US Environmental Protection Agency
Carbon Through the Seasons
Meteorologists view an animated video by the Environmental Protection Agency to learn how the carbon cycle works, and then move into groups to analyze and graph actual data of the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration from Hawaii's...
Curated OER
Toilet Paper Geologic Time Scale
Students examine and demonstrate the extent of geologic time compared to recent time. They develop a demonstration of geologic time using an unrolled roll of toilet paper, with each sheet of toilet paper representing 20 million years.
California Academy of Science
Greening Your Middle School
Middle schoolers redesign their school to make it more energy efficient, and create a model of their design. Learners get together in groups of 5, and they take on the task of making their school more energy efficient. To do this, they...
Curated OER
Ecology And the Conservation of Natural Resources
Students study Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and how the continents were connected in one large land mass called Pangaea. They examine plate tectonics and the theory that the earth's surface is composed of large moving...
Curated OER
Fossil Fuels: Facing the Issues
Students explore energy by researching fuel usage on Earth. In this fossil fuel lesson, students define fossil fuels, the energy created by burning them, and the impact on the environment when using them. Students conduct pollution...
Bridge
Mercury - Mercury is Rising
Hold a discussion in your class about the increase in mercury being found in fish that are caught commercially as food for humans. Given a worksheet, learners then calculate how much fish a person can safely eat each month to remain...
Curated OER
Controlling Our Rate of Consumption
Young scholars are given a cookie each. When the signal is given, they begin eating the cookies. Each student must raise a hand and keep it raised when he or she is finished counting the hands raised every 15 seconds until all the...
Curated OER
Fossil Footsteps
Fourth graders create their own dinosaur tracks using clay. In addition, 4th graders compose a story about the dinosaur / animal who created the tracks. They study photographs of dinosaur tracks before beginning.
Curated OER
Particle Depostition Lab
Learners collect, study and observe the pollution in our air. They list three kinds of pollution that they think is in our air. Students comprehend that the atmosphere is almost completely made up of invisible gaseous substances. They...
Curated OER
Giants of the Protozoa
Students describe and define xenophyophores. In this protozoa lesson students divide into groups and complete a lab activity.
Curated OER
The Impact of Acid Rain and the Greenhouse Effect on the Environment
Students study acid rain and complete several activities that show how it affects the environment. They role play members of the community involved in a major decision involving the protection of the environment.
Curated OER
Mountain Building
Teacher prepares four layers of Plasticine stacking layers on top of each other to create a model of how rocks within the earth can be folded creating anticlines and synclines below the surface and mountains and valleys on the surface.
Curated OER
Human Activity and the Environment 2004
Students brainstorm the ways we use energy sources in our daily lives and what our lives would be like without it. They answer questions based on sections from the Human Activity and the Environment 2004, "Energy in Canada" article.
Curated OER
Birdseed Mining Activity
Pupils investigate how small amounts of minerals or metals are mined out of very large masses of rock using birdseed. They study the economics of valuable commodities. They look at environmentally conscious mining and how reclamation work.
Curated OER
Biomes: Extreme Climate
Middle schoolers discuss the causes of global warming. In this earth science lesson plan, students examine how global warming is connected to the arctic and world climate. They write a paragraph about their interconnection.
Other
American Coal Foundation: Lesson Plan: Transporting Coal
Using a variety of learning activities and related materials, students will discover where coal is mined and the different ways it is transported to power plants or steel mills where it is used. Students will then map out their own...