This activity is designed to follow an inquiry-based learning approach where students will develop their own experiment while working through the steps of the scientific method. The aim of this activity is for the students to gain an understanding of the basic characteristics of impact craters and how they form within the Solar System.

The learning experience begins with a presentation (provided below to the educator) to provide background information, followed by active research and the setup of the experiment/activity. Finally, students perform the experiment they designed to gain better insight into the impact cratering process. Below you will find a presentation with notes for educators to present to their students, a worksheet for students to fill out during the experiment, and PDF document to provide educators with a general overview of the requirements of this activity. This activity can be modified for students in Grade 6 to Grade 12 and we highly recommend you inquire about our rock kits, which will give your students the opportunity to hold rock samples from impact craters! Please review all the documents listed below:

Student Worksheet (PDF)  Notes for Educator (PDF) Rock Kits

Image of a flour crater made by a student.

Image of a flour crater made by a student during the activity.