Students describe and compare the layers of the atmosphere. They explain how to measure the temperature of the atmosphere. They also explain what causes the atmosphere to heat up in some places more than in others.

Learners examine the connection between the habitat needs of endemic species to the habitat needs of humans.  In this habitat lesson plan students research the habitat requirements of a given family then develop an idea to improve...

Students explore trees around the world.  In this world geography and tree lesson, students compare familiar local trees and discuss similarities and differences.  Students give opinions about why the oak tree was chosen as our...

Bright colors and animation are great ways to attract a young students attention. Students are introduced to the concepts of renewable and non-renewable resources as they pose the question, will our resources be around forever? This...

Fourth graders watch a video that describes the climate and vegetation zones of Hawaii. They describe the different physical conditions that create vegetation zones from the sea to the mountains. In groups, they create an illustrated...

Students review the concept of respect and that they should respect, not only themselves, but those around them. They comment on some example pictures in which the environment is NOT being respected and decide what should have been done...

Learners, in pairs, use observation skills to identify objects from the past and present in our environment made of rocks and minerals of Illinois.

Students examine the rock cycle and how rocks can change over time.  For this geotechnical engineering lesson students draw a diagram of the rock cycle.

First and second graders see that everyday objects are made from a variety of materials. They interact with objects such as keys, plastic spoons, a wooden ruler, a towel, and a plastic bag. A discussion ensues which leads them to...

Students discover what a watershed is and which one they live in. Using the internet, they research why watersheds are important to an ecosystem and how to keep them from getting polluted. They use a map to locate various items within a...

Fifth graders use the ERIC database to find information on volcanoes. At the end of their research they present their findings, draw a volcano, and write bout what they found interesting about it. They also classify and categorize the...

Students explore natural resources by conducting a geology experiment in class. In this mineral mining lesson, students discuss the types of geological material that can be found when mining and the uses for these resources such as coal....

Fourth graders explore landscapes. In this landscape lesson, 4th graders investigate different elements of landscapes. Students design a visual presentation using photographs taken during a nature walk.

Here is a simple lesson for young learners on the plants, animals, and flowers found in the prairie environment. There are worksheets embedded in the plan that pupils use once a teacher-led discussion and demonstration has taken place....

Second graders explore what life in the Chicago area was like hundreds of years ago. They discuss how settlers impacted the environment, and why there are no longer herds of buffalo in the Chicago area today. They read an article and...

Second graders listen to various, grade appropriate stories about trees. They create their own construction paper trees and discuss the importance of trees to the ecosystem and the importance of taking care of them. Finally, 2nd graders...

Young scholars use fossils found in rocks to determine the age of rock in Illinois. They use a chart to identify the fossils and then identify the periods of rock.

As the title implies, this is a list of vocabulary terms relating to water monitoring. If your ecology class is learning about how to test water quality, this will be an appropriate reference sheet for them. As a bonus, if you live in...

Young scholars describe properties of liquids and use descriptive language as a springboard to develop precise vocabulary for properties of liquids. They also use vocabulary as practiced with liquid-vocabulary card games. Finally,...

Pupils explore agroforestry. In this Peace Corps activity, students examine the role the trees play in deforestation efforts. Pupils then participate in an agroforestry game.

Students participate in a role play where they play clouds, the ocean, rain drops, and more in order to learn about the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson plan, students have discussions and learn vocabulary.

When breaking down the details of the periodic table of elements, this presentation will explain special characteristics for each of the noble gases. The annotations are quite elementary, so this can easily be used in an introductory...

Maintaining a garden is an ongoing responsibility. This resource follows a series of activities in a unit that resulted in the planting of a rain garden. What you will find here are general instructions for watering, weeding, pruning,...

Learners discover how palaeontologists conduct a dig for fossils and how they interpret the age of the fossils. In small groups, they prepare a "dig site" consisting of bones, rocks and soil layered in a cardboard box. They switch boxes...