Curated OER
Earth Day: a Look Into the World Around Us
Students develop an artwork made entirely out of recycled materials to exhibit during an Earth Day celebration. They participate in a lecture discussion on the history of Earth Day and environmental issues, do internet research on a...
Curated OER
Stopping Deforestation in the Amazon: A Publicity Campaign
Students investigate the environment by designing a group project. In this ecology lesson, students identify the man made threats to the Amazon while reading environmentally conscience vocabulary terms. Students collaborate in groups...
Curated OER
What's Air Got to Do with It?
Learners use M&M's to create a pie graph that expresses their understanding of the composition of air. They watch and conduct several simple experiments to develop an understanding of the properties of air (it has mass, it takes up...
Curated OER
To Dam or Not to Dam
Young ecologists explore the Aswan Dam in Egypt via the internet. Each collaborative group is assigned a specific article about the ecological impact of the dam. Then they prepare a presentation to share with the rest of the class. Some...
Curated OER
Endangered Species 1: Why are Species Endangered?
Emerging ecologists examine endangered species by visiting the US Environmental Protection Agency website. They consider human contribution to the decline of different species. They research an endangered animal and then craft a poster...
Curated OER
Making Paper: Recycled Art
The advent of paper has made a huge impact on society and we wouldn't be the same without it. This project allows learners to explore and create paper of their own using recycled materials. The how-to is all laid out, just follow the...
Curated OER
Readings in Hudson River Natural History
Reading and understanding informational text is a key element to understanding every discipline. Elementary learners read three different articles focused on various animals and habitats in the Hudson River. They answer comprehension...
National Geographic
Battery Lesson Plan
Not really just a lesson plan, but a series of activities, reading handouts, and teacher's guidelines for conducting a class mini unit on the battery. Physical scientists focus on the history of the cell battery, experiment with...
American Chemical Society
The Legacy of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring
How do we protect crops and protect the environment at the same time? Using reading materials, learners explore the history of the use of pesticides and biocides. They create a timeline and then explore the current practices.
Curated OER
Maya Lin - Artist, Architect, Environmentalist
Sixth graders explore the life of Maya Lin and analyze the impact of her architectural philosophy on her work. They trace the history of the Vietnam Memorial from its conception by Maya Lin, to the present day. A time line is created of...
Curated OER
National Park Project
Students develop a descriptive and informative brochure for a National Park. They focus on the history and geology of the park, environmental concerns, and visitor actions that could eliminate the environmental concerns.
Curated OER
Renewable Resources: Ancient Civilizations
Students examine how ancient people used natural resources. In this renewable resource lesson, students will be put into 5 groups each focusing on a different past civilization. Each group will identify they types of resources their...
Curated OER
Digging, Smelting and Forging: But Why in Pennsylvania
Students examine the history of the iron industry in Pennsylvania. For this iron industry lesson, students learn about Israel Acrilius and his role in the iron industry. Students identify natural resources used in forging iron. Students...
Curated OER
Materials, Let's Do the Life Cycle
Students examine environmental and social impacts of products that consumers buy. In this environmental stewardship activity, students play a game that requires them to consider real costs of products. Students consider the environmental...
Curated OER
Who Lives Here?
Middle schoolers explore the concept of philanthropy. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students examine water conservation efforts in desert regions as they act as members of a city council committee investigating the issue in a...
Curated OER
The Gulf Oil Spill in the Classroom
Young scholars explore the concept of environmental stewardship. In this interdisciplinary lesson, students investigate the media response to the Gulf oil spill as they examine live streaming video, interpret data, and share their...
Curated OER
Should We Hunt the Largest Animals on the Planet?
Students discover details about whaling. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students research selected websites to locate information about commercial whaling and its implications.
Curated OER
Build the Taiga: Hands on Biome-Building
Students explore environmental awareness by completing a construction project. For this biomes lesson, students identify the different elements for life to thrive in an ecosystem. Students utilize a cardboard or wood box to create a...
Curated OER
Mobility: A Green City, Past, Present, and Future
Pupils explore transportation systems through history. In this transportation lesson plan, students determine how modes of transportation affect quality of life and design transportation plans for cities.
Curated OER
Analyzing Oregon’s Population Changes
Students examine immigration. In this Oregon history lesson, students compare and contrast the population patterns of the state in the 1800's and the 1900's.
Curated OER
Native Americans and Natural Resources
North American Indian civilizations had already been in place for over 10,000 years before the arrival of European settlers. Introduce your young historians to Indian tribes that lived in the Chesapeake region in the early seventeenth...
Curated OER
You Are What You Drink!
Students explore water treatment systems. In this water conservation ecology lesson, students identify and explain several processes used for water treatment and define related vocabulary after listening to content information given...
Curated OER
How Do We Balance Environmental Conservation with Human Needs?
Students role play a meeting between conservation biologists and local representatives who want to advance the livelihood of local population. In this history lesson, students research the necessities and conservation issues of given...
Curated OER
Environmental Issues in the Polar Regions
Students list environmental problems they are familiar with and check the ones they think affect the polar regions, and they research and answer questions about environmental issues affecting the polar regions. Students discuss their...