+
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

The Little Stuff Can Make a Big Difference

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Great things come in small packages! What better way to illustrate this point than a week-long look at nanotechnology? Earth science scholars explore water quality issues through lab activities, then research new innovations in nanotech...
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

Technology: Conveniences and Consequences

For Teachers 8th - 12th
It's a delicate balance—using technology to improve our lives while still protecting the environment, and ourselves, from the hazards of technology use. Class members examine statistics about the increase in media use, complete a survey...
+
Activity
1
1
NOAA

Climate Is Our Friend…Isn’t It?: Make an Extinction Polyhedron

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Climate affects populations in different ways. Scholars research extinct organisms and mass extinctions in part three of the 10-installment Discover Your Changing World series. They create graphic organizers, then fill in the information...
+
Activity
1
1
NOAA

Why Should I Care?: Show How Increased Carbon Dioxide Makes the Ocean More Acidic

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
How does a change in pH affect the ocean ecosystem? Scholars explore the idea by making an acid-base indicator in part seven of the 10-installment Discover Your Changing World series. First, they explore impacts of carbon dioxide in...
+
Activity
1
1
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...
+
Activity
1
1
NOAA

I Didn’t Do It…Did I?: Make Your Own Greenhouse Effect

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
How do greenhouse gases affect the climate on Earth?  Pupils explore the concept by first building their own apparatuses to model the greenhouse effect. Then, they record data to measure temperature change and determine that the amount...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Teach Engineering

An Introduction to Air Quality Research

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Viewers are a PowerPoint are exposed to the idea that pollutants are in more than just the air we breathe. the presentation provides information about the layers of the earth's atmosphere and takes a look at the pollutants in the...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Greenhouse Gas Emissions — Natural and Human Causes

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
What impact do humans have on greenhouse gas emissions? What are the natural causes of these gasses? Thanks to the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide eats away at the earth's atmosphere with the intensified help of humans. Young scientists...
+
Lesson Plan
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Lesson 2: Gorongosa National Park

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How has Gorongosa National Park changed over time? Discover the park's rich history, dating back to primitive human times, through an interactive timeline and scientific reading. The second installment in an eight-part series explores...
+
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

Terrarium in a Bottle: Modeling the Atmosphere, Greenhouse Effect, and Water Cycle

For Teachers 7th Standards
You've heard of farm to table ... but what about farm in classroom? Junior agriculturalists embark upon a two-week journey into the science of growing things. Based upon the classic terrarium in a two-liter experiment, the instructional...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gaia Hypothesis: An Approach to Problem Solving in the Environment

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students are introduced to the Gaia hypothesis by examining a conceptual sketch. In groups, they analyze the way they can use Dewey's method for problem solving to solve problems within the environment. They are given a problem facing...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Studies of Earth

For Teachers All
Using a digital camera to document local landscapes as they are today, students will explore how changes in human land use are impacting local environments. Students will also explore some of the social impacts of various land uses in...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth: Land Use Picture Project

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore how changes in human land use are impacting local environments. They also explore some of the social impacts of various land uses in their area. They identify and discuss some social impacts of the different land uses.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Do We Need In Our Environment To Survive?

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students discuss and write about waste management to save the environment. In this environment instructional activity, students discuss what an alien coming to Earth would notice about the environmental needs of humans for survival. They...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What on Earth is a Biome?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore organisms and their environments. They examine change over time demonstrate an understanding of physical positions on Earth. They survey earth's diversity, write a report, fill in a data table created on the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Class, Our Earth day

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students understand the importance of participating in recycling and clean-up efforts in the community. In this recycling lesson, students respond to questions after reading "The Wartville Wizard" by Don Madden. Students articulate...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Three R's to Environmental Stewardship: Earth Day

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the ways to conserve our natural resources. In this recycling, reusing, and reducing lesson students read Dinosaurs to the Rescue and apply their findings to learning ways to conserve resources. Students complete a...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where in the World? Biomes of the Earth

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners research a biome.  In this biomes of the Earth lesson, students discuss what they already know about ecology and view pictures of different biomes.  Learners work in groups to research a different biome.  Students use the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Life on Earth Began

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate the concept of evolution and how it was a mechanism for the foundation of life on Earth. They conduct research and attempt to make cognitive connections with the evidence to agree with the presupposition of...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Biomes

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders examine characteristics and animals of terrestrial biomes. In this Earth's biomes lesson plan, 10th graders view a PowerPoint, take noes, sort pictures, research biomes, and create a diorama of a biome for presentation.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reflections on Earth: Exploring Planet Earth from Space

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine satellite images of Earth and contrast images at different scales. In this exploring Earth from space lesson plan, students use satellite images to contrast images at different scales, calculate distances from the scale...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Environment and You

For Teachers 1st
First graders examine the human environmental impact and discover ways to lessen effects. They create a pollution damage flow chart and write down what they think Mother Earth might say. They create inventions from recyclable materials.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environment -- Unit on Globalization and the Environment

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students examine the effect of human activities on the environment. They discover issues that are causing problems around the world. They participate in a debate using their own research.
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

A Bird's Eye Look at the Sun-Earth System

For Students 8th - 10th
In this Sun-Earth system worksheet, learners fill in blanks with the proper terms from a given list to complete a summary of the relationship between the Sun and the Earth. A major topic includes how solar storms effect the Earth and the...