Curated OER
Conditions of City Life in the Late 19th Century
Students examine tenement life. In this lesson on early urbanization, students research the role of journalism for social change in early American cities. Students write a journal article for themselves that demonstrate an understanding...
Curated OER
Defining Drought
Students examine the hydrologic impacts of drought. Humans can change the course of the water cycle, to some extent, to meet their needs, but can they do so without imposing risks on the plants and animals?
Curated OER
Rural-Urban Migration in the 1990's
Students consider the reasons why people relocate from one area to another. In this relocation lesson, students read an article that includes research and statistics on which age, education level, etc., of the population moves the most...
DePaul University
Breaking the Food Chain
Throughout history, the growth of big cities has resulted in the destruction of ecosystems. In the case of Chicago, IL, a grassland that was once home to bison, deer, wolves, and foxes quickly became a booming city of over three million...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Personal Choices and the Planet
The last activity in the series of four has individuals determine steps they can take to reduce their carbon footprints and then analyze their schools' recycling programs. Through a sustainability audit, they identify how and where their...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Calculating Your Carbon Footprint
Unplugging from technology for one day per week will decrease your carbon footprint—are you up to the challenge? Part two in a series of three allows individuals to explore their personal carbon footprints. By first taking a quiz at home...
Marine Institute
Water Pollution
Sixth graders investigate the various types of pollutants found in water and ways to help prevent water pollution. Through a hands-on experiment, students create samples of polluted water by mixing water with vegetable oil, dirt, and...
Kenan Fellows
Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – The Importance of Water
Water is essential for life—and understanding the importance of clean drinking water is essential in understanding sustainability! Show your environmental science class the basics of water testing and treatment through a week-long...
Curated OER
Creating Community - A Function Of Design
Learners discuss the physical and human impacts of community design. They identify traditional neighborhood design elements and evaluate them with features of conventional suburban development.
Curated OER
Shrinking Spaces
Students describe the impact of population growth on the environment. They describe how cities affect their surrounding environment and explain how cities are handling growth and its resulting effect on the quality of life. They visit...
Curated OER
The True "Cost of Cool!"
Eighth graders study hidden environmental costs in things we buy. In this consumerism lesson students watch a video about consumerism and analyze advertisements in teen magazines.
National Academy of Sciences
Global Warming: Facts and Our Future
According to the United Nations, climate change affects every country on the planet. This research project encourages scholars to explore the factors that affect climate change from different perspectives: climate scientist, policy...
Global Oneness Project
Exploring Cultural Sustainability
Small groups learn about a present-day nomadic culture in Mongolia and the threats to its existence by exploring a photo essay. The resource includes thoughtful discussion and writing prompts about cultural sustainability, the...
Curated OER
The Fact of Global Warming
Students investigate the harmful impact of global warming by reading news articles. In this environmental care lesson plan, students analyze an article about the Kyoto Protocol and its goal of saving our environment. Students...
Curated OER
The New Segregation
Students use census data to analyze the racial and economic diversity of their community. They discuss the role of diversity within communities and the impact that land use decisions can have on the composition of a community.
Curated OER
The Industrial Revolution
Tenth graders analyze the impact (costs/benefits) of the Industrial Revolution on various groups of people in society (gender, children, socio-economic class, etc.). They then evaluate the impact of industrialization on the environment.
Curated OER
Then and Now, A Watershed in San Francisco
Pupils compare recent and historic maps to explore landscape changes. Using photos provided, students identify prominent features on the maps. They discuss differences in landscape, human impact on watershed, and changes in natural...
School Improvement in Maryland
Smart Growth
New roads, new businesses, new developments, new mass transit systems. All growth has both positive and negative effects on communities. Government classes investigate the principles of Maryland's 1997 Smart Growth program and the...
Curated OER
Ecology
Learners make connections between their daily lives and the usage of natural resources as they relate to the importance of environmental quality. In this ecology lesson, students listen to the story The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and then...
Gobal Oneness Project
Sports for Social Change
After watching a short online film about a soccer player Nolusindiso Plaatje and his help with the Grassroot Soccer program, a community education effort aimed at spreading awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention, use a lesson plan to prompt...
Curated OER
Urban Impact on Chollas Creek (California): A Field Study
Students, in groups, take samples from a creek and keep a field journal on their samples. They also perform tests on their samples.
Curated OER
The Wildland/Urban Interface Dilemma
Students examine all sides of the issues surrounding wildland fire. Groups assume the roles of different people who must decide what to do about a fictitious wildfire. They have a discussion to analyze the issue. A good, real life lesson!
Curated OER
What If We Run Out?
Students explore the consequences of shrinking habitats and the human impact on wildlife populations. They participate in a game to study the consequences and describe the preservation of animal habitats.
Curated OER
Weathering Rates
Students calculate weathering rates from tombstone weathering data. Atmospheric (and precipitation) chemistry determines the rate of weathering for marble tombstones. They are shown data from a rural and an unrban cemetery, and are...