In this instructional activity, students explore solid waste and its effects on the environment. They will collect classroom trash for analysis and build model landfills in order to understand the process and impact of solid waste...

In this lesson plan, students will explore the causes of water pollution and its effects on the environment through the use of models and scientific investigation. In the accompanying activities, they will investigate filtration and...

This lesson introduces learners to the concepts of air pollution and technologies that have been developed by engineers to reduce air pollution. Students develop an understanding of visible air pollutants with an incomplete combustion...

Students begin to explore the idea of a force. To further their understanding of drag, gravity and weight, they conduct activities that model the behavior of parachutes and helicopters. An associated literacy activity engages the class...

Young scholars learn the two main methods to measure earthquakes, the Richter Scale and the Mercalli Scale. They make a model of a seismograph - a measuring device that records an earthquake on a seismogram. Students also investigate...

Students learn about tsunamis, discovering what causes them and what makes them so dangerous. They learn that engineers design detection and warning equipment, as well as structures that that can survive the strong wave forces. In a...

In this lesson, learners are introduced to communications engineers as people who enable long-range communication. In the lesson demonstration, students discuss the tendency of sound to diminish with distance and model this phenomenon...

Students learn about energy and nutrient flow in various biosphere climates and environments. They learn about herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, food chains and food webs, seeing the interdependence between producers, consumers and...

This lesson can be part of a two-week integrated thematic unit on nocturnal animals. During this lesson, students will be introduced to nocturnal animals. They will have an opportunity to navigate web sites to learn more about nocturnal...

In this lesson, 5th graders learn about value and draw a 7-tone value scale. They then observe and draw an area of a skeleton model on a 6x6-inch square, incorporating line, shape, and value. They color the negative space and add collage...

Science students often have difficulty thinking about large spatial scales. The purpose of the exercise is to redo Eratosthenes' calculation of the radius of the Earth using data from to sites in ancient Egypt. The excercise teaches...

Learn to re-model your lesson plans to include room for critical thought and higher levels of learning. Re-modeled lessons cite specific critical thinking strategies. Wonderful examples include "Human Migration," "Integrated Grammar,"...

In this introduction to Earth Systems Science, learners use images depicting global environmental data to explore connections and patterns in the climate system.

[Free Registration/Login Required] During this MEA simulation, kindergarten students will be preparing for a move to another state. Students must work in cooperative groups as they determine which moving company will be the best for...

Students are introduced to the concepts of evolution by natural selection and digital evolution software. They learn about the field of evolutionary computation, which applies the principles of natural selection to solve engineering...

Students learn how engineering design is applied to solve healthcare problems by using an engineering tool called simulation. While engineering design is commonly used to study and design everything from bridges, factories, airports to...

A telecollaborative project where students communicate engineering concepts across the globe. Student tasks are to deconstruct a common device, then design reassembly instructions for others worldwide to follow to attempt to reconstruct...

This activity teaches the engineering method for testing wherein one variable is changed while the others are held constant. Students compare the performance of a single paper airplane design while changing the shape, size and position...

A lesson focusing on over-consumption where students are challenged to consider the impact of the American lifestyle on the environment. Using an apple as a model, this lesson offers students a visual explanation of arable land and...