Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Alien Invaders: An Invasive Species Game

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to invasive species and how they affect the ecosystems they now occur in. They explore the basic life histories of several invasive species that are of regional and or national importance. Pupils investigate how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Supermarkets, Sustenance and Sustainability

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students investigate jungles and the people who depend upon them.  In this sustainability lesson, students research wild life conservation and discover the importance of a jungle to Amazonian people.  Students create a group...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Industry and the Environment

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners study industrial processes and greenhouse emissions. In this research lesson students choose a manufactured product, research the life cycle of the product, and present it in a PowerPoint presentation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Volcanoes And Atmospheres

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the volcano as the primary source of atmospheric gases, to explain the formation of ozone, and to recognize the dangers of volcanic gases through the use of technology in the classroom.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animals

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders define and describe the characteristics of a mammal and a mammal's importance to man. They also describe the life cycle of a frog and compare and contrast a larva and an adult frog. Finally, 2nd graders study and explain...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Cat's Life

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students construct a timeline of a panther's life. Students decorate their timeline with illustrations and words, or they can choose to have it orally read to the class. Students use the computer to construct their time-lines. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Illnois River and Lake Mussel Habitat Diorama Activity

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Students identify the environmental elements of river and lake mussels. They compare the elements to the time before settlement and during industrialization. They also participate in a field trip to a mussel exhibit.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

N, B, and T: Pollutants Three

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore nutrient, bacterial, and toxic surface water pollution. They identify the amount of water they use each day and summarize the kinds of substances that cause water pollution. They predict what will happen in water...
Unit Plan
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Life Giving Rivers

For Teachers 3rd
Students examine the world's rivers in this six lessons unit which mingles science with social studies. The dynamic forces that create erosion in nature are also seen as habitats and ecosystems that are affected by environmental and man...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water and Ice

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the physical properties of water. For this water lesson, students explore water as it changes states. They observe, measure and use communication skills to describe change.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's a bright and beautiful day...Protect Yourself!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the cause and effect of skin cancer. They complete worksheets, view presentations and discuss the various types of ultraviolet rays and their impact on human health.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Does the Introduction of Pesticides and Fertilizers Alter an Aquatic Ecosystem?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students conduct an experiment using a small sample from a local water source. They introduce fertilizers and pesticides, separately, and carefully examine the results in their simulated aquatic ecosystem.
Lesson Plan
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Are Dams Forever?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
  Students consider the life span of dams, and what would happen if a dam falls apart.  In this environmental impact lesson, students discuss what the purposes of dams are, how they could be damaged.     
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plants in Your Gas Tank: From Photosynthesis to Ethanol

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Explore ethanol and how it is produced. Young scientists investigate photosynthesis and fermentation to the concept of conservation of energy and mass. They discuss the environmental and economical benefits of ethanol as a fuel additive.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Habitat Assessment

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders demonstrate the effects of varying environmental components on plants and animals: chemical, physical and biological characteristics of a habitat. They find chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the lake at...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Help or Hype: The Ethics of Bio-Nanotechnology

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Ethical concerns are not always black and white. A well-designed lesson presents learners with scenarios for which ethics may come into question. Scholars learn to consider the different sides of a situation and make an unbiased...
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Curated OER

In My Opinion

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Young writers craft letters to the government stating their opinion on different topics. They pick an environmental or ocean issue, research it, and craft their formal persuasive letter. Ensure your learners include supporting facts and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plankton in the Air

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Here is a lab activity adequate for use with any full lesson plan on environmental factors that shape animal adaptations or marine animal characteristics. Pupils will discuss the role plankton plays in the environment and filter-feeding...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecological Footprint--How Does The Way We Live Affect Earth?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars demonstrate an awareness of the global implications of decisions that individuals and families make about their needs and wants. They identify environmental and health issues related to the production and consumption of...
Lesson Plan
BBC

Ourselves

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Young biologists identify parts of the body, sort humans from other animals, and list the difference they see. Learners are split up into groups of three, and each group must find pictures in magazines of humans and other animals. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry Through Digital Storytelling

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Bring digital storytelling to your language arts class! To begin, learners select their own topic, such as a poem that reflects a life experience they had or a historical figure who interests them. Then they work to create a storyboard...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Birds of a Feather Flock Together

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders identify all parts of an egg, and explore their importance to the life cycle of a chicken. Learners compare all sorts of birds and place them in categories based on what they look like. This five-day lesson effectively...
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Faces of Climate Change

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Garbage or Art?

For Teachers 3rd
The three R's are, reduce, reuse, and recycle. Third graders use recycled materials to design and create an environmentally themed piece of art. They discuss and examine major art works that were created using recycled materials, then...