Curated OER
Environmental Agents of Mathematics: Mathematics for Change
High schoolers analyze environmental science data using Math. They do research about renewable energy, gather data, create graphs and interpret their findings. Then the group presents their arguments persuasively using their findings to...
National Wildlife Federation
Get Your Techno On
Desert regions are hotter for multiple reasons; the lack of vegetation causes the sun's heat to go straight into the surface and the lack of moisture means none of the heat is being transferred into evaporation. This concept, and other...
Polar Trec
Ozone Data Comparison over the South Pole
Did you know the hole in the ozone is seasonal and filled by January every year? The lesson uses scientific measurements of the ozone over the South Pole to understand patterns. Scholars learn that the hole grew bigger annually before...
Redefining Progress
Have and Have-Not
Is there a correlation between a country's wealth and the extent of its ecological footprint? What exactly constitutes an ecological footprint, and how does one country stack up against the rest? This is a unique lesson to incorporate...
Curated OER
Hurricanes in History:
Students interpret data displayed in a graph, make inferences based on graphical data. They work in pairs or groups to interpret graphs containing historical data of hurricanes, and then answer questions that assess their understanding...
Curated OER
Environmental Issues in Multimedia Presentation
Students investigate a community environmental issue. They document it using traditional scientific methods, digital photography, and videotaping. After collecting data, they graph the results. Students present their findings in a...
National Museum of the American Indian
The A:Shiwi (Zuni) People: A Study in Environment, Adaptation, and Agricultural Practices
Discover the connection of native peoples to their natural world, including cultural and agricultural practices, by studying the Zuni people of the American Southwest. This lesson includes examining a poster's photographs, reading...
Curated OER
Endangered Animals
Students listen to a teacher led lecture on jaguars, their habitats, and how they became endangered. Using a specified web site, they choose an endangered animal to research. After gathering information, students participate in...
Curated OER
Environmental Risk Analysis
High schoolers complete a survey and enter the responses in a spreadsheet. The spread sheet is used to create a bar graph. Students complete spreadsheets listing types of hazards in their community.
Curated OER
Getting the Lead Out
The article for this lesson no longer accessible through the links in the lesson plan, but can be found in the National Center for Biotechnology Information website. After reading it, environmental science young scholars answer questions...
Curated OER
Weather's Outer Limits
Students make educated guesses and explain their reasoning and compile, graph, and map weather data. They then study environmental weather extremes on earth and discover that many variables determine climate.
Curated OER
Class Presentation on Coal
Did you know that coal was formed from plants? After being assigned a coal-related topic, groups gather, organize, and present information about this energy source. The presentations should include visuals like graphs, charts, tables,...
Curated OER
Feeding in the Flow
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a tremendous library of ocean-themed lessons that can be used in a variety of science settings. "Feeding in the Flow" is one of those activities; Its focus is on...
Curated OER
Illuminating Climate Change: Connecting Lighting and Global Warming
Students analyze energy usage and connect energy usage to fossil fuel consumption. In this global warming and pollution instructional activity, students what fuels are used to generate electricity and how much CO2 each fuel produces,...
Curated OER
Fast Food: You Can Choose!
Students research the nutritional value of fast food. They assess which fast foods are best and worst to eat. They organize their data into tables and graphs and explain their findings to other students.
Curated OER
Effects of chemical use in Agriculture
Students research environmental data to create a bar graph. In this agricultural ecology lesson, students research the pros and cons of chemical use in farming. Students debate on passing a law to reduce chemical use.
Curated OER
Empty Oceans
In groups of four, pupils brainstorm about seafood. They view the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website to examine the problems caused by the seafood industry. Learners are then brought back together to discuss what they...
Curated OER
U.S. And Global Deforestation
Students analyze graph showing global deforestation, view photograph of deforestation in Brazil's interior rain forest and examine three maps showing deforestation within the United States, describe political, economic, and social...
Curated OER
How Texas is Planning To Manage Its Water
Students research water management strategies in Texas. They analyze projected demand for water in the year 2050, interpret graphs and tables and then discuss the data as part of a written report. They research and map the locations of...
Curated OER
Fertilizers, Pesticides and Human Health
Young scholars define several vocabulary terms related to chemicals and toxicology. Students calculate chemical concentrations in water and explain the toxicological principles that govern safety of substances. Young scholars conduct an...
Curated OER
What Have We Done?
Middle schoolers investigate the effect of dams on the ecosystem. In this environmental lesson, students read case studies on the Aswan Dam and the Colorado River Basin and construct a T-chart to compare the effects on the region.
Curated OER
How the Environment Affects Our Health
Ninth graders explore how the environment affects health. For this infectious disease lesson, 9th graders investigate what environmental situations cause infections diseases. Students study the symptoms, treatments, prevention, and...
Curated OER
Landscape Garden Makeover
A project-based learning plan focuses on landscapes in the community. After identifying problems, such as dead trees or misplaced automatic sprinklers, learners design solutions, contact local organizations to fix the problems, and do...
Curated OER
Charting Seasonal Changes
Students research the Earth's patterns of rotation and revolution, create a chart and graph of these patterns and use them to explain the causes of night and day and summer and winter.