About the Course
Earth Science explores the dynamic systems that shape our planet—from the molten core to the outer atmosphere. Students investigate geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy to understand how Earth works as an interconnected system.
Through hands-on experiments, interactive simulations, and field studies right here on Long Island, students develop scientific inquiry skills while exploring the forces that create mountains, drive weather patterns, and shape our coastlines.
Rocks, minerals, and plate tectonics
Weather systems and climate
Ocean currents and coastal processes
Earth's place in the solar system
Complete this before starting any lab. Every student must review safety rules and procedures first.
Moon phases, tides, solar activity, Kepler's Laws, and Earth's place in the solar system
Explore Kepler's Laws, lunar gravity, Earth's tides, and moon phases. Includes interactive simulations and the Moon Word Scrambler rescue game.
Compare planetary properties, orbital periods, eccentricity, and distances using ESRT data tables. Interactive scale models and Regents-style analysis questions.
Use triangulation techniques to determine Jupiter's distance from Earth. Apply real astronomical data, scale models, and geometric reasoning to locate a planet in space.
Investigate how gravitational field strength varies across planets and with distance. Analyze real data, run simulations, and solve Regents-style problems on gravity and weight.
Explore Earth's daily rotation and yearly revolution. Investigate how these motions cause day/night cycles, seasons, solar angles, and the apparent motion of stars.
Investigate the scientific evidence that proves Earth revolves around the Sun. Explore stellar parallax, seasonal star patterns, and changing constellations as proof of Earth's orbital motion.
Weather systems, air masses, fronts, NYS climate patterns, and historic storm events
Explore the 6 climate factors affecting NYS weather patterns. Analyze temperature and precipitation data, complete interactive map activities.
Analyze the historic February 2026 blizzard that buried Long Island. Examine weather maps, pressure systems, and Nor'easter dynamics.
Investigate how Hurricane Irene caused catastrophic flooding across New York State in 2011. Analyze storm tracks and river data.
Read station models, track cold and warm fronts, and analyze the polar jet stream to make real weather forecasts. Regents-style practice with live map interpretation.
Carbon cycle, water cycle, ocean currents, ocean chemistry, groundwater, and global climate systems
Explore carbon reservoirs, trace carbon through ecosystems, analyze climate data, and play the Carbon Journey game.
Study surface ocean currents, thermohaline circulation, and pollution transport. Track the journey of the famous rubber ducks.
Explore world ocean currents, thermohaline circulation, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Explore how CO₂ absorption changes ocean chemistry. Investigate impacts on marine life and run pH simulations.
Follow a water molecule through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. Explore Long Island aquifers.
Explore aquifers, porosity, and permeability. Study Long Island's aquifer system and investigate groundwater pollution.
Investigate how ENSO cycles drive changes in hurricanes, US climate patterns, and Pacific fisheries. Analyze sea surface temperature data and real-world climate impacts.
Stream erosion, river systems, glacial landforms, mechanical and chemical weathering across NYS
Investigate stream erosion, sediment transport, and deposition. Run simulations with different particle sizes and water velocities.
Explore river systems, dams, meanders, and watersheds across New York State. Investigate river ecosystems and pollution impacts.
Virtual field trip exploring glacial landforms of Long Island. Analyze moraines, outwash plains, and kettles.
Investigate mechanical and chemical weathering across NYS. Explore Letchworth Gorge and analyze weathering rates.
Geologic time, index fossils, radioactive dating, NYS geologic events, and the ESRT Geologic History chart
Journey through 4.6 billion years of Earth history. Apply relative and absolute dating techniques and identify index fossils.
Decode NYS's geologic past using ESRT pages 6 and 7. Explore the fossil record, major events, and index fossils.
Simulate radioactive decay curves, calculate half-lives, and determine the absolute age of rocks and fossils. Connects directly to ESRT geologic time data.
NYS mineral and energy resources, mining impacts, sustainability, and igneous rock identification
Explore the geological richness beneath New York State — from Adirondack iron to Finger Lakes salt. Interactive ESRT map.
Investigate open-pit copper mining, acid mine drainage, and environmental costs. Analyze trade-offs between resources and ecology.
Explore renewable vs nonrenewable energy sources. Run solar panel simulations and analyze real-world case studies.
Master Bowen's Reaction Series, mineral composition charts, and the rock cycle with interactive diagrams.
Earth's interior, tectonic plate boundaries, continental drift, seismic waves, and seafloor spreading
Mineral identification, igneous rocks, Bowen's Reaction Series, the rock cycle, and sedimentary and metamorphic rock formation
Master Bowen's Reaction Series, mineral composition charts, and the rock cycle with interactive diagrams and clickable minerals.
