National Academy of Sciences
Lights at Night Webquest
Help learners find ways to become more efficient energy consumers. To start, individuals research how different countries address energy efficiency and then analyze their own carbon footprint. They use their research to identify ways to...
Curated OER
Ozone Hole Expert Groups
Research topics associated with the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. Researchers write five facts about their topic and one question for each of those facts. They present what they learned to the rest of the class. Six topics are...
Curated OER
Energy Eccentricity
Students assess their own energy use to help develop an awareness of the different types of natural resources affected by consumers. Their calculations show them how much they are personally impacting the Earth. Very meaningful and...
Curated OER
Exploring Alternative Energy Sources
Young scholars research the amount and kinds of energy that are produced and consumed in the United States, including the limitations of this kind of consumption. They research and create a display to teach classmates about a specific...
Curated OER
Solving Environmental Problems
Young scholars identify a community environmental problem and possible solutions. They analyze the connection between the problem and the solutions and the importance of it to the local community. Students then draw a picture of an...
Curated OER
Phytoplankton and Ocean Color
Fifth graders identify function of phytoplankton in the biospere by conducting experiments and simulations and reading for information. They detect the presence of phytoplankton in bodies of water by examining ocean in satellite images...
Curated OER
Carbon Dioxide Heats It Up
Students design an investigation to test whether vegetation in an area helps regulate the ambient air temperature. They make comparisons between the investigation and global changes in climate. In groups, they present their findings to...
Curated OER
Soil In The Amazon
Students grow plants in soil representing that found in the Amazon basin. They compare results to plants growing in fertile soil and soil fertilized with leaf compost. Students chart, average and graph plant growth by height.
Students...
Curated OER
Heat Transfer and Pollution
Pupils perform computer simulations on air dispersion. In this chemistry lesson plan, students calculate energy transfer based on specific heat and temperature change. They explain the causes of smog.
Curated OER
Rain Forest Deforestation
Sixth graders explore the destructive deforestation of rain forests in Brazil to clear the land for crops and livestock. Students demonstrate how the burning of a forest releases carbon dioxide by performing an experiment.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Greenhouse Effect in a Greenhouse
A lab where students will construct their own small greenhouse out of a plastic container, plastic wrap, and different materials to observe the effect this has on temperature. Data is collected, graphed, and saved online to be graded by...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Jason: The Greenhouse Effect a Good Thing?
Rainforests at the Crossroads: Simulate the greenhouse effect by collecting and analyzing temperature data in three conditions: an open beaker, a covered beaker, and a covered beaker into which they breathe. Simulate the sun with a lamp...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: The Climate Change Skeptic's Argument
Lesson plan examines the possibility that the contemporary climate change is due to natural solar cycles. Objectives are to review the evidence of total solar irradiance, analyze data to understand the influence of solar variability, and...
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Virtual Ballooning to Explore the Atmosphere Activity
In this computer-based virtual lab, students will learn about the layers of Earth's atmosphere by launching virtual balloons to collect temperature and pressure data at various altitudes. Given a limited number of balloon flights,...
Texas A&M University
Ocean World: Bringing the Ocean to the Classroom
Online resource for students and teachers to see information on icebergs, fisheries, coral reefs, waves, currents and more. Provides teachers with learning activities. Has its own ask-an-expert site (Ask Dr. Bob), and provides real-time...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Earth's Warming Climate: Are We Responsible?
We obviously don't want to feel responsible for the warming climate, but are we? In this lesson plan you will analyze CO2 data sets and study barriers involved in teaching about global climate change. PBS TeacherLine also provides a...
Climate Literacy
Clean: Carbon Cycle
This activity from NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory introduces students to the current scientific understanding of the greenhouse effect and the carbon cycle. The activity leads them through several interactive tasks investigating...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Sunrise, Sunset: Weather Match
Students determine the relationship between temperature and light intensity. They use a Temperature Sensor and a Light Intensity Sensor to collect temperature and light intensity data for a period of 24 hours. They understand the effect...
Other
Beloit College: What Should We Do About Global Warming?
A learning module from 2007 where students investigate a set of questions on global warming. Each section has the question or activity summary and links to resources to examine. These include data on temperature trends, infrared spectra,...
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Atmospheric Science Explorers: Global Climate Change
A detailed overview of global climate change, with explanations of Earth's climate change, the carbon cycle, ecosystems, and greenhouse gases, and how the movements of matter and energy impact on climate. All information is reinforced...
NASA
Nasa: Effect of the Sun's Energy on the Ocean and Atmosphere
A project based lesson where students' mission is to conduct a series of tasks that enable them to audit Earth's energy budget and help answer a number of science questions.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Learning Lab: Prehistoric Climate Change and Why It Matters Today
In a lesson plan in this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom, students do the work of a team of paleontologists studying a time of rising carbon dioxide and rapid global warming during the Eocene epoch. By examining fossils of tree...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: The Habitable Planet: Carbon Lab
An interactive lab simulation demonstrates the effects of increased carbon in the atmosphere and how that increase contributes to climate change. A data table for student records is available for download.