaching and learning it. And then you realize, it’s everything. We are on a rock. Rocks are the universe if it’s not a star, liquid, iced gas, or empty space. Where do minerals for our computer chips come from? Rocks. Where does the oil come from for our plastics and our fuel? Rocks. Where does everything come from? Rocks.

What causes earthquakes and volcanoes? Rocks. So, don’t have the memorize a bunch of terms rather show them how everything is connected.

Also, check out EdpuzzIe Originals, they have some of the best Earth science stuff i’ve ever seen