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Interactive
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

The Anthropocene: Human Impact on the Environment

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Will human existence define an epoch? Many scientists think we are in a new epoch, the anthropocene, defined by humans and our impact on the environment. An online interactive demonstrates the immense impact humans have had on every part...
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Interactive
Royal Society of Chemistry

Pollutants in Air (14-16)

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Polluted air contains more than 200 chemicals that age the skin, causing urban women to appear 10 percent older than their rural peers. An interesting interactive connects air pollutants and related data. Scholars work their way through...
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Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Why Can’t I Eat This Fish?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Can turning on the television lead to toxins in the food supply? The lesson offers an opportunity for young scientists to complete guided research. A worksheet lists each question as well as the web page necessary to answer the question....
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

How Light Pollution Affects the Stars: Magnitude Readers

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
Did you know light can decrease visibility? Light pollution absolutely makes it more difficult to see stars. Scholars build a simple magnitude reader to determine the magnitude of stars. They use these data to estimate the impact of...
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Activity
NOAA

Toxic! Or Is It?

For Students 3rd - 5th
Super scientists tests the toxicity of water using radish seed bioassays. Over the course of five days, scholars observe the germination process of several radish seeds, looking closely at their roots to determine the level of toxins...
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Activity
NOAA

It All Runs Downhill

For Students 3rd - 5th
Examine how pollution makes its way into an ocean with help from a model watershed. Scholars use household items to recreate a mini-watershed, equipped with pollutants, that when mixed with rain drain into a model's body of water. After...
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Handout
National Institute of Open Schooling

Radioactive Pollution

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Radioactive pollutants can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or injection. The last lesson in a series of 36 introduces pupils to radioactive pollution. They study its sources, both natural and man-made, its...
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Handout
National Institute of Open Schooling

Environmental Concerns

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Every year, more than 14 billion pounds of garbage is dumped into the oceans of the world, most of which is plastic and toxic to ocean life. Lesson 32 in the series of 36 focuses on environmental concerns, specifically pollution. Under...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Biological Oceanographic Investigations – Keep Away

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
As of 2015, there are 53,481 oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico. Scholars determine how species diversity is impacted based on the ecosystem's distance from a drilling platform.  It focuses on finding the mean of data sets and creating bar...
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Activity
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Teach Engineering

Where Are the Plastics Near Me? (Field Trip)

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
With a piece of plastic here and a piece of plastic there, here a piece, there a piece, everywhere a piece. Teams go on a field trip in order to document the locations and kinds of plastic trash in an area near them. The eighth...
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Activity
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Teach Engineering

Linking Sources and Pollutants

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Class members use an air quality monitor to measure the amount of gas-phase pollutants emitted by different sources. Groups choose three different sources and make predictions about what the monitors will detect. Teams then expose the...
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

For Teachers 7th - 9th
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is one of several garbage patches around the world where garbage accumulates naturally. As part of a GIS unit that combines oceanography, environmental science, and life science, class members investigate...
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Activity
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Teach Engineering

Combustion and Air Quality: Emissions Monitoring

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Help your class determine the types of pollutants coming from vehicle exhaust. Groups use an air quality monitor to determine the emissions from different vehicles, to gain knowledge about combustion energy, and to predict how the...
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Activity
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Teach Engineering

Trash to Treasure!

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
One person's trash is another man's treasure. Challenge your class to build something useful out of the trash they throw away on a regular basis. Groups design and build a practical item from trash they collect, allowing the class to...
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

Global Climate Change

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The greenhouse effect and its relationship to global warming is the focus of an activity that asks class member to consider the effects of climate change on weather. Pupils work with their families to determine their carbon footprints...
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Lesson Plan
Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Section Four: How Can We Protect Biodiversity?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Look into the future with a lesson plan on biodiversity and natural habitats. Learners read articles about different perspectives when it comes to planning future development, and decide which angle is the highest priority in a group...
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Lesson Plan
Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Section Three: What's the Status of Biodiversity?

For Students 3rd - 5th Standards
Biodiversity is essential for every habitat, but many species are at risk due to pollution and other factors. Explore several different species native to Illinois in a gallery walk with posters that learners have created after research...
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Lesson Plan
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School Improvement in Maryland

Pollution Data

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Smog? Vog? What is being done about air pollution? Government classes investigate federal and state programs designed to improve air quality, and then develop a proposal for further actions that are needed.
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Lesson Plan
Wilderness Classroom

Pollution

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Educate scholars on pollution—air, water, and land—with a series of lessons that begin with a thorough explanation of each type. Learners then take part in three activities to reinforce the importance of reducing pollution. They...
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Optimize! Cleaner Energy Options for Rural China

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
What are the trade-offs when looking to get the most benefit from an energy source? Small groups compare the cost-to-emission levels of several energy sources by looking at the information graphically. The groups utilize this information...
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Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Ecosystem Dynamics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Searching for an eccentric way to enhance lessons on ecosystems while ensuring pupils remain creative and motivated? Upon viewing The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, designated groups design and construct a pop-up book that depicts the specific ways...
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Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Changes in Ecosystems

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How does water pollution affect the environment? Provide your class with the resources to answer this question as they learn about eutrophication and ecosystem changes. Over two weeks, they simulate the effects of pollution on the...
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Lesson Plan
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Safe Drinking Water Foundation

I Want to Be an Engineer

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
Environmentalists turn into engineers! Your class explores the perspectives of an engineer and water keeper, including the necessary steps that are taken in order to build a water treatment facility.
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Lesson Plan
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Safe Drinking Water Foundation

Making a Difference

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
After learning about the effects of water pollution, your class will discuss ways to make people in their community aware of the importance of water conservation. Then, your young environmentalists will write a letter to the local...