Explains what ecological succession is and why it happens. Describes some examples, how it affects humans, and why it does not really stop.

Find out how environmental degradation and the depletion of natural resources induced by human activities have attracted steadily growing concerns in the last decades.

An interesting look from the National Humanities Center at the progression of roads in America. Author looks at the ecological impact of the road system.

After hearing and discussing the story of The Three Little Pigs, students work in groups to construct houses using craft sticks. They then decide how well their house would serve as a living space and in what climatic conditions it would...

In this lesson students learn how much water is used and lost during a variety of common daily activities. Student sheets are provided in English and in Spanish.

A light-hearted and informative section about the role of microorganisms in decomposing human waste. It has a colorful, clickable graphic aiding in navigation of the site. Fun and informative.

Article describing the different categories of lichens, their physical features, how they reproduce, their evolution, and important benefits lichens provide to humans. (Published: July 19, 2010)

This well-written article explains what competition in an ecosystem is and the different ways it can manifest itself. It also looks at how organisms avoid competition, some disadvantages and outcomes of competition, the impact of a...

Understand the ecological importance of insects, and why they are important to humans.

Our early ancestors relied on lightning to cause forest fires, from which they could collect coals and burning sticks to help them cook food and clear land. Yet, it wasn't just humans who benefited from these natural phenomena. Even as...

Definition of herbicides, how they are used, their damage to the environment and to ecology, consequences to human health, use around the world, and the three classes of herbicides.

A very detailed look at the development of the field of sociology. Looks at its historical roots, the earliest sociologists, and explains major theories that it was based on, and theories and schools of thought that evolved from those....

In this lesson, students build on their knowledge of individual impacts on the ocean to see how the whole system can react to threats and changes. They examine ways in which human actions throw marine ecosystems out of balance, explore...

This lesson will discuss the key concepts related to the human relationship with the environment.

During our exploration of each previous lesson, we have learned about many of the factors that contribute to the ongoing destruction of our environment. In our final lesson, we will make a holistic appraisal of the impact that each of...

Learn all about the twenty named species of armadillos. Browse through pictures of many of the species while learning about the natural history of this animal. Also includes facts, taxonomy, scientific research, and information on human...

In this activity, students investigate the life cycle of an engineered product and how the product impacts the environment. They analyze a product using a simple life cycle assessment that assigns fictional numerical values for different...

In this lesson young scholars will use popcorn of different colors to model the composition of air. They learn that gases occupy space, air is a mixture of different gases, and the oxygen needed by the human body is not the principal...

The impact that climate and climate change have on humans is explored in this lesson. Students learn about climate zones, and factors that affect climate, e.g., proximity to the ocean and greenhouse gases. The lesson and accompanying...

Many different kinds of organisms live in water. Excess nutrients can cause over-abundant growth of some organisms living in water and non-point source pollution is a major threat to water supplies in the United States. In this activity...

Article on pine tree. Covers classification, physical features, ecology, and ways pine is used by humans. (Published: May 31, 2012)

This lesson addresses the following questions: What is the efficiency with which energy is converted from trophic level to trophic level? What are the differences between assimilation efficiency, net production efficiency, and ecological...

The transport of living plants and animals to areas beyond their native range has been practiced by human beings for thousands of years. While some introductions are intentional, others occur by accident or happenstance. Regardless of...

Biomonitoring is the term scientists use to describe the use of plants, animals, or entire ecosystems to tell if our environment is polluted. Biomonitoring has been used by biologists and scientists to give us information about our...