Curated OER
Climate Shifts
Eight slides of information related to shifts in the climate make up this presentation. The vocabulary and concepts displayed are geared toward high school meteorology learners. Content is not cohesive from slide to slide, but the...
National Geographic
Spot Where You DON'T Get Your Seafood
When your class is examining the fishing industry or sustainable practices, you can use this brief activity to demonstrate the global impact our food choices have. Overharvesting, overfishing, and bycatch are important topics to address...
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Teachers' Guide to Using A Day In the Life of a Drop
Hydrology hopefuls learn about their local watershed. Through discussion and online interactives, they see that their habits affect the water supply. The lesson concludes with a pledge to filter out bad water usage habits. It makes a...
Curated OER
Treasures in Jeopardy
In small groups, middle schoolers research deep-sea coral reefs and design a poster to educate the public about their importance. They compare them to shallow-water reefs and consider the impact of bottom-trawl fishing. Many internet...
Curated OER
Top to Bottom
Marine science classes read about the 2005 North Atlantic Stepping Stones Expedition and review climate change. They use maps to locate the seamount chains. In collaborative groups, they research how climate change may be altering the...
Curated OER
Empty Oceans
In groups of four, pupils brainstorm about seafood. They view the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website to examine the problems caused by the seafood industry. Learners are then brought back together to discuss what they...
Curated OER
Down in the Dumps
After an introduction to municipal sludge, middle school ecologists consider the pros and cons of dumping in the Hudson River Canyon. The class is split into two groups: one to debate in favor or dumping and one to debate against the...
Curated OER
Week 8 - Sea Life
Using a magnifier, mini marine biologists examine the barbules of a bird feather. They swirl the it into a mixture of oil and water and then re-examine the feather. After the activity, discuss how the oily feathers pose a problem to...
Curated OER
These Lakes are Great
Students examine the Great Lakes Basin and water conservation. In this Great Lakes and water lesson, students study the location of the lakes before reading the book, The River Ran Wild. They discuss the associated vocabulary and in...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Dreaming of Gardens
Students demonstrate ways to be an environmental philanthropist. In this philanthropy activity, students read The Gardener and Just a Dream and compare the two books. Students discuss ways the characters demonstrated environmental...
Curated OER
Gulf Oil Spill:What Happened, and Who is Responsible?
Students investigate the Gulf Oil Spill. In this environmental issues lesson, students watch video clips about the oil spill and discuss the devastation caused by the spill as well as who is responsible. Students also consider how many...
Curated OER
Energy: Eco-Icons that Electrify
Students examine environmental issues. For this energy lesson, students explore the topic of energy conservation and then create marketing (to be implemented in their school) meant to communicate the benefits of energy conservation.
Curated OER
The State of the Planet
Students address four different environmental topics (water issues, the threat of food shortages, human population growth, and global warming) as they watch a film and discuss the future of the earth. In groups, they complete various...
Curated OER
Wildlife Study Comparison
Pupils compare/contrast two studies that examine the effects of environmental contaminants on animals. They read an article, identify the components of a research study, summarize the article, and complete a matrix.
Curated OER
Packaging
In this environmental awareness lesson, learners discuss packaging and the importance of using recycled materials in their packaging. Students bring in all sorts of items from home, and brainstorm ways that those items could have been...
Curated OER
Tread Lightly: Where We Stand
Learners explore the concept of ecological footprints. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students calculate their ecological footprints and consider how to reduce them.
Curated OER
Acid Rain And Geology
Learners become aware of the environmental problems caused by acid rain and study the pH scale. They determine acidity of local rain water.
Curated OER
The Deforestation of the Temperate Forest Focus; Russian Taiga/Boreal
Twelfth graders complete a unit of lessons on the Russian Temperate Forest. They list the environmental problems associated with deforestation, conduct research, compare the Russian Taiga with other forests, create graphs, and develop an...
Curated OER
Saving the Trees
Learners identify why trees are important. In this environmental lesson, students read the book The Giving Tree and list reasons why humans need trees. Learners create a storybook to explain why other natural resources are important to...
Curated OER
Power Generation
Students examine energy issues. In this environmental stewardship instructional activity, students discuss nuclear power options. Students also discuss energy consumption and create energy reduction guides for students their own age....
Curated OER
Think Green
THINKGREEN has a computer printer cartridge collection program. After reading the story of how Assumption Secondary School in Burlington, Ontario started participating in the THINKGREEN recycling program, pupils work in groups of...
Curated OER
Land Assessment
Students work in small groups on a problem based learning activity. Students are presented with a problem of buying land to use for educational purposes only and must determine if it is feasible to buy it based on soil analysis and plant...
Curated OER
The Impact of Fishing
Students explore the concept of fishing as it relates to oceans and how some fishing practices can damage the health of the marine ecosystems. In this activity on the impact of fishing, students research the many places in the world...