Curated OER
Energy Efficiency Ambassadors
Definitely for high schoolers, this lesson is an open-ended exploration of energy efficiency. Groups of two to three junior environmental engineers design an experiment to test for efficiency. They prepare a full lab report and...
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Moldy Jell-O
Mini mycologists plan an experiment to determine what affects the growth of mold on gelatin. A list of available materials is provided, but the procedure needs to be designed by the lab group. A data table is also provided in...
Curated OER
Progressive City Planners
Learners plan cities. In this environmental racism instructional activity, students design imaginary cities taking into consideration the amenities and environmental hazards that exist. Learners discuss city planning challenges.
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Conservation in Action
Learners research the life and works of Rachel Carson. In this conservation lesson, students discuss environmental protection and why protection of wildlife is important. Learners read a Rachel Carson Fact Sheet and work in groups...
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Sticklers
Young scholars explore biology by participating in a habitat identification activity. In this sticklers lesson, students utilize land markers as part of an organism simulation in which they examine the habitat of a specific species....
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Is That Legal? A Case of Acid Rain
Develop an environmental case study! Elementary learners discover how a case study is used as an analysis tool. The goal of this activity is to show pupils how techniques of persuasion (including background, supporting evidence,...
Center Science Education
CO2: How Much Do You Spew?
Split your earth science or environmental studies class into groups and give each a scenario card. Scenario cards describe the lifestyles of 10 different fictitious families, focusing on their energy usage. Carbon dioxide emissions are...
Curated OER
What's a Kid to Do?
Students participate in an environmental action letter-writing campaign. They conduct Internet research on the Global Response website, discuss various successful Global Response campaigns, select a campaign they are interested in, and...
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What's Down the Well?
Students examine how environmental engineers determine possible sites for drinking water wells. They listen to a teacher led-lecture, and create their own groundwater well model using a coffee can and wire screening, observing how...
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TE Activity: Stream Consciousness
Fourth graders study how environmental engineers monitor water quality. They use environmental indicators to determine the quality of stream water in their area. They count the number of macroinverabrates and use the information they...
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Environmental Action
Students investigate an environmental problem in order to find and propose possible solutions. The problem is real to add to the engagement of the instructional activity. This is found through conducting research and then brainstorming...
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Exploring Environmental Change
Students examine environments and how the impacts human activities can cause. In this environmental change instructional activity students research how human activity is causing local environmental changes.
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Plants Around a Building
Students discover environmental factors of plant growth. In this environment lesson, students read action cards describing various environmental factors. Students then search to find an example of the situation listed on the action card.
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TE Activity: How Fast Can a Carrot Rot?
Students experiment to define which environmental factors favor decomposition by soil microbes. They decompose carrots in dirt, weigh the carrots periodically to determine how long it takes. They look at how engineers use this type of...
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Who Will Care for the Water?
Students discover how humans impact natural resources. In this environmental lesson, students identify water resources in the local area and construct a T-chart to compare the positive and negative effects humans have on water resources.
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Design a Service Learning Activity
Students work together to design a service learning activity for their community that would benefit the Tijuana estuary. Using the internet, they research the elements of a service learning project and plan their's accordingly. They...
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To Dam or Not to Dam
Young ecologists explore the Aswan Dam in Egypt via the internet. Each collaborative group is assigned a specific article about the ecological impact of the dam. Then they prepare a presentation to share with the rest of the class. Some...
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Watering Our Prairie Farms
After reading an article about irrigation on Canadian farms, learners participate in a discussion. They individually write an opinion paper about the surrounding issues. A lesson like this can be used in an earth science class when...
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Human Impacts on Major Rivers of the World
Students explore motivations behind human intervention in the stream flow of selected rivers, infer kinds of interventions and their results, and evaluate level of success of such interventions of stream flow as well as environmental...
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Endangered Species 1: Why are Species Endangered?
Emerging ecologists examine endangered species by visiting the US Environmental Protection Agency website. They consider human contribution to the decline of different species. They research an endangered animal and then craft a poster...
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Exploring Biomes Lesson 3: Endangered Biomes
Future environmental scientists compare data from two different conservation strategies. Alone this lesson is sufficient, but as part of the Exploring Biomes unit produced by the Arizona Fish and Game Department, it becomes top-notch.
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Floating Fishes: Fishing Expedition
A referenced PowerPoint is not included, but this instructional activity can still make an impact with emerging environmentalists. After introducing them to the facts about overfishing, they experiment with a fishing simulation using...
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Biodiversity Debate - Stream Side Science
Role play community members who are both for and against the construction of a dam. Research the pros and cons and then hold a classroom debate. This activity ideally follows a series of stream studies, links to which are included. Use...
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Watershed Protection
Young scholars explore environmental care by participating in an Earth science activity. In this clean water lesson, students discuss what a watershed is, how they become polluted, and how it affects the overall quality of drinking...