Here is a fun little exploration of the potential energy potential of falling water. Learners drop water from various heights using a straw, and they analyze the diameter of the splash. Pair this with two more activities of the same...

Now is the time to educate tomorrow's citizens to care for the planet, and here is a lesson to help facilitate the process. Collect some marine debris and bring it into class. Have your class separate it into types and then test each...

Young scholars perform experiments to examine if debris float, or blow in the wind. The effects of these characteristics on the marine debris are then discussed. They determine how a material can influence what becomes marine debris.

Students explore solid waste and its effects on the environment. They explain some of the major problems caused by waste disposal and the use of landfills. They suggest ways to reduce the amount of solid waste going into a landfill.

First graders examine the human environmental impact and discover ways to lessen effects. They create a pollution damage flow chart and write down what they think Mother Earth might say. They create inventions from recyclable materials.

In this environment activity, students look at how different human actions can cause pollution and how the pollution effects the environment. This activity has 6 short answer questions.

Fifth graders explore the concept of waste management. For this recycling lesson, 5th graders discover the history of waste management and discuss how the U.S. should respond to the issue of ever-increasing waste.

Young scholars explore the dispersal of animals.. Students take on the role of a specific animal. They simulate finding a new home due to overpopulation. Through hands-on activities performed during the simulation, young scholars...

Students create a trash book or individual student books using cereal boxes. They record everything thrown away and use one page for each category.

Here's a new twist in the egg drop competition. Using only six inches of tape, four straws, and 2 pieces of newspaper, teams build a structure that keeps an egg from breaking when dropped. What's different about this project is that the...

Young scholars apply what they have learned about throwaway products "and the valuable natural resources from which they're derived" by thinking about where garbage goes after they throw it out. They also examine their own ideas and...

Students measure, weigh, and document the amount of trash and garbage generated by the school for one day. They brainstorm solutions for trash in the area and assist with the school-wide recycle program.

High schoolers observe the effect of croos contamination as they inoculate orange juice with penicillin mold from the refrigeration lab and active yeast solution from the sterilization lab. They experience a simulation of passing...

Students examine how a hot air balloon works. For this hot air balloon lesson, students do an experiment to test the effects of heat on density. Students make their own hot air balloon and act out how nitrogen moves when turned to a liquid.

First graders identify forms of pollution and describe effects that various pollutants can have on people, wildlife, and plants; students describe relationships between various forms of pollution and human actions.

Walk your class through the journey water takes once it leaves your kitchen sink, all the way through the water cycle. Demonstrations support your lecture. This plan is thoroughly written, but ideally you would follow it up with water...

Join the fight to reduce plastic waste. A hands-on STEM activity first teaches scholars about the scourge of plastic waste. They then measure the dimensions of water bottles to calculate surface areas and volumes before using the surface...

How much plastic do people use? Class members identify how plastic is involved in their daily lives by looking at food packaging either at a grocery store or at home. Learners view statistics for the amount of plastics found on a beach...

Fifth graders design a brochure that identifies types of solid waste that are often improperly disposed, explains the effects of this disposal and proposes a solution to the problem. The read humorous books, define vocabulary words and...

Students examine how natural resources are reusable, renewable or nonrenewable.  In this ecosystems activity students see the effects humans have on ecosystems and complete an art activity activity. 

Students explore ocean pollution.  In this ecology instructional activity, students view a video entitled This Pretty Planet and identify common biodegradable products. Students participate in activities designed to simulate the...

Paper Lesson Plan - Students discover how paper is made. Working together, they make their own paper. This activity introduces students to recycling; what it is and its importance. Students study the process of how paper is made, and...

Sixth graders investigate solutions for a cleaner environment. In this environmental protection lesson plan, 6th graders discuss and list the key issues surrounding the environment. Students read and take notes on climate change,...

Learners, in groups, explored and photographed their own community disposal problems, focusing on the impact of waste disposal behaviors, laws, systems, and management.