Students investigate the importance of food surpluses to the historical development of urban ecosystems.

Students discover that material and energy uses by a city come from outside the city boundaries. They realize that the pathway of these material is linear instead of cyclical as they are in natural ecosystems.

Students discover that throughout history cities have been centers of population but that human exploitation of fossil fuels was key to the growth of large cities worldwide. They research urban growth through a number of websites.

Is qualitative or quantitative research more convincing when it comes to climate change? In the eighth lesson during this 21-part series, scholars begin by performing a quantitative analysis of deforestation and urbanization. Then, they...

The final lesson in a two-part series prompts scholars to create newspaper articles and succession events. Applying their knowledge of the ecosystem and the past examples of succession, they predict what will happen in the future...

High schoolers discuss how the Hudson River is an ecosystem made up of both biotic and abiotic factors. They view the PowerPoint the Journal Down the Hudson River. Students become aware of where the Hudson River begins and ends, the...

Students investigate the uncontrolled development of the world's major cities. They define key vocabulary terms, view and discuss video excerpts, and complete a project that involves drawing a "perfect city," developing a plan to...

"Humans have become a geologic agent comparable to erosion and [volcanic] eruptions ..." Paul J. Crutzen, a Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric chemist. Using Landsat imagery, scholars create a grid showing land use type, such as urban,...

Students consider the best place to plant a tree. In this environment lesson, students identify urban locations that are compatible with particular tree types. Students decide what trees would go where and why they would survive.

Eighth graders study how all living things die. They are introduced tot he life cycle and the concept of an ecosystem. Students have a introductory exposure to trophic levels (producer-consumer-decomposer) in the environment.

Students identify and explain that remote sensing can detect changes on the Earth's surface that occur over time, and name at least three: urbanization, deforestation, and succession. They select a global change issue to investigate and...

Forest fires can be a necessary step in keeping a forest healthy, but what happens when they get out of control? Learners investigate the causes and effects of forest fires in two specific areas, culminating in a report about the ways...

Arctic sea ice reflects 80 percent of sunlight, striking it back into space; with sea ice melting, the world's oceans become warmer, which furthers global warming. These activities explore how humans are impacting ecosystems around the...

Young scholars investigate the question: What is the impact of urban development and expansion on the health of a decidious forest ecosystem and humans? They examine the issue of land development by responding to a specific scenario and...

Twelfth graders examine selected tree species. In this tree lesson, 12th graders examine twenty selected tree species, identify them, and correctly map out the trees in the area.

Students complete a population pyramid for a city they are studying. They may complete a population pyramid for their city and another one for the country in which the city is located. They compare and contrast the results of the two...

Students research their ecozone in Canada and label on maps various parks and wildlife areas. They role-play as doctors with their ecozones as patients and search for symptoms from pollution, urbanization, loss of habitat, and decline of...

Students explore the changes in animal habitats. In this ecosystem lesson, students use the Internet to explore the changes in the environment since the 1700's. Students complete a Venn diagram to compare the differences in the animal...

Students identify fire risk factors for a property located near a wildland area. Students discuss ecosystems subject to wildland fire and consider what could be done to eliminate the problem.

Students explore how an organism perceives its landscape and how changes to its landscape can effect its survival. Of particular focus is the effect of urbanization and the organisms survival in the cities.

Young ecologists examine the case of the prairie dog, and their near extinction. They read a terrific student handout embedded in the plan, and engage in a class discussion that's based on what they read. Learners perform research on...

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...

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...

Students select and research a National Forest near their local community. They read and discuss the pamphlet "A Guide To Your National Forests," view photos of national forests, conduct Internet research, and complete the student...