Curated OER
Landscaping and Urban Forestry - Lesson 4 (Grades 5-6)
Young scholars discuss reasons to plant trees and the best locations for cooling. They analyze two homes identifying types and locations of trees, and location of the central air conditioners. The benefits of shade, the process of...
Curated OER
Explore Your Natural Habitat
Young scholars identify habitats and understand why they are important to our environment. In this environmental instructional activity students design their own habitat, observe and record data on the impact their habitat has on the...
California Academy of Science
Sustainable Water Solutions: Weighing the Pros and Cons
Switching indoor water fixtures to low flow reduces water usage by more than 45 percent. This and other solutions to reduce water usage have both pros and cons. Scholars view videos of different solutions, discuss them in small groups,...
Chymist
Alum from Waste Aluminum Cans
Turn aluminum cans into pickles! An engaging experiment has learners chemically change aluminum into a substance with many purposes including the manufacture of pickles. After performing the chemical conversion, the experimenters verify...
Curated OER
Recycling by Composting
Middle schoolers examine the idea of recycling by composting. Using the internet, they research the benefits of composting to the environment. In groups, they collect numbers on how much food and yard waste is produced in their...
Curated OER
Classroom Composting
Learners discover the benefits of composting. They identify the steps of decomposition as well. They are read a book and discuss what items decompose.
Curated OER
Amazon Adventure: A Case Study in Medical Technology and Bioethics
Students explore a case study. They use problem solving skills to determine initial procedures or experiments necessary slow disease and develop a drug. Students examine FDA drug approval procedures. They consider environmental and...
Curated OER
Chemistry In Plant Nutrition And Growth
Students investigate different factors that affect plant growth. They research the effects of water supply, radiant energy, air temperature, and soil temperature. Students also gather facts that influence plant nutrition that include the...
Curated OER
The Good, the Bad and the Nasty Tasting
Learners examine the effect of chemicals from marine plants or animals on predator's preferences. In this ecology lesson, students conduct taste tests and collect necessary data. They write their conclusion after analyzing experimental...
Rainforest Alliance
Investments in Forest Carbon
One hundred metric tons of CO2 can accumulate in one acre of forest over time—that's a lot of carbon! In the activity, groups of middle school learners determine what makes forests important. They then solidify the concept by using a...
Curated OER
Indoor Gardening by Building a Simple Hydroponics
Students investigate the use of hydroponic gardening on the world food supply. In this hydroponic gardening lesson, students make a garden out of a soda bottle, grow a cilantro plant, and compare hydroponics with regular gardening using...
Curated OER
The Five Classes of Vertebrates
What a terrific lesson! Learners discuss the animal kingdom, and classify them as vertebrates and invertebrates. They also identify them as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. There is even a taxonomic breakdown of popular...
Curated OER
Arkansas and NAFTA
Build literacy through social studies and reading strategies. This lesson focuses on using pre-reading, vocabulary building, and comprehension questions to boost literacy while educating learners on international trade, NAFTA, and...
Outdoor Learning Center
Outdoor Survival
Which of the following can you survive without for the longest time: water, food, or a positive mental attitude? The answer may surprise you. Guide learners of all ages through games, activities, and discussions about surviving in the...
Channel Islands Film
Island Cattle Ranching
Is cattle ranching on Santa Rosa island viable or non-viable? Rather than focusing on the issues of the transition of Santa Rosa island from a privately owned island cattle ranch to a national park, class members are asked to consider if...
Curated OER
Bog Science
Students study bogs. They tour, collect physical, chemical, and biological data and analyze a pristine bog community. Using the data, they draw a map and a cross section of the bog.
Curated OER
Read The Roots
Students experiment to determine the best watering schedule to use when growing grass. In this grass watering instructional activity, students examine rye grass seeds and discuss the role roots play in keeping grass healthy. They grow...
Curated OER
Science in the Garden
Learners examine soil from their local environment. In this garden lesson, students recognize the importance of soil in the garden. Learners explore the contents of the local soil.
Curated OER
It's all Interconnected
Students participate in a number of activities to investigate the food web, species extinction, predators and prey, and biological diversity.
Curated OER
Mercury Emissions: "Cap and Trade" Game
Students identify the role of government in protecting the environment, and participate in a game where they run a profitable or unprofitable power plant in changing market conditions. They summarize the pros and cons of emissions credit...
Curated OER
Biodiversity on Ninepipe Reservoir
Sixth graders complete a unit about the biodiversity at the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge. They view a video, conduct an interview with a tribal wildlife biologist and a federal wildlife biologist and compare the two, collect and...
Curated OER
Outdoor Survival
Students are introduced to basic outdoor survival concepts. They identify the seven basic needs for survival. Students describe the symptoms and treatment for frostbite and hypothermia. They compare and contrast the value of different...