Curated OER
Science: The Great Tree Hunt
Sixth graders participate in an online, cooperative project researching trees in their local environments for use in an online knowledge game. They take digital pictures of the trees, bark, and leaves. After completing their research,...
Curated OER
Comparing the Impact of Multiple Uses
Learners study multiple land uses and their effects on one another. They assess multiple land uses in National Forests and Grasslands and evaluate the effects of each use on all other uses. They develop a comprehensive list of human...
Curated OER
Muddy Waters: A historical view of land use patterns, water quality, and the conservation movement
Students research the impact that human activity had on Pennsylvania's water supply over time. In this water quality lesson plan, students research, discuss, and write about how Pennsylvania's water quality has been affected and what...
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Water's Journey Expedition
Step into a scientist's shoes to go online and discover the Florida Springs Expedition, and participate in two activities focusing on how humans impact the environment. The first activity asks scholars to summarize the six dispatches at...
Curated OER
Ecosystems
A critical look into the structure and function of ecosystems is here for young learners as a series of lessons and worksheet activities. Topics covered include land-based and marine ecosystems, connections to the water cycle, food webs,...
Curated OER
Sustainable Livestock
Students investigate healthy eating habits by researching livestock. In this food sustainability instructional activity, students research the negative impact factory farming has on our environment due to pollution. Students define...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Personal Choices and the Planet
The last activity in the series of four has individuals determine steps they can take to reduce their carbon footprints and then analyze their schools' recycling programs. Through a sustainability audit, they identify how and where their...
Curated OER
Looking to Our Environment
Eighth graders studied an environmental region in Illinois. The wetlands, swamps, woodlands and prairies were chosen. They research this region and create a picture that looks as if they are looking out the window. They had to have at...
Curated OER
Environmental Changes from Space
Students discuss Landsat Satellites and the use of the images they provide as well as the purpose of keeping records of the information from the satellites. The class works in groups to complete a worksheet on short term and long term...
Curated OER
Conservation in Costa Rica
Students brainstorm what they do that requires land use and use a worksheet to calculate their footprint (the total area of land and water required to produce all the resources they consume). They then compare their footprints to each...
Curated OER
Protecting the Environment
Students explain what biodegradable materials are and list examples of them. They design, with online partners' feedback and input, a product made of biodegradable materials and develop a marketing campaign to best sell their product.
Curated OER
The 400-acre wood
In this forest planning lesson plan, students visit the 400-acre wood website and work in groups to learn about the specific aspects of forest development. Students create, label and color a forest planning map and present their map to...
Curated OER
Illinois Coal and Our Environment
Students read and discuss the important environmental issues of acid rain and global climate change in relation to Illinois coal. According to the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, acid rain has had minimal effects on our...
Curated OER
An Introduction to the Marine Environment and Geology of City Point: A Model for Experiential Teaching
Students begin the lesson plan by researching the history of City Point, Connecticut. Using a map, they color areas they were asked to find and discuss why the areas are important to the community. As a class, they are shown recent...
Curated OER
Guidebook
Students create a guidebook page about a plant on the school grounds. In this life and plant science lesson, students identify plants around the school, then research the plant and write a narrative about it. Students publish the book...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Greenhouse Gas Emissions — Natural and Human Causes
What impact do humans have on greenhouse gas emissions? What are the natural causes of these gasses? Thanks to the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide eats away at the earth's atmosphere with the intensified help of humans. Young scientists...
Curated OER
The Marsh Land as a Changing Environment
Sixth graders continue their examination of the state of Connecticut. After taking a field trip, they identify the types of birds, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates who make their home in the salt marshes. In groups, they identify...
Curated OER
The Farmer Cares for the Land
Students explore farming by creating visual demonstrations. For this agriculture lesson, students read assigned text about a farmer's duty and identify the events that have taken place in the history of agriculture. Students collaborate...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate Change
Scholars become experts on the eight major impacts of climate change through a jigsaw and grand conversation. They then research and present what they learned about effects specific to their region.
California Academy of Science
Exploring the Impacts of Feeding the World
Approximately 50 percent of people in the world who are chronically hungry work in agriculture. While it seems counter-intuitive, the farther you live from a farm, the more food options are available. Scholars explore concepts related to...
Kenan Fellows
Let's Learn About Stewardship and River Basins
What does it mean to be a good steward? Middle school environmentalists learn to care for their state's waterways through research, a guest speaker, and poster activity. Groups must locate and learn more about a river basin and the human...
Curated OER
Biomes Newsletter Report
If your class will be studying biomes and you also want to address some technology standards, check this out! Each class member becomes an expert on 1 biome through online research, and writes a 4-page report that covers climate,...
Curated OER
A Fishy Tale
Eighth graders do a research project on a particular species of Atlantic seafood and record and graph information pertaining to commercial landings of that species of seafood. They use a website and an Appleworks spreadsheet.
Curated OER
Weather and Water in Ghana
Students research the rainy and dry season to investigate Africa's weather. In this African weather lesson, students use the given websites to research the rainy and dry seasons of Ghana in Africa. Students then read stories about life...