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Earth Day, Every Day
First graders celebrate Earth Day. In this Earth Day instructional activity, 1st graders listen to a book Where Does the Garbage Go? by Paul Showers, and list facts about the garbage we throw away. Students use the Think-Pair-Share method.
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Human Footprint
Students study facts about humans and how they are impacting the Earth. In this investigative lesson students help map peoples footprints over the Earth's surface and evaluate these factors.
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Ozone Pollution- Smog Alert
Students explore ozone pollution. In this ozone pollution activity, students participate in an experiment to simulate smog by using matches, foil, and a covered jar. Students observe how smog effects the environment.
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All Wrapped Up
Students explore packaging. For this cross-curriculum lesson, students bring in samples of food packaging and identify the packaging as natural or manufactured.
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Beyond Organic?
Students examine the critiques of organic agriculture and its production and marketing approaches. In this sustainable agriculture lesson students study how the ideas about ethics of the food system are changing.
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Pop Bottle Terrarium
Students make terrariums out of bottles, pebbles, cuttings from other plants, and water. In this terrarium lesson plan, students learn about recycling by using household items to make terrariums.
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Does Climate Change Exist? Healthy Skepticism? Debating the Truth, Evidence, and Certainty of Climate Change
Students study climate change and the arguments of scientists that it exists. For this climate change lesson students complete a class activity and answer questions.
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You Do It and You Clean It Up
Students explore pollution. In this pollution lesson students participate in activities to help them better understand industrial pollution.
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Calculate Your Contribution
Learners assess the environmental impact of their transportation choices. They keep a transportation journal and use a website to calculate vehicle emissions for themselves and their class. They evaluate their transportation choices.
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How Electronics Come to Us: Distribution and Use
Students identify environmental challenges that can be solved throughout a product's life cycle. They experiment and examine how we can choose and use products in an environmentally responsible manner. Each student is also involved in...
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Sea Surface Temperature Trends of the Gulf Stream
Students explore the importance of the Gulf Stream. Using a NASA satellite images, they examine the sea surface temperature. Students collect the temperature at various locations and times. Using spreadsheet technology, they graph the...
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Life in Extreme Environments - Lakes Under Ice
Students collect chemical, physical, and biological data from a local lake throughout the year. In addition, students discuss the design of an experimental structure for water collection at several specific depths as well as assess the...
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Using My Nasa Data To Determine Volcanic Activity
Learners use NASA satellite data of optical depth as a tool to determine volcanic activity on Reunion Island during 2000-2001. They access the data and utilize Excel to create a graph that has optical depth as a function of time for the...
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Air Pollution Survey
Students identify the different sources of air pollution andevaluate knowledge of air pollution concepts in school and community. Students brainstorm ways of reducing air pollution and instruct school and community in reduction of air...
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Coral Reefs Endangered
Learners research where in the world coral reefs are located. For this ecology lesson, students create food chains and food web. They simulate growing coral reefs to understand their characteristics better.
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Water And EcoFluxx
Young scholars investigate the environmental concepts covered while playing the game of Eco Fluxx. They focus upon the supply of water found in aquifers and define how they are connected to the environment. Students discuss the playing...
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Air Masses
Middle schoolers examine the physical characteristics of several types of air masses to discover how air masses can be identified and defined by their temperature and moisture content.
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Volcanic Violence
Students complete activities to study volcanic activities. In this volcanic activities lesson, students read an article about violent volcanoes. Students complete discuss questions and volcano projects for the lesson. students also take...
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Clean Coal?
Learners determine, based on their knowledge of coal pollutants, the effectiveness of clean-coal technologies. They state and defend a position on whether power plants in the United States should be required to upgrade to available...
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Estuarine Habitats
Sixth graders study the important habitats, flora, fauna, and physical factors of coastal habitats. They compare the aquatic habitats to terrestrial habitats by researching and completing tables with the information.
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Attenuation of Light in Water
Students explore what happens to light intensity as depth increases using a light intensity logger. They construct a PVC model to hold water and identify what factors could influence the amount of light attenuation.
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Wat-er We Good For?
Fifth graders investigate the use of water as a resource that needs to be conserved. They practice the skill of water conservation by taking a home survey of water usage and modify the use in order to decrease the wasting of water.
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Mayonnaise Jar Greenhouse
Third graders examine the Greenhouse Effect, how it operates and finally allows the student to experiment using a model created in the classroom. They explain how the greenhouse effect affects the Earth.
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Surveying an Environment / Ecosystem
Students visit a local ecosystem to survey the plants and animals present and identify interactions between organisms. They identify interactions that occur between living organisms and their ecosystem and present their ecosystem to the...