Curated OER
Making the Branches of Government Relevant
A discussion of the three branches of government can be a fascinating experience.
Curated OER
Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?
Interesting! Have your high schoolers watch this 13-minute clip from the documentay, "Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?" It examines the fear we have as a culture about death and whether or not the media increases those fears. The focus...
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Exploring Ecosystems
Students examine the relationships between plants, animals, and the environment in ecosystems. They sort animal cards, collect natural materials from the schoolyard, and record an ecosystem web in the form of a poster.
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What in Our World Affects the Way People Live
Sixth graders study various maps that show geographical features and population. They compare the maps and make inferences about how various geographical features influence the population and human activities of an area.
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Carbon Cycles
Middle schoolers examine the carbon cycle and how carbon atoms travel through it. In this energy cycles lesson students describe how human activities affect the carbon cycle.
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What is Soil?
Pupils study living and non-living materials that are found in soil. They study the things required by plants and animals to remain healthy. They design a collage of sand, stones, leaves and other natural items.
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Waste Management
Four different activities focus on the amount of trash generated and how humans can better manage waste. Learners analyze two days' worth of household garbage, test materials for biodegradability, and rate recyclability of various...
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Endangered Animals: Hawaii
Students locate regions in Hawaii where specific endangered animals live. They describe habitats, identify reasons why the species has become endangered, consider how a healthy environment for wildlife contributes to a healthy...
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What Makes A Community Sustainable
For this environment worksheet, students read three different case studies in order to apply them to the categories of finding the best possible choices to make for helping a community flourish.
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Carbon Footprint Estimator
Students discover what a Carbon Footprint represents. In this sustainable lifestyle lesson, students determine their Carbon Footprint as an individual and as a class. Students use a the Internet to calculate how many earths it would...
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Water Quality Assessment
Young scholars evaluate water quality of different sources. In this water assessment lesson students chemical testing, identify biological factors in the stream, and write a paper on their position of the stream's quality.
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Hands Off
Middle schoolers perform a handwashing experiment to see if a difference can be detected in the number and types of microbes on our hands after various types of cleaning. They will also demonstrate that they have learned the whys and...
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Understanding the Indoor Environment
Students create and deliver speeches about why their school should have an Indoor Air Quality team. In this speeches lesson plan, students make presentations to school board members about having an IAQ team.
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Reducing Ecological Footprint Ads
Students examine the impact of geological footprints. In this geography skills lesson, students calculate geological footprints and discuss ways to reduce the footprints. Students create advertisements that motivate others to reduce...
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Water and Sanitation
Students examine water contamination problems. For this global studies lesson, students compare and contrast water sanitation issues on Malawi, Tanzania, and Ontario. Students propose solutions to the water sanitation problems.
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Go Fish! Exploring The Tragedy of the Commons
Students discover what happens when people take advantage of shared resources. In this ecology lesson, students explore "The Tragedy of the Commons" by playing a role playing simulation game in small groups. Students soon discover the...
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Populations in the Path of Natural Hazards
Students read "Geographical Mobility: 1995-2000." They examine the maps in the handouts and compare them with maps from an atlas. In the second part of this lesson, students read "In Harm's Way." They receive three more handouts, one a...
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Chapter 6: The Human Population: Demographics
Students read the indicated text and complete several suggested labs and activities. They answer critical thinking questions. This instructional activity is very hard to do without the indicated text.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate Change
Scholars become experts on the eight major impacts of climate change through a jigsaw and grand conversation. They then research and present what they learned about effects specific to their region.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Faces of Climate Change
Sometimes, the best solution to a problem can be found by walking in someone else's shoes. Here, scholars use character cards to take on the roles of people around the world. They determine how their character's...
Population Connection
The Carbon Crunch
Carbon is in the air; should we care? Teach the class why it is important to pay attention to carbon levels and how the world population and various countries across the globe affect the carbon levels in the atmosphere. High schoolers...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Faces of Climate Change
How does climate change affect you? First in a three-part series, the activity focuses on how individuals living around the world are affected by climate change. Individuals take on the role of a given character and share their...
Population Connection
The Peopling of Our Planet
How many people live on the planet, anyway? The first resource in a six-part series covers the topic of the world population. Scholars work in groups to conduct research and make population posters after learning about the global...
Curated OER
Hazards: Fifth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
After comparing earthquake and volcanic hazards to one another, fifth graders take a closer look at damage associated with a volcanic eruption. They then create a simulation of mudslides due to a volcanic eruption. Using different...