Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mercury in the Environment

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. They develop an understanding of chemical reactions, structures and properties of matter. They develop decision-making skills in natural and human-induced hazards.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mercury Emissions: "Cap and Trade" Game

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the role of government in protecting the environment, and participate in a game where they run a profitable or unprofitable power plant in changing market conditions. They summarize the pros and cons of emissions credit...
Lesson Plan
Carnegie Mellon University

How Power Plants Work 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
First of three lessons, this is a great start to a unit on energy. As you demonstrate, learners discover different types of energy and how it is converted from one form to another. They then focus in on the generation of electricity by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Effect

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate changes in air quality. In this science lesson, students compare data to determine the air quality. Students explore how humans affect the air quality.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air Quality Issues

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students identify the different layers of the atmosphere. They examine the different types of air pollutants. They also discover laws in effect that work to protect the environment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Take the One-Tonne Challenge!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students investigate the One-Tonne challenge, and work out how they could reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by one tonne, through individual actions and by influencing other people.
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Energy: A Day in My Life

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
If only we could harness the energy of fifth graders, our energy problems would be over! The class discusses where different forms of energy come from and how we use them. They complete a chart of the activities that they do daily...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energizing Resources

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders describe electrical energy and how it is produced. In this natural resource lesson, 7th graders explain the various ways of obtaining and using natural resources for energy and the environmental consequences. They will...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Adventure Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students complete a scavenger hunt. In this energy lesson, students use various Internet websites to explore forms of energy, non-renewable sources, renewable sources, electricity, uses of energy and energy efficiency.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Particulate Matter- How Dirty is the Air We Breathe?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate air pollution. In this air pollution instructional activity, 4th graders test the air quality by using a block of wood and petroleum jelly. Students investigate the pollutants on the wooden block.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Energy Debate - Global Warming

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students describe what global warming is, what causes global warming and the impact to our world. They study the threat of global warming and its relationship to the use of fossil fuels.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life Means Water Environment

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students investigate pH levels in bodies of water and experiment with acid/base reactions. In this water and pH lesson, students observe changes in pH levels of a sample solution and observe a Bronsted-Lowry reaction. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Primary Energy Sources Pros and Cons

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students explore the different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. In this earth science instructional activity, students discuss the pros and cons of each type. They conduct a variety of experiments on renewable energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wind & Sun: Powerful Alternatives

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine the power that is possible from the sun through an interactive program. They also analyze how energy turns into different forms in different parts of the human body. They finally explore how wind is created and how wind...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Standard 4 Review-Human Impact

For Teachers 9th - 12th
In this human impact on the environment worksheet, high schoolers fill in the blanks to complete sentences about how humans have negatively affected the environment. They complete sentences about the actions taken to reduce and repair...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cooking with the Sun!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners access prior knowledge of solar energy and understand that solar energy produces heat. In this solar cooker lesson, students complete grade appropriate experiments using the heat of the sun. Learners complete a worksheet on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Riding the Rails Across Texas

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners research the importance of the railroad to Texas cities and American life. They identify the pros and cons of railroads, locate railroads in Texas cities using the Texas bird's-eye view website, and write a newspaper article.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Acid Rain

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students perform experiments to determine how different acids cause acid rain. They measure the pH of the water to calculate the water's acidity. They discover how acid rain dissolves rock materials.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Conservation

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students discuss the different uses of energy. They examine the consumption percentages to do household tasks. They discover ways to reduce their energy consumption.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World in the Balance

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students make estimates on how many people they believe live on Earth. While watching a video, they take notes on the issues facing Kenya, Japan and India. In groups, they calculate how long it takes for a country to double in size. To...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Energy Crisis

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students participate in different activities and discussions to analyze the energy crisis in the United States and other parts of the world. In groups, they research the availability of fossil fuels and the possible alternatives. Using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Sources of Air Pollution

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students locate on a map the potential areas of air pollution in their community. They identify the possible sources and types of air pollution in the community based on observations and predict and locate on a map potential areas of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Energy Experiment

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students observe solar energy at work. In this science lesson, students watch two bottles, painted black and white, sit in the heat with balloons on the mouth of the bottles. They observe and discuss why the balloon of the black bottle...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biomes: The Threat of the Sea

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create posters to raise awareness about Global Warming as an immediate threat.  In this environmental lesson, students respond to the video Biomes: The Threat of the Sea by researching global warming and making posters to...