Institute for Energy and Environmental Research
Practice with Scientific Notation
Zeroes are more important than they look! A guided practice activity takes learners through the process of both scientific and decimal notation, culminating in more complex word problems and equations.
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"Oh Deer!"
Students play a game where half of them are deer and the others are components of habitat: food, water, shelter and space. They signify their needs by hand gestures and take what they need to their side of the game. They discuss real...
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Plants 'R' Us!
Students investigate the interdependencies of plants and animals, and study what a food web is. They create a food web using yarn and images.
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Habitat Hopscotch
Students analyze different habitats. In this habitat lesson, students evaluate what animals need in their habitats. Students participate in the game Habitat Hopscotch.
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Cross Out Secondhand Smoke
After reading a public health article, high schoolers identify groups that are at risk from secondhand smoke and what benefits have come from reduction of smoking in public places. The article isn't accessible via the link, but can be...
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The New Explorers: Environmental Swat Team
Students follow scientists into the dry forest of Bolivia as they track and record the different species of mammals, birds, insects and plants that would be lost if the forests disappear.
Science Education Resource Center
Compare and Contrast deciduous and evergreen tree leaves to aid in tree identification
Boost observational skills and get to know the difference between deciduous, coniferous, and evergreen trees with a lesson that challenges scholars to compare, contrast, identify, sort, and draw their findings.
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Trash...it really piles up!
Young scholars investigate a contemporary "midden" by analyzing trash collected from various sources and determining life-style choices people make. They see that reducing the amount of waste we generate is helpful to the the environment.
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Compost Tag
Students identify biodegradable items. In this environmental lesson, students participate in a game of tag. A student's name is called out along with a biodegradable item and the student is tossed a ball.
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Oil Search
Students participate in a mock oil search game and attempt to find "oil" in a model oil field. They drill initially based on random guessing, but each time they drill they use prior knowledge to determine where to drill next. They must...
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Designing the Experiment and Answering the Question
Students investigate scientific methods by analyzing an article from the Natural Inquirer. In this data analysis instructional activity, students read an article from the magazine and discuss at least 2 scientific methods that could be...
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Stellaluna
First graders discuss the strategy of asking yourself questions while reading. in this Stellaluna instructional activity, 1st graders write questions on a chart about the story. Students turn and talk after reading chunks of text....
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Graphics Creation and Statistical Interpretation: Relating Local Economics and the Global Environment
Students apply statistics, and graphical interpretation to economics, the environment and populations. In this statistical lesson students construct graphical displays and classify data.
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Let's Clean Up Our Act and the Earth!
Learners complete activities that help clean up the Earth and protect the environment. In this Earth protection lesson, students go outside and listen to the environment. Learners discuss their observations and their role in protecting...
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Bucket Brigade
Students participate in a physical fitness activity about water. In this water conservation lesson, students discuss how to conserve water and the amount of water most people use in a day. To illustrate this amount students move 70...
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The Environment In The News
Students explore environmental issues. Using a newspaper, students scan headlines for articles related to environmental or sustainability issues. From the article title, students predict the article's intent and then read the article for...
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Telling Our Own Stories
Explore online profiles and social media with your middle and high school classes. Use blogs to inspire your class to craft a well-written, thoughtful response to a prompt you give. A few example prompts are given.
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7 Steps for Creating a Socially Conscious Community
Twelfth graders examine the steps that one can take to turn awareness of a human rights abuse into action it. In this Current events lesson, 12th graders analyze the compelling factors which can influence personal action in any given...
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Human Activity and the Environment
Pupils review and analyze graphs and tables as a group. They develop their graph and data analysis skills by converting data tables from Human Activity and the Environment into graphs.
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Math Lesson: How Many People Live There?
Students are able to calculate the population density of a country, and calculate the population density of large cities in that country. They are able to create an appropriate graph to represent their data for that country.