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Vanishing Rainforests: How can We Save Them?
Students focus in on the Amazon Rain forest. They research about various plants and animals that exist in our rain forests. Students develop knowledge of resources that come from our rain forests. They analyze the cause/effect of rain...
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Images of Our Changing Earth
Students identify and explain that remote sensing can detect changes on the Earth's surface that occur over time, and name at least three: urbanization, deforestation, and succession. They select a global change issue to investigate and...
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My Giving Tree
Students identify native and invasive trees. In this ecology lesson, students survey trees in their schoolyard and identify the species. Students adopt a native tree sprout and record the growth in a journal.
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The Goldilocks Principle: A Model of Atmospheric Gases
Students discuss the characteristics of the Goldilocks Principle. They discover the pressure and chemical composition of Venus and Mars. They discuss how the Earth's temperature is affected by the atmosphere.
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Get Smart
Young scholars study sustainability and smart growth. In this geography lesson students identify the benefits that are expected from smart growth.
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School Site Ecosystem
Fourth graders are introduced to the concept of ecosystem; specifically, the interrelationships among plants and animals within an ecosystem, and their relationships to the environment in which they live and interact.
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Conservation 'Ad'vice for National Parks
Students discuss ways that the public can damage as well as preserve our natural and cultural resources. Small groups are each assigned one of the national parks and must design a poster or TV commercial that celebrates the importance of...
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Trash Flash Through Time
Young scholars describe ways in which solid waste was disposed in the past and the present. They survey an older citizen about his/her solid waste disposal methods. They discover solid waste practices from long ago.
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Don't Use it All Up
Students observe the way that a sponge absorbs liquids and discuss how we our use of natural resources affects the environment around us. They discuss the need to conserve resources so we don't run out of what we need.
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Earth's History
Seventh graders study the law of superposition by creating models of fossils in layers of rock. They examine how fossils are usually found in sedimentary rock which leads to the study of geologic history in those rocks.
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Biome-Ecology Unit with a "Design a Zoo" Extension
Students participate in a three part unit about biomes. Part one, students research the biomes of North America and part two consists of research on zoos and a field trip to a zoo. While part three ties together the first two when...
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Dirt Babies
What exactly is a dirt baby, you might ask. Look over the plan to find out! All of the materials and procedures necessary for creating a dirt baby, such as grass seeds, dirt, and nylon stockings, are listed, along with ideas for...
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Operation Mexfly
Students research information about pesticides. Students discuss the history of the Mexican fruit fly. They experiment to discover malathion concentration levels in organisms. Students explore the effect of toxins at the top of the...
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A Feast for the Future
Students participate in an activity that uses a simulated meal of transgenic foods in order to initiate a discussion of the controversy concerning the use of transgenic food products.
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Ants In Motion
Students brainstorm ants and their characteristics in a class discussion. They observe the ants and answer question pertaining to their behavior; then they apply the scientific method in creating and investigating a problem.
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Finding Caterpillars
Young scholars examine how animals protect themselves from predators and camouflage themselves. They participate in a simulation in which they locate red and green yarn "caterpillars," organize their data, and generate a bar graph using...
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Animal Adaptations
students in groups to work on bulletin board, making a list of animal adaptations. They write an example of each body covering and find pictures of animals with these coverings. They mount pictures and label the covering. They should be...
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Plants
Students illustrate the major parts of a plant, classify some plant foods we eat as roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. They also name some animals that use seeds, leaves, and fruit for food.
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Matter
Eighth graders explore chemical reactions and their products. They define a chemical reaction and describe the characteristics of a chemical reaction. Students classify chemical reactions.
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The Energy Task Force
Students simulate a meeting of the President's energy task force in order to observe how energy policy may be developed with the input of various groups. Students will form groups with the following roles: lobbyists, members of the...
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I Wood if I Could
Tenth graders investigate the process of how specific products are made from trees. For this chemistry lesson, groups of students must choose among ice cream, bubble gum, paper, toothpaste and lipstick. They research, design and...
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Choose Your Defense: Spines, Vomit and Camouflage
Students investigate defensive mechanisms of insects and organisms. In this biology activity, students draw imaginary caterpillars as well as imaginary parasites that will harm the caterpillar. Students utilize the Internet...
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Landslides
Students study a natural disaster. For this landslides facts lesson, students discover how and why landslides happen and how they have an effect on people. They discuss this information as a class and then work in small groups to create...
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Kernel Power" Ethanol Fuel from Corn
Students study why corn is a biodegradable, renewable resource. For this ethanol lesson students build models and observe a chemical reaction.