Rainforest Alliance
Climate Educator Guide
Climate change is a hot topic in the news. Class members examine carbon dioxide data to analyze trends of our atmospheric makeup over time. They also discuss climate and climate change, and determine how these changes are affecting life...
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Section One: What is Biodiversity?
Four intriguing and scientific activities invite learners to explore the natural resources of their town. The activities cover concepts such as genetic traits, organizing species in a taxonomy, the differences between different species...
Rainforest Alliance
Trees and Carbon
You'll find everything but the kitchen sink here ... or just a carbon sink. In the activity, pairs or groups of middle school learners go outside and measure a tree's circumference and height to estimate its carbon storage potential and...
Rainforest Alliance
The Carbon Cycle
Scholars learn about the carbon cycle, play a carbon cycle game, and then write a story based on their role as a carbon atom during the game. After the writings, pupils analyze the carbon cycle by leading a class discussion on the material.
Rainforest Alliance
Forests of Guatemala
With 90 percent of its land area covered in forests, Suriname, a country in South America, contains the largest percentage of forests throughout the world. Here is an activity that brings classmates together to learn about the...
Rainforest Alliance
Investments in Forest Carbon
One hundred metric tons of CO2 can accumulate in one acre of forest over time—that's a lot of carbon! In the activity, groups of middle school learners determine what makes forests important. They then solidify the concept by using a...
Curated OER
Guetemala's Changing Forest
Eighth graders compare their local ecological zone to the tropical rainforest. In this natural ecology instructional activity, 8th graders complete an activity about the differences in ecological zones. They compare their biome to the...
Purdue University
The Represented World: Recreational STEM
How are forces and motion important to a swing set? Scholars explore the concepts of force and motion using swing sets. In preparation for their own STEM design project, individuals take surveys and data from peers, complete labs on...
University of Minnesota
Virtual Neurons
It's electric! Young anatomists use Virtual Neurons software to build, control, and analyze complex nerve circuits within the body. Colorful and packed with content, class members enjoy interacting with the nervous system...
Curated OER
What is a Medicine?
Students brainstorm ideas about what makes a substance a "medicine" to determine their preconceptions about medicines. They evaluate whether certain substances should be defined as "medicines' and examine various systems of medicine.
Curated OER
Lead Contamination In Our Environment
Learners identify the sources of lead in their local community and how to prevent further contamination. As a class, they watch a video about the effects of lead on the body and use the internet to discover any new technology that can...
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals
Fourth graders participate in a Web quest to Internet sites to learn how to identify minerals, discover the types of minerals present in their homes, and learn about birthstones. Students also keep journals to track new information that...
Curated OER
Winter Survival
Learners examine what animals need in order to survive. In this investigative lesson students play a "role" of an animal in winter.
Curated OER
Protecting the Guatemalan Rainforest through Certification
Eighth graders examine criteria that may be involved in forest certification. In this rainforest lesson students create a brochure to educate people on the benefits of buying certified forest products.
Curated OER
Honduras: Going Bananas
Students explore the popularity of bananas. They conduct a survey to understand the reasons for their popularity. Students research a banana's journey from the farm to school lunch. They compose a children's book about bananas explaining...
Curated OER
Induction: Inquiry in Action
Students investigate the factors that affect the induced current in a loop of wire. They discuss Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law. Students identify the different variables that affect the magnetic flux and calculate the magnetic flux...
Curated OER
Keep It Hot
Learners design and conduct an experiment to explore the insulating abilities of different materials for keeping a liquid in a paper cup warm. A small group of lab partners test four different materials: black paper, white paper,...
Curated OER
Sopay Water
Tenth graders design and conduct an experiment to explore the use of several substances in removing soap from water. During this activity they work with a lab partner. They keep their own individual lab notes, after they finish, they...
Curated OER
Soiled Again
Students propose and perform an experiment using the scientific method. The purpose of the experiment is to discern some earth materials or combinations of earth materials that best increases the pH of "acid rain". From the results of...
Curated OER
Synthesizing Pigment and Dyeing Cloth
Students create a synthetic dye and oxidize the dye and record the effects.
Climate Literacy
Clean: Carbon Cycle
This activity from NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory introduces students to the current scientific understanding of the greenhouse effect and the carbon cycle. The activity leads them through several interactive tasks investigating...