Resources worth your time

Open Textbooks

LibreTexts Earth‑Science Library

Peer‑reviewed open textbooks covering geology, climatology, oceanography, etc.

Open Textbook

Physical Geology (Steven Earle)

Comprehensive 500‑page intro text plus quiz bank; ideal replacement for commercial books.

Open Textbooks

OpenGeology Textbook Suite

Free Intro, Historical, and Mineralogy textbooks with interactive figures and flashcards.

Lesson Collection

NOAA Climate.gov Teaching Toolbox

NGSS‑aligned lessons, data widgets, and interactives that turn raw climate data into classroom activities.

Activity Library

SERC 'Teach the Earth' Portal

5 000+ peer‑reviewed labs and assessments for K‑16 Earth‑science courses.

Daily Photo

Earth Science Picture of the Day

Daily annotated photo—perfect for discussion.

Virtual Lab

Smithsonian Natural History Virtual Tour

Room‑by‑room 360° walkthrough of the museum, including the gem and mineral halls.

Study Guide

Rocks & Minerals Study Guide

The Science Olympiad wiki's rundown of the official mineral list, identification tests, and how to study them.

Study Guide

USESO Guide

Free handouts and practice problems for the US Earth Science Olympiad, written by past IESO medalists. I'm CIO of the team, and my weather handout is coming out here soon.

Competition

USESO

The official site for the US Earth Science Olympiad, the national competition that selects the team for IESO.

Project Ideas

NASA SciJinks

Kid‑friendly weather & Earth‑science site packed with DIY projects, games, and explainer videos.

Competition

Arizona Science Olympiad

State tournament info and event rules, including Dynamic Planet, Fossils, Rocks and Minerals, Geologic Mapping and Astronomy.

Data Portal

USGS EarthExplorer

Landsat, Sentinel, DEM, and hyperspectral imagery since 1972—bulk downloads for GIS or science‑fair use.

Research Site

NASA Earth Observatory

Daily satellite images, data‑driven articles, and downloadable graphics on climate, geology, and more.

State Database

Arizona Geological Survey

Statewide geologic maps, hazard layers, mine files, and outreach resources.

National Park

Grand Canyon National Park

One of most famous/visited sites in America.

📍 Grand Canyon, AZ

Natural Landmark

Meteor Crater

Best‑preserved impact site on Earth; discovery center and observation deck.

📍 Winslow, AZ

State Park

Kartchner Caverns State Park

Living limestone cave with guided geology tours.

📍 Benson, AZ

National Park

Petrified Forest National Park

Colorful fossils and Triassic badlands hikes.

📍 Petrified Forest, AZ

Observatory

Lowell Observatory

Night‑sky programs, Pluto discovery telescope, hands‑on demos.

📍 Flagstaff, AZ

National Monument

Tonto Natural Bridge State Park

Largest natural travertine bridge in the world.

📍 Pine, AZ

National Monument

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Cinder‑cone and lava‑flow trails from a 1 000‑year‑old eruption.

📍 Flagstaff, AZ

Citizen Science

Find Local Opportunities

Earth science is everywhere—from the clouds above you to the rocks that make up mountains to the water flowing deep underground. Start by checking local museums, universities, state parks, clubs, and citizen‑science projects for events or things you can do to help. Interacting with earth science is the best way to learn, meet new people, and enjoy the subject!