Las Cumbres Observatory
Agent Exoplanet
Not everything revolves around the sun! Believe it or not, there are planets, called exoplanets, that orbit stars other than our sun. Learners use an interactive online resource to research several of these planets. They learn about the...
Curated OER
Polar Bears and Ice
Students explore the Arctic food chain. They examine the needs of the polar bear and the threat that global warming poses to them. Students write a letter to a local political representative explaining what they have studied and...
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The Mysteries of El Nino: How Much do We Really Know?
Seventh graders investigate the causes and effects of El Nino and explore its global impact on weather related occurrences through this series of activities.
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Day And Night: Interdisciplinary Study of Cyclic Change
Eighth graders conduct a "Length of Day Symposium." They complete a variety of activities and explorations regarding the earth's rotation, its revolution around the sun and the cyclic changes in climate and energy distribution on the...
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Fantastic Fossils
Students learn about the kinds of fossils and what scientists can learn from them. In this earth science lesson, students are told how engineers and paleontologists work together. Then students create a "fossil fondue" and write a...
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Carbon Cycles
Pupils examine the carbon cycle and how carbon atoms travel through it. In this energy cycles lesson students describe how human activities affect the carbon cycle.
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Mapping Ancient Coastlines
Most of this lesson plan is spent working on the "Bathymetry Worksheet." It includes a graph of the changes in sea level over the past 150,000 years and a bathymetric map of changes in an imaginary coastline over time. Participants...
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Graphing the Facts
Students investigate the correlation between our planet's weather and solar activity. They analyze and discuss data regarding the solar activity cycle, graph annual precipitation and temperature averages over a period of 100 years, and...
California Academy of Science
Energy: A Day in My Life
If only we could harness the energy of fifth graders, our energy problems would be over! The class discusses where different forms of energy come from and how we use them. They complete a chart of the activities that they do daily that...
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Satellites and the Radiation Budget
Students engage in a prelab discussion about the earth's radiation budget and global warming. They use "trading cards" to find specific websites to research radiation budget questions.
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Sink/Float Discovery bottle
Investigate which items float and which ones sink using this resource. Learners participate in an activity in which they investigate this phenomena. Then they describe the experimental process, and learn how to display their results.
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Bible (Day 7) Redemption and Caretakers
Whether you are religious or not, humans can be caretakers of the Earth. Students will discuss recycling, how their wasteful actions effect the Earth, and the Alaskan oil spill. They then have small group discussion and write about how...
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The Little Ice Age - Understanding Climate and Climate Change
Fourth graders receive data about tree ring records, solar activity, and volcanic eruptions during the Little Ice Age (1350-1850). From this data, they draw conclusions about possible natural causes of climate change
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Unit on Globalization and the Environment
Twelfth graders analyze issues affecting ecosystems. They examine the relationships between members of the international comunity. They also examine the concept of sustainable development.
Teach Engineering
Introduction to Environmental Engineering
A series on environmental engineering introduces the class to issues that environmental engineers work to solve. This first activity focuses on air and land issues, and looks at ways to reduce pollution.
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What's in a Brain?
Bring the brain to life for your students with thought-provoking activities
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A Whale of Importance to the Arctic People
The bowhead whale of the Arctic region is of great importance to the people that live there. Your class will brainstorm all they know about this wonderful whale and create an informational video, which they will share with the children...
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What's a Kid to Do?
Learners participate in an environmental action letter-writing campaign. They conduct Internet research on the Global Response website, discuss various successful Global Response campaigns, select a campaign they are interested in, and...
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Dangerous Air
Students investigate how pollution is a global issue. They locate the countries affected by radiation from Chernobyl, sequence the progress of radiation transport from Chernobyl and plot the pollution points on a world map, and read and...
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Fishing For The Future
Students participate in a simulation using M&M's that highlights Garrett Hardin's concept of the "tragedy of the commons." They use the activities to study sustainability issues in the fishing industry.
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Electricity
Learners explore electricity. After watching a PowerPoint presentation, students discuss the composition of electricity and how it is made. They participate in discovery activities by rotation through four activity stations set up on the...
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Recycling Who cares?
Students participate in activities to understand the feelings of the community about recycling. In this recycling lesson, students look at opposing views on recycling.
National Geographic
Spot Where You DON'T Get Your Seafood
When your class is examining the fishing industry or sustainable practices, you can use this brief activity to demonstrate the global impact our food choices have. Overharvesting, overfishing, and bycatch are important topics to address...
NOAA
Are You Climate Literate?: Play the Essential Principles Challenge
Installment eight of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series tests the class's understanding of climate. Scholars play alone or in small groups to assess their understanding of climate systems, causes of climate change, and...