If tap water is more acidic than ocean water, why are we so concerned about ocean acidification? The third installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on carbon dioxide levels in...

Through a hands-on activity, an acetone-spinach solution is pre-made and learners use this solution to separate the pigments found in spinach using chromatography. The comprehensive resource includes an analysis and conclusion...

Explore capillary action from different perspectives. In the fourth installment of a nine-part series, scholars perform several experiments to observe capillary action. They look at the meniscus of water in a glass, observe capillary...

How is sea coral like a thermometer? Part three of a six-part series from NOAA describes how oceanographers can use coral growth to estimate water temperature over time. Life science pupils manipulate data to determine the age of corals...

Students use data microsets of mean near-surface air temperature and tropospheric ozone residual averages to infer patterns. Students analyze changes in tropospheric ozone and then hypothesize about the consequences of these changes.

Students rank a list of everyday risks to compare with classmates. They rate each risk on both its ability to be controlled and its observability in the environment. Results are graphed.

Your biology class plays the role of epidemiologist when a mysterious illness breaks out in Kildare, USA. Using interviews with doctors, patients, and local citizens, maps, the results from different materials sampling, they work to...

Students identify possible sources of health risks, types of exposures, routes of exposure, and populations that could be affected after discussing water pollution and environmental health hazards. After discussion, students conduct a...

Students construct models that demonstrate potential sources of contamination. Students select one type of contamination model (septic system, sinkhole, landfill, disposal lagoon, leaky barrels, oil spill, agricultural contamination) to...

Students use a hypothetical scenario to investigate inhalation of an airborne pollutant and ingestion of a waterborne pollutant. They work in pairs, investigating differences in overall exposure to contaminants by calculating inhalation...

Now that you know the ocean has layers, let's name them. The seventh installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program covers terminology associated with ocean layers, such as thermocline and...

Forests, through sequestration, capture excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and store it, aiding in climate change. The third installment in a four-part series on how climate impacts forests explores carbon sequestration....

If you don't want to drink red cabbage juice, here's another use for it—a decoder! Using vinegar and ammonia-based window cleaning liquids as invisible inks, scholars create designs in the second lesson of the series. Red cabbage juice...

How does carbon dioxide affect the world's oceans? The final installment in a series of six lessons has pupils research ocean acidification, then conduct an experiment to witness the delicate balance that exists in our seas. Materials...

Bacteria outnumber all other forms of life on Earth. Scholars observe the growth of bacteria in petri dishes to understand their role in maintaining good health. Then, they observe the growth of bacteria after they introduce...

Compare and contrast macromolecules made from the same elements. Young scholars learn how the structure of a molecule has as much influence on a compound as the elements in the molecule. They experiment with molecular model kits to...

Build a spectrometer to analyze properties of light. Scholars examine the spectrum from CDs and DVDs from two different light sources. Using the spectrum, they work to identify different elements.

Climate models mathematically represent the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land, sun, surface, and ice. Part two in the series of four lessons looks at the role greenhouse gases play in keeping Earth warm and has participants...

Sixth graders explore how water behaves on a penny.  In this states of matter lesson plan, 6th graders observe water as they add drops to a penny. This lesson plan helps students apply the adhesive properties of water to the...

Students investigate major pigments which occur naturally in fruits and vegetables, and to use them to dye a number of items. They study the effects of pH on anthocyanin on pigments.

Young scholars explore the physical process of melting. They observe melting ice and answer questions related to energy transfer during phase changes.

Students study the effects of shielding on the amount of detectable radioactivity from a gamma source. They investigate the shielding of one type of metal, then design their own experiments to answer questions raised during the...

Students research microarrays on the internet in cooperative groups. Students write an essay describing the use of microarrays in environmental research and in medicine.

Learners calculate whether or not a mole of M&M's fill their high school. They practice factor-labeling, define a mole, and calculate the number of cubic feet per mole of M&M's. To answer the question they measure and calculate...