eGFI
Design a Green Rooftop Garden
Design and construct buildings with rooftop gardens. Junior engineers work in groups to build two buildings and then perform experiments to determine whether or not a garden affects the building's temperatures. They graph and interpret...
California Academy of Science
Greening Your Middle School
Middle schoolers redesign their school to make it more energy efficient, and create a model of their design. Learners get together in groups of 5, and they take on the task of making their school more energy efficient. To do this, they...
Science NetLinks
Green Roof Design
Green roofs aren't just eco-friendly — they are literally green with trees. Groups learn about the concept of green roofs in order to be able to design one. The groups design a 5,000-square-foot green roof for a fictional apartment row...
Curated OER
What Makes a Building Green?
Students examine the concepts of green building used in constructing or renovating a building. They conduct an interview with someone who sells green materials, or designs or implements green building plans. They work in teams to...
Curated OER
MATERIALS, Using What’s Local: Native Materials, Local Sources
Middle schoolers consider the development of different societies. In this environmental building activity, students consider local resources and how societies choose to use them. Middle schoolers use their findings to design a 'green'...
Curated OER
Green Team
Student explore the relationship of static electricity to current electricity, circuits, electromagnets, electro generators, and public electric utilities. In this Green Team lesson plan, 4th graders participate in hands-on science...
Curated OER
Designing "Green" to Save Our Green Planet
Students design an environmentally friendly home. In this middle school math/science lesson, students watch videos on creating green design. Students work in collaborative groups to determine what makes a house green and to...
Beyond Benign
Green House?
A solid foundation is important for all things—especially houses. Learners research different materials for foundations based on environmental impact and cost. They decide whether concrete, insulated concrete, or wood would be best for...
Curated OER
Going Green School Campaign
Students explore ways to make their school's interior and exterior environmentally 'green.' In this environmental concern lesson, students work in groups to examine their school's interior and exteriors to make them 'green.' Students...
American Institute of Architects
Architecture: It's Elementary!—First Grade
Build an interest and appreciation for architecture in your young learners with this fun 10-lesson art unit. Engaging children in using their five senses, the class first observes the environment around them, paying...
Curated OER
Going Green
Students create an action plan to learn how to preserve natural resources for future generations. In this environmental conservation lesson, students research the topic of preserving the natural environment and write a definition for...
Curated OER
Green Roof Design
High schoolers design a heat and water conserving "green roof". In this urban environmental lesson, students will design a heat and water conserving "green roof" to improve a building's energy profile.
Curated OER
Crafting Models of Efficiency
Students build and compare models of both an energy inefficient and efficient classroom. In this energy efficiency lesson, students creatively use recycled materials to build two separate classroom models. They factor in concepts such as...
Curated OER
Build an Outdoor Compost Heap
Students study how to create a compost heap. In this composting lesson, students create a compost heap. Students write an essay describing the process.
Curated OER
How to: Build a Plant Cell
Students build a 3-dimensional model of a plant cell with household objects. In this plant biology lesson, students construct replica plant cells in groups of three. After completing their projects, students share their creations with...
Curated OER
Powering a Green Earth
Students compare and contrast renewable and nonrenewable energy. For this environmental science lesson, students discuss the importance of going green. They identify the different components in a power grid system.
Library of Congress
Investigating the Building Blocks of Our Community’s Past, Present, and Future
As Ken Jennings said, "There's just something hypnotic about maps." Certainly, the longer you look at them the more you can learn. In this project-based learning lesson plan, individuals study both historic and present-day maps...
Curated OER
Bonus Activity: Build a House
Students complete a building activity using their knowledge of geometrical shapes, tools, and how to follow a plan from previous lessons in this unit. In this following directions lesson, students study the basic building process as it...
Curated OER
Explore More About Bottle Construction
Students explore Green Construction. In this instructional activity based on the experiences of Peace Corps volunteers, students gain insight into alternative construction in Guatemala. They examine the pros and cons of using alternative...
Curated OER
Adjective Monster
Explore descriptive writing and visual art. Listen to the story Go Away Big, Green Monster by Ed Emberley and generate a list of adjectives used in the book. Name familiar shapes and create a shapes list. Choose an adjective and shape to...
Curated OER
Building a Water Clock
Students research water clocks online, investigate how water clocks work, and construct water clock that will keep time accurately for at least two hours without human intervention.
Henry Ford Museum
Sustainability: Environmental Management and Responsible Manufacturing
When you think about environmental sustainability, the Ford Motor Company probably isn't the first company to come to mind. A four-lesson unit introduces learners to the idea of sustainability and environmental stewardship. It describes...
Curated OER
What Makes a Home "Energy Efficient"?
Learners research and report the costs and benefits of making their own homes more energy efficient. In this energy conservation lesson, students explore energy efficient technologies and design over several days. They complete a home...
Curated OER
Investigating Square and Triangle Numbers
Fifth graders build increasingly larger squares and triangles using pattern blocks. They record the growth patterns on a chart and look for corresponding numerical patterns. Students describe the patterns they find and use them to...