National Gardening Association
Migration Mishaps
Elementary ecologists pretend to be migratory hummingbirds. They fly between wintering and nesting grounds, trying to reach a habitat haven. In a musical-chair fashion, some birds will miss out, and are removed from the game. To further...
Curated OER
World Water Day
Celebrate World Water Day on March 22 with activities that increase awareness of water quality around the world.
Kenan Fellows
The Little Stuff Can Make a Big Difference
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...
Curated OER
This House is Made of Mud: Exploring the Shapes in Our Lives
Students study about our dependence on the earth's resources for materials. They practice their knowledge of geometric shapes by recognizing them in the context of the story.
Curated OER
Our Playground!
First graders observe and explore the playground's environment by walking around the playground, followed by a group discussion of what they observed. They then divide into groups and participate in centers, their brought back together...
NOAA
Please Pass the Salt
Salinity is the focus of two experimenters that work to answer the question, How does salt change the physical properties of water? Super scientists compare the freezing rate of salt and fresh water, combine the two waters to...
Curated OER
Our Earth
In this Earth's environment worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle given 35 clues about a variety of topics related to our Earth. Topics include ecosystems, precipitation, biomes, energy transfer, soil, weathering and rocks.
NOAA
Climate Is Our Friend…Isn’t It?: Make an Extinction Polyhedron
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...
Forest Foundation
Fire in Our Communities - What Can We Do?
Learn about defensible space and renewable resources with a lesson plan about forest fires. After exploring the ways that humans have impacted the environment, kids conduct mock interviews about differing points of view in the...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle
In this water cycle worksheet, students read an informational passage, observe a labeled diagram of the transpiration water cycle, and answer comprehension questions. Students answer seven multiple choice questions and write a story from...
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Human Impact on the Environment
In this environmental science instructional activity, students complete a crossword puzzle with 26 questions about human impact on the environment.
Curated OER
Our Water Footprint
Students discuss the water usage of the world and their own water usage. For this water lesson plan, students read a story about water and discuss different statistics of water usage around the world.
Curated OER
Water and Sanitation
Students examine water contamination problems. In this global studies lesson, students compare and contrast water sanitation issues on Malawi, Tanzania, and Ontario. Students propose solutions to the water sanitation problems.
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Water Conservation
Students investigate water conservation. For this water conservation lesson, students list the uses for water and record their water usage for one day. Students graph the data and create a water conservation poster.
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Sustainable Livestock
Learners investigate healthy eating habits by researching livestock. In this food sustainability lesson, students research the negative impact factory farming has on our environment due to pollution. Learners define agricultural...
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Water Creative Writing
Learners red and discuss an example of a biographical essay. They read The Last of the Falling Tide by Car Hiassen, answer factual questions concerning the work, and create their own story about a natural place they are familiar with ,...
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environment: Fresh and Saltwater Habitats
Learners compare and contrast fresh and salt water coastal environments. After describing how sea animals adapt to their habitats, they design a variety of sea creatures and explain how the adaptations aid in the animals' survival. ...
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Investigating Our Place in the World
Students study the concept of geography in a year long unit. In this geography unit, students participate in different activities that explain the spatial sense of the world, the physical landmasses and bodies of water, geographic...
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Water Conservation
In this environment worksheet, learners look for the facts of how to conserve water and help the environment. They complete the activities as part of the unit.
Curated OER
Water Filtering
Young scholars investigate how polluted water is filtered so people can use this recycled resource. They conduct an experiment in which they put "polluted" water through a filtering system. They investigate what happens at a water...
Curated OER
Can You Swim in Chocolate Water?
Third graders discss water pollution and its affects on animals. They watch a demonstration using a plastic fish in a fish bowl in which various types of water pollution are illustrated.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Can We Absorb Nanoparticle Pollutants?
Just because we can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there! A growing concern for environmental scientists is toxic nanoparticles in our air and water. Young scholars conduct an experiment to demonstrate how these particles can cross our...
Curated OER
Regulating the Internal Environment
This presentation begins with the many problems multicellular organisms which rely on diffusion encounter. There are many diagrams of mammalian organ structures, and they are labelled with their relevant functions. This an excellent...
Curated OER
Global Environmental Issues: Air and Water Pollution
Thinking about designing a project for your social studies or environmental science classes? Use an overview of a project that prompts class groups to research an environmental issue.