Having fresh, clean drinking water is a privilege many people take for granted. Help raise awareness about the scarcity of water and the importance of conservation by discussing different ways water is used in everyday life. Brainstorm...

Students investigate water conservation. In this water conservation lesson, students list the uses for water and record their water usage for one day. Students graph the data and create a water conservation poster.

Students participate in a mock town hall meeting after researching issues relating to fishing rights. After reading The Lorax, they discuss the importance of conserving natural resources. In partners, they write a story of their own...

Fourth graders suggest ways paper and other natural resources can be used and recycled in the classroom. Students conduct a investigation into paper use and make distinctions among observations, conclusions (inferences), and predictions.

Students investigate water ways by conducting an experiment with classmates.  In this natural resources lesson, students define a watershed and identify where large ones are located within the United States.  Students utilize...

Students create covers for their "nature journals" using watercolor techniques and the artistic ideas of color, depth, and focal point. This lesson can be used in the Science or Art classroom and meets national standards for both.

Students explore Iowa geography and topographic maps. In this geography and topographic maps lesson, student investigate maps, newspapers, Iowa flora and fauna. Students gain an understanding of how different landforms can be identified...

Students identify recycled and recyclable products by reading their packaging They understand the impact of solid waste on landfills and relate the idea of conserving natural resources to the importance of recycling and buying recycled...

Second graders examine the recycling process. In this recycling lesson, 2nd graders discuss the reasons for recycling and create storyboards to show where a specific material comes from. Students complete a worksheet as a follow-up...

Students create 3-D models of Lake Benthos. In this scale drawing lesson, students create a 3-D model of Lake Benthos. Students work in groups to create the models. Students use the models to to encourage people to conserve natural...

Sorting is a very important skill that can be used in math and even science. Learners get familiar with some environmentally friendly vocabulary terms as they practice separating objects that can be recycled from those that can't. They...

Students explore natural elements by participating in a bingo activity. In this water usage lesson, students discuss the importance of clean water and complete worksheets based on water shortage statistics. Students utilize flashcards to...

Here is an impressive collection of lessons on sharks. In them, pupils undertake a serious study of sharks, their habitats, their social structure, and how humans adversely impact their existence. These lessons effectively integrate...

Students explain that while cities have unattractive features, the density of human life enables energy efficiency, mass transit, recycling, and other benefits which are difficult or impossible in rural areas. This is the fifth in an...

Combine art and literature to teach greater themes and symbolic meaning. Using the plan outlined in this resource, expose your class to the story "Zebra" by Chaim Potok, conduct discussions about social issues and nicknames, and ask...

Sixth graders keep track of the amount of paper they consume on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. The goal of the lesson is to have them all find ways to reduce the amount they use. Everyone creates recycled paper from old newspapers...

Students investigate jungles and the people who depend upon them.  In this sustainability lesson, students research wild life conservation and discover the importance of a jungle to Amazonian people.  Students create a group...

Students research marine ecosystems by creating class presentations.  In this oceanography lesson, students research the different locations of marine sanctuaries by identifying them on a transparency map in class.  Students...

Students investigate water formations by creating a puzzle.  In this water properties lesson, students create a giant river puzzle by drawing on large butcher paper as a class, then dividing the image up into many pieces. ...

Students explore ways to protect the earth.  In this environmental issues and technology lesson, students investigate the water quality in their community and compare their findings to the water quality in other geographic...

Students explore how to draw in 3-D. In this visual arts lesson, students use newsprint and a yard stick to construct three dimensional drawings of objects.

Students study kites. In this social studies lesson, students discover the history of kites and what kites are made of. Students create their own kites to fly.

Students review what they already know about birds. Using the internet, they discover major issues involved with birds in Illinois. In groups, they determine what they can do to help them and contact a local agency.