An important part of balancing caloric intake to energy expenditure is knowing how many Calories you are consuming. In the fifth of a seven-lesson series on food and energy, learners estimate their daily caloric intake, then use a...

Students conduct a survey of society's typical purchasing practices to determine the influence of packaging on consumer choices and to determine if consumers consider waste disposal and recycling when making purchasing decisions.

When choosing what foods to eat, there are a lot of factors to consider. To help make the decision a little easier, young learners work in small groups developing short plays, stories, or advertisements that address the different issues...

With the forest as an example, Sam and Zoe talk about the components biotic and abiotic of an ecosystem. They also discuss the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers. This concise clip covers all of the basics. As an introduction...

Here's a fun game on a very serious matter. Scholars play a board game to learn about personal energy use and consumption. They see how various choices affect their energy use and costs, and then apply this knowledge to brainstorm ways...

Middle school science stars observe and record data on the solar radiation reflected off or transmitted through various materials. They predict properties for various materials, and test their predictions by touch. This lesson becomes...

Facilitate healthy eating habits with this collection of activities. This worksheet, made for 4-H originally, covers nutrition, health, and fitness. Middle schoolers focus on the life skill of making healthy lifestyle choices. They...

Students explore the differnences between food producers in food webs and food consumers in food chains. Behavioral choices of primary and secondary consumers such as herbivores, vegetarians, carnivors, and omnivors are analyzed.

How do scientists determine the best method for removing pollutants from our water sources? Environmental scholars experiment with pollution clean-up options to discover which are the most cost-effective, fastest, and most thorough....

A 12-page midterm exam sample can be given to young scientists in preparation for an exam. This particular installment is geared toward a class that delves into both ecology and chemistry concepts. There is no way to separate the 50...

Students demonstrate responsible consumer choices. For this social studies lesson, students read The Lorax and discuss wants and needs. Students discuss how to save natural resources by making informed consumer choices.

In this environment, instructional activity, students complete a series of multiple-choice and short-answer questions on the food chain, DNA, and cellular reproduction.

Fifth graders decide how one uses resources within a particular bioregion.  In this decision making lesson, 5th graders consider the biodiversity and complexity of the ecosystem.  Students select a resource (water, paper,...

What is a watt? This tongue-twisting, mind-bending question and others are answered through this lesson plan on the different lighting options available. With the support of a PowerPoint, teach your physical science class about units of...

How does locally grown produce sold at a farmer's market compare to a more complex industrial system in the way they each affect the environment, people, and the economy? Pupils explore the different types of food systems and how they...

Fourth graders research how to select the most cost-effective snacks. In this consumer practices lesson plan, 4th graders compare packaging labels and come to conclusions on how cost effective the product is. Students discuss their...

Students work in small groups to redesign the packaging of several common items. They attempt to reach the goal of 25% reduction in packaging materials currently used and explore the impact of various materials and designs in landfills...

Students make healthy decisions about managing food choices for more nutritious and healthy consumption through this series of lessons.

What are fibersheds and what what do they have to do with environmental protections? A photo essay and audio recordings about Mimi Luebbermann, and her sheep, cause consumers to reflect on how their clothing choices can support local...

Beginning biologists demonstrate their grasp on cellular respiration, photosynthesis, and energy flow though ecosystems when completing this worksheet. Fifteen multiple choice and short answer questions test their knowledge. Because of...

Middle schoolers demonstrate what they know about the structure and function of the heart and blood vessels. A set of 15 multiple-choice questions also addresses how the heart handles microgravity and how animals without...

Second graders role play one of the jobs related to agriculture and explain their role in getting one of the five "f's" of agriculture to the consumer.  In this agriculture lesson, 2nd graders are assigned a role and a...

Second graders define and create a list of agricultural products.  In this producers and consumers activity, 2nd graders participate in a contest to find as many types of agriculture as they can.  The student who comes up with...