Scholars voice their opinions about animal consciousness with an article that challenges common ideas about nature. After reading the article, learners engage in a thoughtful discussion before writing out their arguments...

Easy doesn't always mean better. In an era with pre-packaged everything, learners consider the environmental impact of the convenient trend. They critique the packaging of food and how waste impacts cost and then look for solutions.

It's a time of change. A hands-on activity engages young scientists in a lesson highlighting the change of seasons. They brainstorm indicators of season changes in nature and then look for them. Next, they record observations in a field...

Students create a KWL chart to start the discussion on ocean animals. They practice sorting the animals into their different classifications. They use indexes, table of contents and glossary to find information.

Students explore the concept of environmental stewardship. In this science lesson plan, students investigate data from the International Coastal Cleanup, identify sources of marine debris, and discover the impacts of this debris on...

High schoolers review artwork that relates to the environment and communicates a value. They view and analyze art by Andy Warhol, Eric Carle and Albert Bierstadt and then create original pieces with an environmental theme.

Students observe the life cycle of the Drosophila fly as well as manipulate large numbers of flies, determine the difference between the sexes, and identify the different stages of the fly's life cycle.

Students study the relationship of form and function in the marine environment.

Students investigate the orca whale. They participate in an online Webquest, listen to whale vocalizations online, answer discussion questions, and locate and read newspaper articles on marine mammals and orca whales.

In this bluebirds worksheet, students complete a table and answer short answer questions about the life cycle of bluebirds. Students complete 1 chart and answer 5 questions.

Emerging ecologists examine endangered species by visiting the US Environmental Protection Agency website. They consider human contribution to the decline of different species. They research an endangered animal and then craft a poster...

Discover the natural resources in Iowa by studying it's history. In this environmental instructional activity, your students will observe a topographical map of Iowa and identify where its most valuable resources are. They complete an...

Here is a quick activity intended to get little learners ready to conserve. They classify trash for recycling by placing items in the categories reduce, recycle and reuse. In teams the sort real life trash items into the best...

Students study pond life by visiting a pond and completing an associated worksheet. They play an online game based on the pond learning experience.

Learners discover the impact "Lady Bird" Johnson had on America by reading a short biography.  In this historical persons lesson, students read a multi page biography of the former first lady and write a summary of her life's work....

Have your class learn about marine life. Learners write a story about a fish, create an art project, and share their work with the class. This experience could be enhanced by having them conduct Internet research to discover some of the...

Earth historians research a specific dinosaur, write a paper about the Mesozoic era that it lived in, create an artistic rendition of the environment, and give a presentation in class about what they learned. Be aware that there are...

Marine science classes read about the 2005 North Atlantic Stepping Stones Expedition and review climate change. They use maps to locate the seamount chains. In collaborative groups, they research how climate change may be altering the...

In small groups, middle schoolers research deep-sea coral reefs and design a poster to educate the public about their importance. They compare them to shallow-water reefs and consider the impact of bottom-trawl fishing. Many internet...

Students are introduced to the benefits of using Red Wiggler worms to produce compost. They identify the requirements for the worms and the methods to follow in order to produce compost. They draw a picture of a functioning worm bin.

Using 2-liter bottles, junior ecologists create composting tubes in which they place nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials. They observe what changes occur over two weeks' time. Provide more specific direction to your class as to what...

When your class is examining the fishing industry or sustainable practices, you can use this brief activity to demonstrate the global impact our food choices have. Overharvesting, overfishing, and bycatch are important topics to address...

A fascinating lesson on how solar power is utilized by people who live in the Himalayas is here for you. In it, learners perform a case study which will help them understand that solar energy is a renewable resource, that geography...

Clever! Collaborative groups of environmental scientists create a museum exhibit and presentation for an energy-using activity such as heating a home or transportation. They must compare past to present use of energy for that particular...