Out of sight out of mind can be a dangerous habit. Learners investigate the life of food waste after it leaves people's homes and its impact on the environment. They complete a series of three activities that involve building a mini...

Take photos of human activities that impact air quality. Collaborative groups present one of the photographs, identifying how the activity contributes to air quality and what can be done to minimize the impact. As one in a series of...

Raise children's awareness about the importance of conservation with this hands-on science lesson plan. Start by breaking the class into groups and having them collect trash from around the school or local park. Students then use the...

There's no doubt that one of the most consistent dangers to our environment is the risks associated with the extraction and shipment of oil. This lesson focuses on oil spills - how they happen, the effects they have on the environment,...

High schoolers study hurricanes and research the damage done by hurricane Katrina.  In this environment investigative lesson students divide into groups and complete a given assignment. 

Young scholars explore oceanography by conducting an environmental experiment in class. In this oil spill instructional activity, students discuss the human need for oil and what is at stake when we drill for oil in our oceans. Young...

Written as field trip preparation to Gateway National Recreation Area, this resource is also appropriate for any class that is studying the impact of human activity on the environment. During the first activity, learners identify...

Young scholars compare the anatomy of temperature and polar fishes. They explore the adverse effects of cold on metabolism and physiology and discuss how polar fishes adapt to their environments. Comparisons are also made to the DNA...

High school students examine their own water-based environments, within the Mystic Watershed. As the learners engage in inquiry-based, hands-on projects, critical thinking skills and problem-solving, the project will lead them to cross...

Young scholars reach out into the community and learn about different environmental science careers in this inquiry-based instructional activity. Beginning with a short research assignment, children gain background knowledge about...

Fourth graders study ecosystems, and see how plants and animals must adapt to changes in their environment in order to survive. Pictures of the snow shoe hare in the winter and summer are shown. Learners determine that the change in...

Learners examine the world's environmental dilemmas and create project depicting how to improve the environment. They study ten endangered species.

Using a magnifier, mini marine biologists examine the barbules of a bird feather. They swirl the it into a mixture of oil and water and then re-examine the feather. After the activity, discuss how the oily feathers pose a problem to...

A referenced PowerPoint is not included, but this lesson plan can still make an impact with emerging environmentalists. After introducing them to the facts about overfishing, they experiment with a fishing simulation using colored beads...

Sprouting scientists explore the concept of density by making mass and volume measurements for five different liquids. From these measurements, they calculate densities. They apply their learning to explain Galileo's thermometer works...

Science learners simulate what happens when ice breaks up and floats on water and how increased pressure on ice causes it to melt faster. They view a clip from the movie, The Day After Tomorrow, and relate their lab activities to what...

Students identify the ways in which water moves through our environment and consider the different forms it can be found in. They view videos, conduct experiments and participate in class discussions. Students determine the role that...

Sixth graders explore, analyze and study the effect and impact that humans have on the environment based on their choices as individuals, businesses and governments. They assess the balance between human activities and aquatic pollution.

To understand the impact coal mining has on the environment, pupils will extract chocolate chips from a cookie. Imagine the cookie is the environment and the chips are the coal. Instruct them to mine as many chips as they can, then have...

Pair earth scientists up to use an amazing online arctic portal mapping tool and Google Earth to analyze permafrost changes. They compare changes to data on atmospheric concentrations of methane to see if there is a correlation. Then...

Learners investigate how living things interact with their environment. In this living things lesson, students complete lessons for science investigations on what living things have in common. Learners study cells, complete...

Second graders participate in a three part lesson plan in which they identify and describe forms of moisture in the environment. Part one of the lesson plan involves the three stages of the water cycle, part two focuses on creating...

Fifth graders read about how different animals protect themselves, and how characteristics give animals an advantage in their environment. Students then discuss a variety of "outer" wear for humans, and what they might choose to wear in...

Students conduct an experiment.  In this marine debris and environment protection lesson, students categorize trash into piles, predict whether these trash items will sink, float or be picked up and carried by the wind and then test...