Curated OER
How Mountains Shape Climate
Learners use raw data to make a climatograph; they explain the process of orographic precipitation and the concept of a rain shadow.
Curated OER
What Is That Bubblin¿¿¿ In My Back Yard?
Students create a map plotting local sites the Environmental Protection Agency has on its EPA Regulated Sites list. They discuss the need for citizens to, at a minimum, be aware of potential pollution hazards in their community.
Curated OER
"Where in the World is my School?"
Learners learn new vocabulary and discuss what GPS is and does. They locate their school using the equipment.
Michigan Sea Grant
Fish Habitat and Humans
Strict habitat requirements are needed for the survival of fish populations and fish variety in the Great Lakes. Young scientists become experts in the basic needs of fish and understand how survival necessities can vary with different...
Curated OER
Rock Creek Water Quality
Ninth graders test water in a local creek using chemical kits and probes. They take GPS readings and digital photographs. They calculate the Water Quality Index and create a spreadsheet.
Curated OER
Population and Productivity: Two P's in a Pod
Students investigate the link between countries' population growth rates and levels of industrialization. They observe that, over time, as a country becomes more industrialized, its population growth rate decreases.
Curated OER
Create a City: An Urban Planning Exercise
Students explore the effects of population growth in Arizona. In this history instructional activity, students work in small groups to create a "perfect" city. Activities include examining the Arizona census results then discussing the...
Curated OER
Aquifers and Groundwater
Students understand the purpose of an aquifer. In this aquifer and groundwater lesson, students build a model aquifer find its relationship to water usage. Students record observations as they build the layers of the aquifer.
Curated OER
Microclimates of Our School
Students read the story "Weslandia" by Paul Fleischman, define the term microclimate, gather and record data in various places on school grounds to establish the presence of difference microclimates, analyze and compare microclimates,...
Curated OER
Cherishing the Water of Life
Students work in small groups to brainstorm a list of all creatures, plants, natural, and artificial processes that use or depend on fresh water. The class views an aquarium filled with water representing all the water in the world. The...
Curated OER
Food Webs in the Barnegat Bay
Students investigate the food webs in the Barnegat Bay. In this organisms lesson, students use a graphic organizer to illustrate the types of consumers in the bay. Students use reference books to continue to research the animals found in...
Curated OER
Barnegat Bay Watershed
Students design a model watershed. In this watershed lesson, students learn the needed parts of a watershed and how they work. Students evaluate how watersheds effect communities.
Curated OER
Into the Wilderness: Habitat vs. Development
By studying the once-assumed extinction, then rediscovery of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, learners look at the physical changes that have occured in habitats throughout Arkansas. This outstanding lesson is chock full of terrific...
Curated OER
Historical Air Photo Interpretation
High schoolers identify and analyze land use changes over time with historical aerial photographs. They classify different land use into categories.
Curated OER
Are Butterflies Free?
Students use remote sensing to study monarch butterfly migration and human interaction to save the Oyamel forest (Mexico) for butterfly and human habitation.
Curated OER
Introducing Maps Through Dance
Students are introduced to the key concepts of maps; direction, pathway/line, shape and symbol. They create the pathways and shapes they have "mapped" out on paper on the floor. They dance along the paths.
Curated OER
How climate enters our world
Students recognize the different climatic zones. They describe what aspects differentiate the climatic zones. Students offer explanations as to what climate is and the role that it plays on creating regions. They rationalize why the...
Lerner Publishing
Teaching Community Helpers
Youngsters discover who the leaders in their community are and what it means to build a community in this four-lesson unit.
Curated OER
Home on the Range
Pupils use maps and mathematics to determine the appropriate panther population in a given area. In this Florida ecology lesson, students research the area requirements of male and female panther and use a map to help calculate how many...
Curated OER
Go West My Class
Students find data that can be mapped on the Factfinder Web page. They analyze the data from the web site and state recommendations on whether a person should live in Illinois or not based on their preferences.
Curated OER
Eagle Creek Park (A Hike)
Students plot a hiking course using aerial photos and a topographic overlay and find the latitude and longitude of absolute locations. They measure the total distance of a hiked area and figure the area of the ground walked using Heron's...
Virginia Department of Education
Biomes of the World
Incorporate knowledge about biomes and ecosystems in multiple ways while encouraging creativity. Emerging ecologists collaborate and perform research to complete a graphic organizer about various biomes of the world. They conclude the...
Curated OER
Predicting Nations at Risk
Students explain the "So what?"-or the international implications-of factors that indicate the developmental status of a nation.
Curated OER
What Are The Characteristics of Your Neighborhood?
Students make a mental map of their neighborhood. Using a software program, they make an aerial and digital map of their school and locate their school on given maps. In groups, they calculate the distances to various locations and...