Curated OER
Water and Plants...How Dry I Am
First graders observe two similar plants as one gets water and the other does not. They make predictions and chart the growth of each. They draw pictures of the plants after one week.
Curated OER
Creating the Water Cycle
Students create a terrarium to examine the stages of the water cycle. In small groups, they plant and water a seed in an enclosed plastic container. Each day they diagram and write observations of the terrarium using water cycle vocabulary.
Curated OER
From the Sea to the Summit, Land Use on Maui
Fourth graders examine the how the land is used on the islands of Hawaii. Using this information, they discover how elevation affects how the land is used and represent this data in a visual form. They describe existing and alternative...
Curated OER
Wild Waters Downtown
Fourth graders investigate how wild animals living in urba settings also need sources of clean water. They discuss the open water issues of West Nile Virus and what happens to urba animals as these poolings area are cleaned up. ...
Curated OER
"Water, Water Everywhere and None to Drink"
Ninth graders discover the importance of maintaining an unpolluted source of water for the city. They brainstorm ideas they can take to make their communitie's water better. They can also write letters to their local politicians for help.
Curated OER
The Marsh Land as a Changing Environment
Sixth graders continue their examination of the state of Connecticut. After taking a field trip, they identify the types of birds, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates who make their home in the salt marshes. In groups, they identify...
Curated OER
An Oil Spill Primer for Students
In this Gulf oil spill worksheet, students examine a 4-page article regarding basic facts about the oil spill as well as photographs of clean-up efforts.
Curated OER
Pollution Solution
Young scholars explore the concept of environmental stewardship. In this science lesson, students investigate the effects of oil spills and brainstorm ideas to help companies avoid them as they create models to demonstrate their...
Curated OER
Pond Water Web
Students familiarize themselves with the common organisms that live in a pond and discover their importance in a balanced aquatic habitat as they create food webs. They also investigate how an environmental change affects the habitat as...
Curated OER
Caution: Fix It!
Students explore the concept of environmental stewardship. In this science lesson, students investigate events that have harmed coastal resources and how human activity has restored coastal resources.
Curated OER
fun with Plants that We Use
Students become familiar with the products made from various plants. In this plants lesson, students experiment with natural dyes from plants. Students complete a list of things made from plants. Students answer...
Curated OER
Using Abiotic and Biotic Parameters to Monitor Air Quality
Students identify the abiotic factors that influence a river or stream and the organisms that live in it. They measure several abiotic and biotic parameters to gauge water quality. Students examine the biotic environment by identifying...
University of Wisconsin
Conjunction Function
As part of a unit, this lesson familiarizes youngsters with components of a rain garden. They speculate about the role of an assigned component in contributing to a rain garden, and ultimately, in the health of the local watershed. Each...
Curated OER
Investigating the Climate System: Energy, A Balancing Act
Earth science explorers design an experiment to demonstrate that the albedo of a surface affects its temperature. They test to find out if moisture on the surface affects temperature. They discover whether or not concrete or asphalt heat...
Science Matters
Basic Needs
Scholars take part in a grand conversation about the basic needs of living things. Working collaboratively, pupils brainstorm and identify similarities to come to the conclusion that the environment meets the needs of all living...
ARKive
Adaptations to Arid Habitats
How do plants and animals survive in habitats with very little water? Explore arid ecosystems and the way their inhabitants have adapted with a activity and science experiment. After kids listen to a presentation about adaptation, they...
K12 Reader
From Nomad to Farmer
The gradual evolution of the earliest settlers in North America from nomads to farmers is the subject of a reading comprehension learning exercise that asks kids to answer a series of questions using information provided in the reading...
Virginia Department of Education
Safety and the Material Safety Data Sheet
While many chemicals are used in biology class, many pupils don't understand the material safety data sheets. The lesson explains each part and the importance of understanding the forms. Young scientists use safety equipment to ensure...
Space Awareness
The Thermal Layers of Oceans
How much does the sun heat up a lake or ocean? Scholars use a cup and a strong lamp to investigate the heat transfer and thermal layers in the ocean to come up with the answer. They collect data and graph it in order to better understand...
Virginia Department of Education
Go with the Flow
How does nature's hierarchy relate to our local human environment? Answer this question, along with others, as the class visually depicts the natural hierarchy provided by nature. Pupils discuss each piece of the pyramid and its energy...
NOAA
El Niño
El Nino, La Nina ... and the Santa Maria? The 11th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program explains the mechanism of El Nino/Southern Oscillation. Pupils use previous data to determine...
Curated OER
Ecosystems
A critical look into the structure and function of ecosystems is here for young learners as a series of lessons and worksheet activities. Topics covered include land-based and marine ecosystems, connections to the water cycle, food...
Beyond Benign
Decision Graphic Introduction
E is for economics, environment, and social equity. The fifth installment of a 15-part series has scholars first considering ecological impacts, such as determining how much water it takes to produce a can of soda. They then use decision...
WE Charity
High School–Module 2: Circular Economy and Nature
Everyone's heard the popular slogan reduce, reuse, recycle, but there may be a better way to talk about sustainability. Using the second lesson from the five-part WE Are Innovators—High School Modules series, learners explore issues...