NPR
Define the Plastic Problem
Individuals identify a specific problem concerning plastics and write a problem statement, which describes the problem, explains why it's a problem, and identifies desired solutions.
Beyond Benign
12 Principle Match Up
Can you find a match? Scholars review the 12 principles of green chemistry by playing a matching game. The second lesson of the series reinforces the principles from the first lesson. Individuals play the matching game and also complete...
TerraCycle
What Can Nature Teach Us about Sustainable Design?
Talk about Velcro®, Gecko Tape, WhalePower turbine blades, and other innovations that mimic nature to inspire your STEM or engineering class. This set of worksheets gets them thinking about imitating nature in terms of sustainable...
Teach Engineering
An Introduction to Air Quality Research
Viewers are a PowerPoint are exposed to the idea that pollutants are in more than just the air we breathe. the presentation provides information about the layers of the earth's atmosphere and takes a look at the pollutants in the...
Teach Engineering
Optimize! Cleaner Energy Options for Rural China
What are the trade-offs when looking to get the most benefit from an energy source? Small groups compare the cost-to-emission levels of several energy sources by looking at the information graphically. The groups utilize this information...
Science NetLinks
Green Roof Design
Green roofs aren't just eco-friendly — they are literally green with trees. Groups learn about the concept of green roofs in order to be able to design one. The groups design a 5,000-square-foot green roof for a fictional apartment row...
National Energy Education Development Project
Introduction to Wind Energy
The U.S. produced enough wind energy in 2015 to power all of the homes in Alaska, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and...
Teach Engineering
Energy Forms, States and Conversions
Even magicians can't make energy disappear. In a discussion-based instructional activity, young scientists learn about energy forms and conversions. They see how energy is neither created nor destroyed; it just changes forms. This is the...
Teach Engineering
Energy Perspectives
The data says ... the resource is great to use. Using Microsoft Excel, pupils analyze data from the US Department of Energy in the fifth lesson of a 25-part Energy Systems and Solutions unit. Each group looks at a different data set and...
Energy for Keeps
The Energy Times
Extra! Extra! Read all about past and present energy use in a classroom-made historical newspaper. Useful as a cross-curricular assignment between science, history, and language arts, the project is sure to get young journalists...
Curated OER
Solar Car Races: Build and retrofit for speed
If you have solar car kits for your junior high schoolers, they can experiment with photovoltaic cell angle, light intensity, and aerodynamic design to discover what makes their car move more quickly. This is a classic activity to use...
Curated OER
Our Solar Roof
Young scholars sketch what a solar installation will look like. In this energy lesson, students examine the benefits of using solar energy. They record a video on the installation event for further study.
Curated OER
Energy Alternatives: Nature offers a solution
Students describe the pros and cons of different energy sources. In this earth science lesson, students respond to survey questions and discuss each other's opinion about the issue. They research an energy source of their choice and...
Curated OER
Let's Roam Together
Pupils collect information about buffalo and transform their classroom into a wildlife park. For this conservation lesson, students work in groups to research a question pertaining to buffalo populations and habitat requirements. They...
Curated OER
Sugar Bush Sap Production - Human Environmental Impact on Sap Sand
Eleventh graders compare the amount of sugar sand present in tree sap. In this environmental science lesson plan, 11th graders measure different tree circumference. They prepare a report and share findings in class.