Use real mineral identification skills — hardness, luster, streak, and cleavage — to solve a crime. Identify the mystery mineral suspect and crack the case.
Learn to identify rocks and minerals using hardness, luster, streak, cleavage, and crystal structure. Interactive specimen gallery.
Explore how sedimentary rocks form through compaction and cementation, and how heat and pressure create metamorphic rocks.
The electromagnetic spectrum, wavelength, frequency, visible light, emission spectra, and telescope observations
Learn to read the ESRT EM Spectrum chart — wavelength, frequency, visible light, and telescopes that observe each region. Includes wave simulations and Regents-style practice.
Read and interpret the Emission Spectra reference table. Identify elements from their unique spectral fingerprints and connect spectra to stellar composition.
Assignments for this topic
Review the forms of electromagnetic energy, wavelength, frequency, and the EM Spectrum. Complete using your ESRT page 3 and class notes.
Explore how electromagnetic energy interacts with Earth's atmosphere, surface, and climate systems. Investigate insolation, albedo, and the greenhouse effect.
Investigate how different Earth surfaces absorb and radiate electromagnetic energy. Compare albedo values, land vs. water heating rates, and their effects on local climate.
Explore the three methods of energy transfer — conduction, convection, and radiation — and how each plays a role in Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and interior.
Investigate UV-B radiation, stratospheric ozone, Dobson Units, CFCs, and the Montreal Protocol. Includes a UV transmission simulation, data table, ozone trend graph, and Regents-style cluster questions.
Master every page of the ESRT — the single most important tool on the Regents exam. Labs are arranged in ESRT page order.
Master the Solar System Objects data table and Generalized Nucleosynthesis diagram. Practice reading planetary data, orbital periods, and stellar element formation.
Learn to read the ESRT EM Spectrum chart — wavelength, frequency, visible light, and telescopes that observe each region. Includes wave simulations and Regents-style practice.
Read and interpret the Emission Spectra reference table. Identify elements from their unique spectral fingerprints and connect spectra to stellar composition.
Read and interpret the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram. Classify stars by temperature, luminosity, and spectral class using ESRT data.
Advanced stellar classification — vocabulary, guided readings, Regents-style questions, star data analysis, Stellar Jeopardy, and a final quiz.
Decode the fossil record, major NYS geologic events, index fossils, and relative dating using ESRT pages 6 and 7.
Navigate the Generalized Bedrock Geology Map of New York State. Identify rock types, geologic periods, and landscape regions across NYS using ESRT page 8.
Explore Earth's interior, plate boundaries, continental drift, and seafloor spreading with interactive cross-section models.
Master Bowen's Reaction Series, mineral composition charts, and the rock cycle with interactive diagrams and clickable minerals.
Decode weather station models, read front symbols, and interpret pressure systems using ESRT page 18. Practice with real NYS weather maps and Regents-style questions.
Explore global wind patterns, pressure belts, Coriolis effect, and Earth's atmospheric layers using ESRT page 19. Includes simulations and Regents-style practice.
Full-length interactive Regents practice covering every section of the ESRT. Timed exam mode, instant scoring, and detailed answer explanations for every question.
Practice density, gradient, rate of change, and eccentricity with interactive calculators and guided Regents problems.
Safety review assignments
Assignments for this topic
Explore how different types of telescopes observe different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Review wavelength, frequency, and how astronomers use EM energy to study the universe.
Examine the scientific evidence supporting the Big Bang theory — cosmic microwave background radiation, redshift, and the expanding universe — and explore how the universe formed.
Trace the history of astronomy from Copernicus to Kepler. Explore how each astronomer's contributions built toward Kepler's three laws of planetary motion.
Apply Kepler's three laws of planetary motion and explore how Newton's law of universal gravitation explains orbital mechanics and the forces between objects in space.
Assignments for this topic
Practice reading and interpreting weather station models and map symbols. Complete this assignment using your ESRT and class notes.
Explore the four major air mass types, their source regions, and how they influence weather across North America and New York State.
Identify cold, warm, stationary, and occluded fronts. Interpret frontal cross sections and predict the weather changes that follow each front type.
Assignments for this topic
Assignments for this topic
Assignments for this topic
Assignments for this topic
Assignments for this topic
Assignments for this topic
Assignments for this topic
NYS Earth & Space Science
Download and print these PDF review packets — one for each major unit. Each includes key vocabulary, concept summaries, ESRT practice, and Regents-style questions.
Download official past exams directly from NYSED. Completing past exams is the single best way to prepare — use your ESRT on every one.