Lesson Plan
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How Does the Loss of Ozone Affect Our Climate

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the greenhouse effect and what it does to the environment. They discuss if and how human behavior contributes to global warming and test natural materials for carbon content.
Lesson Plan
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Weather Investigation Through The Internet

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the Earth's climatic regions and their characteristics. Using the Internet, they evaluate regional vegetation, agriculture, and population density. Students name and describe instruments that measure weather. They...
Lesson Planet Article
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Using Satellite Imagery to Discuss the Science Behind Brazilian Deforestation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students can delve into earth science by using satellite imagery to learn about the deforestation of the Brazilian rainforest.
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Birds on the Move

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students observe the migrational path of the Swainson's Hawk from northern Minnesota to the southern portion of South America. They study the migratory path of the hawk and observe how the vegetation in a particular region of the earth...
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Biodiversity in an Estuary

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the biodiversity in estuaries. In this estuary lesson plan, students use Google Earth to explore the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. They produce a biodiversity concept map and portray the life of a...
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It's Everyone's Home

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students research environmental destruction. In this cause and effect lesson, students students gain an understanding of everyday things we do to harm the environment. Students work in groups to create a brochure that tells the...
Lesson Plan
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Greenhouse Effect: Pop Bottle Experiment

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore global warming by conducting a weather experiment. In this greenhouse gas lesson, students define the greenhouse effect and the impact on our ozone layer. Students utilize a soda pop bottle, floodlight bulb, thermometers...
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A Study of Your Domestic Water Supply

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create a diagram that traces the path of a raindrop from its source into the water supply for their house and back to the environment. They also diagram the processes that occur in a sewage treatment and water treatment plant.
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Got Plants

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders discover that all living things need food in order to live. In groups, they examine the interconnectedness between animals and plants. They identify which animals eat plants to survive and which animals eat animals that...
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Topography of Africa

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study Africa's diverse landscape and investigate how these features impact the available water supply, food sources, and population distribution of the continent. They compare topographical features and their affect on each...
Lesson Plan
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Dinosaurs 1: Where Are the Dinosaurs?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students study dinosaurs. In this dinosaur instructional activity, students watch a web based video about dinosaurs before discussing what they liked about the dinosaurs, telling about the sounds they heard, and explaining what the Earth...
Lesson Plan
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Buildings Have Lives, Too: Disasters and Their Effect on People

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students research natural disasters and their lasting effect on both people and the environment. In this environmental science instructional activity, students complete a group project on a natural disaster of their choosing. Students...
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Greenhouse in a Bottle

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students create models of the greenhouse effect using recycled 2-liter bottles. They discuss how their models compares to the real greenhouse effect the earth experiences.
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There's More to Light than Meets the Eye

For Teachers K - 4th
Learners explore the concept that not all light is visible to the human eye. Although UV light is not visible, it can still be harmful, causing sunburns or skin cancer. They use special beads to detect UV light around the school....
Worksheet
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Environmental Issues

For Students 8th - 10th
In this environmental issues worksheet, students are given 10 current topics that are problems in our environment today. They complete sentences about each topic by filling in the blanks with the appropriate terms. Some of the issues...
Lesson Plan
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Mountains: A Drama Exploration

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students dramatize the formation of mountains. In this earth formation dramatization lesson, students read Anne Issacs', Swamp Angel, and research the how the layers of the Earth move to form landforms. They work in groups to dramatize...
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Out of This World

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders animate their own planets.  In this solar system lesson, 5th graders use smartphones and the software, GoKnow Sketchy, to create images for presentations on their created planets that appear to be animated when played...
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Our Savage Planet in the News

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Young scholars research volcanoes, storms, atmospheric conditions and extreme environments. They collect information and create a simulation of a science newscast. They watch a video and write a letter as an eyewitness to an avalanche.
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Lunch in Outer Space!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the challenges astronauts face while eating in outer space. In small groups, they design and construct an original model device to assist astronauts eat in a microgravity environment.
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This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students review and evaluate the ways land is covered and used in their local community. They consider the environmental effects of the different types of land use. Students act as community planning engineers to determine where to place...
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Exploring Seasons

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Learners study the four seasons. They determine changes that occur in our environment. They demonstrate an understanding of the basic features of Canada's landscape and climate and identify the basic weather and climate patterns of...
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'Round and 'Round it Goes!

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students discuss and interpret background knowledge on poster copy given on the water cycle. Students complete the included activity sheets using the poster as a reference in small groups. Students identify and name where water can be...
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Quality of Life

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students discover that people influence the quality of life of those around them. They read the literature selection 'Berenstein Bears, Don't Pollute' and discuss the many ways people have changed the environment by polluting.
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People Change the Landscape

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine ways in which humans have brought change to the natural environment. In this ecology and literacy lesson, students listen to the book Island Boy by Barbara Cooney. Students observe and define map-reading vocabulary as...