Curated OER
Stanley Park and Aquarium Field Trip
Young scholars explore the beauty of British Columbia by participating in a class field trip. In this ecosystem observation lesson, students investigate the Vancouver Aquarium and Stanley Park, one of the largest parks in North America....
PBS
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
What rights are guaranteed to students? Do they align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was approved by the United Nations in 1948? Middle and high schoolers present persuasive arguments about the rights they believe...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystem Services
The fourth activity in a series of five has classes participate in a jigsaw to learn about global impacts of climate change and then share their new information with a home group. Groups then research impacts of climate change (droughts,...
Curated OER
Image Classification
Students explore what are "multi-spectral" or "multi-band" images? They investigate how landscapes change over time- at least over the time-span of satellite imagery, particulary due to human influences. Students explore how to train...
Curated OER
They're Tilling that Field Behind the Mall
Unfortunately, the article for which this resource was written is not available. You can, however, find another current document on agriculture and urban development for your class to read together, and then still follow the suggested...
Curated OER
Why Does Evolution Matter Now?
Students are shown why they should care about evolution. They become specialists in one sphere influenced by evolution and then share their findings with their group. Students are lead into a class discussion, so that each student can...
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 information...
Curated OER
Top to Bottom
Marine science classes read about the 2005 North Atlantic Stepping Stones Expedition and review climate change. They use maps to locate the seamount chains. In collaborative groups, they research how climate change may be altering the...
Beyond Benign
Evaluating Sustainability and Lifecycle
What makes one product greener than another? Ecology scholars analyze sustainability and lifecycle through a thought-provoking activity. Individuals pick a product, then examine its components to determine its overall impact on the world...
Curated OER
Down in the Dumps
After an introduction to municipal sludge, middle school ecologists consider the pros and cons of dumping in the Hudson River Canyon. The class is split into two groups: one to debate in favor or dumping and one to debate against the...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Personal Choices and the Planet
How big is your footprint? Activity three culminates the series by having groups complete carbon footprint audits with people in their schools and/or around the districts. Groups then gather their data, create a presentation including...
Curated OER
Sustainability and Extinction
Galapagos Penguins are the only penguins on earth that live north of the equator (in the wild). In this last lesson plan a discussion on how the Galapagos islands developed their populations and diversity sparks the introduction. Two...
Teach Engineering
Get the Word Out at McDonald's!
To get the word out that the Great Pacific garbage patch (GPGP) contains millions of pounds of non-biodegrading plastics, individuals research the GPGP and write an article for a newsletter. Researchers present their facts in a way that...
Curated OER
Climate Change
Rising sea levels, strong storms, melting ice ... who or what is to blame? Scholars browse the website in preparation for a class discussion or debate about whether human activity is causing climate change. They gain a balanced...
Advocates for Human Rights
The Right to a Clean Environment in the United States
Even if a school has gone digital, chances are there's still plenty of paper being used. The three activities help scholars learn about the environmental impact of paper and another consumer products of their choosing, the issue of...
NPR
Investigate the Plastic Problem
Plastics are forever. The second lesson in a 10-part unit has pupils research the effects of plastics on the environment. They present their findings by creating an infographic.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Ecology Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology
A read-aloud anthology provides informational texts about ecology to boost reading comprehension. Third-graders listen and discuss readings where they answer questions and focus on vocabulary. Pupils complete extension activities,...
Curated OER
Climate Change
Students explore environmental care by researching the impact of human beings on our planet. In this climate change lesson, students utilize the Internet to read informational text about climate change and the effect it will have on our...
Curated OER
Life in a Hurricane Zone
Students research the effects of living in a hurricane zone. In this hurricane zone lesson, students research the impact of natural disasters on humans and the environment, and write a press release describing the devastation of...
Science 4 Inquiry
Deforestation
Young scientists observe deforestation from satellite photos and discuss the importance of forests to the global environment. They then simulate a plot of forest when farmers move into the area over the course of seven years. Finally,...
North Haven Middle School
Environmental Expert Presentation
Individuals or groups select an environmental issue, then spend time researching and creating a presentation to share in class. By allowing learners to choose the issue that matters most to them, you will motivate them to do excellent...
NOAA
Communicate!: Create a Unique Message About Climate Change
Scholars use their communication skills to express their take on climate change in the ninth installment of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They create ways to deliver their messages on a specific aspect of climate by...
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
Camp and Travel on Durable Ground
Learners explore environmental awareness by conducting a class discussion. In this camping lesson, students discuss different methods to minimize their human imprint on the land they are camping or hiking on. Learners participate in a...