Curated OER
How Solar Cells Work
Learners create electricity. In this solar energy lesson, students role play how photovoltaic cells change sunlight into electricity. Learners discuss the experiment and create their own diagram of the model.
Henry Ford Museum
Human Impact on Ecosystems
An environmenta science unit includes three lessons plus a cumulative project covering the ecosystem. Scholars follow the history of the Ford Rouge Factory from its construction on wetlands and how it destroyed the environment to its...
Curated OER
Cultural Environment during the Great Depression
Eleventh graders research American culture of the Great Depression. In this role-playing lesson plan, groups of students develop "talking points" for their assigned topic and condense them into a Powerpoint or Hyper Studio presentation.
Curated OER
Water: The Flow of Women's Work
Young scholars view photographs, read, and reflect on their own environments to gather information about gender roles in Lesotho and the United States. Students role-play gender role related scenarios and write about their reflections on...
Curated OER
Working Well With Others
Students discuss the importance of communicating well with employers, customers and co-workers. A personality profile is completed and students work in groups to discuss various ways to solve disagreements when working with others. ...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates — Springboard to the White House
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates saw two primary political candidates debating seven different times about one of the most important social movements in United States history. Middle and high schoolers read an article that describes the...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Ocean Acidification
Human impacts on the environment can sometimes be difficult to measure, especially under water! An activity centered on ocean acidification gives science scholars the opportunity to examine the effects of carbon dioxide on marine life....
Salt River Project
How Do We Clean Polluted Water?
How do we clean up oil spills and other pollutants in the water? Explore water treatment strategies with a set of environmental science experiments. Groups remove oil from water, work with wastewater treatment, and perform a water...
Discovery Education
STEM Camp—Urban Infrastructure
Build a bridge to learning in a STEM-aligned unit about urban infrastructure. Young engineers explore the many aspects of civil planning and design in a five-day unit. Content includes the challenging aspects of balancing building with...
National Wildlife Federation
Fossil Fuel Extraction Activity
Extracting oil is more difficult than many think! Learners work together and get hands-on as they represent oil companies drilling for oil by simulating oil extraction using beans. They identify the challenges faced in using...
Curated OER
Calling Jobland
Students explore communication in the work environment. In this communication and careers lesson, the class discusses ways in which coworkers communication, then work in pairs to role play a conversation coworkers in a certain field may...
Curated OER
Computers At Work
Students develop simulated businesses, and identify the ways in which their businesses might use computers. They write job descriptions and help wanted ads for the employees who would be responsible for using computers in their businesses.
Curated OER
Close to Home
Fourth graders examine habitats for animals by creating their own in class environment. In this environment lesson, 4th graders research the Internet for information on certain wild animals and the places in which they live. Students...
Curated OER
In the Wake of a Storm
Students share thoughts about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana's natural environment. They read an online article and write proposals to save Mississippi River marshlands.
Curated OER
The Zabbaleen, Cairo's Garbage Workers
Here is a fascinating human geography study of the Zabbaleen. They are a sub-class of people who work as garbage collectors in Cairo, Egypt. I can't say enough good things about this resource in my limited space here. It is fabulous! If...
California Academy of Science
Greening Your Middle School
Middle schoolers redesign their school to make it more energy efficient, and create a model of their design. Learners get together in groups of 5, and they take on the task of making their school more energy efficient. To do this, they...
SeaWorld
Marvelous Manatees
Here is an interesting activity on the manatee for your upper graders or middle schoolers. A game is played where learners work together to complete a successful manatee migration. It's a board game, and all of the game components are...
Curated OER
Hands on Biome-Building
Students explore Earth science by participating in an environment activity. In this biome lesson plan, students discuss the importance of a healthy ecology in order to sustain life, both animal and plant. Students utilize a cardboard or...
Curated OER
Environmental Problems
Students explore the environment by completing environmental problem worksheets. In this pollution instructional activity, students identify the biggest threats to our environment such as deforestation, global warming, and pollution....
Curated OER
Surviving the Conditions
Young scholars explore Earth science by participating in an environmental care activity. In this natural resources lesson, students discuss ways to protect themselves from the environment if they are ever in need of shelter in the...
Curated OER
Debate: "Indoor Air vs. Outdoor Air Pollution: Which Is the More Serious Threat to Public Health?"
Students work in teams to synthesize their air, asthma, air contamination, and environmental health knowledge as well as additional research to represent a particular point of view persuasively. They create a handout and presentatin...
National Academy of Sciences
Mitigation Simulator
The United States has more per capita emissions than any other country in the world. An eye-opening simulation encourages users to explore environmental goals and factors that affect climate change by balancing different priorities....
PBS
NOVA Energy Lab Lesson Plan
Can our energy resources keep up with our ever-growing population? Science scholars learn the basics of energy and Earth's energy resources during an electrifying lesson. The resource combines video clips and an engineering design...
California Academy of Science
Conservation Island
Why not walk in the footsteps of Teddy Roosevelt and become a conservationist? After discussing issues and reasons for animal extinction, the class creates their own conservation plans. Each small group is given mock data regarding a...