Curated OER
A Message in a Bottle
Learners investigate the motion of water currents by mapping the possible movement of messages cast into the ocean in bottles.They accurately plot the appearance of bottles on a world map and illustrate the flow of an ocean current...
Curated OER
What's Making It Look So Brown Outside?
Ninth graders analyze cars and particulate matter in the atmosphere. They analyze results of particulate pollutants and identify which vehicle gives off more particulates. They identify sources of particulate matter and relate to...
Curated OER
Consider the Issues
Students develop and express opinions on personal and societal issues in biology through journal entries (written and other forms), oral position statements and group discussions.
Curated OER
Spring Awakenings
Young scholars observe changes in a selected tree bud/leaf during spring. They record changes in the bud/leaf using words, pictures and numbers. They understand that trees adapt to changes in temperature, light, and moisture by sprouting...
Curated OER
The Chemistry of Coal
Students investigate the chemistry of coal. This lesson serves as a review of conservation of mass, simple reactions and equation balancing. During the lesson, students research chemical components of coal, as well as environmental...
Curated OER
Global Warming – More or Less
Eighth graders identify the factors that contribute to global warming. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders evaluate the impact of global warming on the planet. They discuss their views within the group.
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Nagt: The Carbon Cycle Game
A lesson plan with downloadable handouts and teacher instruction sheets where students learn about the carbon cycle by simulating it in a game format. There are two rounds of the game where they first look at the pre-Industrial...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Carbon Cycles
Middle schoolers are introduced to the concept of energy cycles by learning about the carbon cycle. They will learn how carbon atoms travel through the geological (ancient) carbon cycle and the biological/physical carbon cycle. Students...
Climate Literacy
Clean: Carbon Cycle Game
In this interactive, regionally-relevant carbon cycle game, students are challenged to understand the role of carbon in global climate change. They imagine that they are carbon molecules and travel via different processes through carbon...
Climate Literacy
Clean: Carbon Cycle
This activity from NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory introduces students to the current scientific understanding of the greenhouse effect and the carbon cycle. The activity leads them through several interactive tasks investigating...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Carbon Cycle Web Game
Learners will explore a web game that identifies sources of carbon and the changes it goes through as it travels the carbon cycle.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Fossil Fuels and the Carbon Cycle
In the following lesson students learn how geologists locate fossil fuels by using a straw to extract "core samples" from a model that has different layers. Student sheets are provided in English and in Spanish.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Project Learn: Where in the World Is Carbon Dioxide?
For this lesson on greenhouse gas, students conduct experiments to detect and collect carbon dioxide, then use titration to determine how much carbon dioxide is present in an indicator solution.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Understanding Carbon Storage in Forests
This lesson helps students learn about forest biomass and its role in carbon storage. Students will compare field-collected data with results produced by a forest biomass model to understand the process and challenges scientists face...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Biorecycling: Using Nature to Make Resources From Waste
By studying key processes in the carbon cycle, such as photosynthesis, composting, and anaerobic digestion, students learn how nature and engineers biorecycle carbon.
Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy: Reforestation: Impact on Climate
Deforestation is clearing Earth's forests on a massive scale. In this lesson, students learn the value of large-scale forest landscapes and their role in the carbon cycle.
Climate Literacy
Clean: Carbon Dioxide Sources and Sinks
In this lab activity, students use a chemical indicator (bromothymol blue) to detect the presence of carbon dioxide in animal and plant respiration and in the burning of fossil fuels and its absence in the products of plant...
Climate Literacy
Clean: Carbon Dioxide Fertilization of Marine Microalgae Cultures
In this experiment, students investigate the importance of carbon dioxide to the reproductive growth of a marine microalga, Dunalliela sp.
Climate Literacy
Clean: Life Cycle Assessment of Biofuels 101
Multi-instructional activity activity in which students conduct a life cycle assessment of energy and carbon dioxide used and produced in ethanol production.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Cycles of the Earth System: Carbon Dioxide Sources and Sinks
Students will use a chemical indicator (BTB) to detect the presence of carbon dioxide.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Climate Discovery Teacher's Guide: Investigating Climate Present
Lesson plans on the following: Carbon cycle: Carbon Dioxide Sources and Sinks, Nitrogen Cycle: Traveling Nitrogen, Ocean and Atmosphere: Make Convection Currents, Energy Cycle: Albedo
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Earth's Warming Climate: Are We Responsible?
We obviously don't want to feel responsible for the warming climate, but are we? In this lesson plan you will analyze CO2 data sets and study barriers involved in teaching about global climate change. PBS TeacherLine also provides a...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Go With the Energy Flow
Students learn about energy and nutrient flow in various biosphere climates and environments. They learn about herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, food chains and food webs, seeing the interdependence between producers, consumers and...
Climate Literacy
Clean: Mt. Pinatubo and the Atmosphere
This lesson explores the impact of volcanic eruptions on the atmosphere. Students will analyze three types of visual information: a graph of aerosol optical depth v. global temperature, a global map with temperature anomalies, and an ash...