Curated OER
Environmental Health Hazards and Children
Students are introduced to the environmental hazards their community is facing. In groups, they develop a list of the ways humans have changed the Earth and how these changes have lead to environmental hazards. They record their...
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: Chemicals in Your Home
Many people know about chemical pollution, but are all chemicals bad? The third unit in a series of six addresses chemicals common in everyday life. Scholars learn about the chemicals found in their own homes, chemical safety, and...
Curated OER
Nutrient Enrichment vs. Oxygen Depletion
Students investigate how excess nutrients enter a body of water, and the harmful effects they have on aquatic organisms.
Curated OER
Beach Comber
Learners investigate threats to our oceans by investigating items found on a beach. In this environmental safety lesson, students examine several items found on a beach and identify them as natural, harmful, organic or inorganic...
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: Food Safety
Did youknow that chicken causes the greatest risk of food-borne illness. The fourth unit in a six-part series addresses food safety. Scholars research common scenarios of food causing illness through the National Institute for Health....
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Contemplating Nature vs. Nurture
Does having an addict in your family make it more likely to become one yourself? Explore the genetic risk factors, as well as the prominent environmental influences, for substance addiction in a lesson that encourages awareness and open...
Curated OER
Watershed Protection
Students explore environmental care by participating in an Earth science activity. In this clean water instructional activity, students discuss what a watershed is, how they become polluted, and how it affects the overall quality of...
Curated OER
The Secret Life of a French Fry
Learners explore where the food they eat comes from. In this food lesson, students look at agriculture and food production. They follow the production of a french fry and discuss all the steps it goes through before being served.
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: Air Quality
Some scientists argue that air pollution now causes more deaths than smoking. The second unit in a six-part series focuses on air quality. Scholars learn what's in the air, how clean the air around their school is, and what they can do...
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: Runoff, Impervious Surfaces, and Smart Development
Can a sidewalk increase the amount of pollution in local streams? Scholars learn the answer to this question though research and experimentation in the fifth unit in the six-part series. Pupils study runoff, impervious surfaces, and the...
Curated OER
New York City Water Quality Assessment Project
Students investigate the chemistry of water and how its molecular structure supports life through its biochemcial, physical, and environmental roles. They investigate the quality of water as it interacts with the environment. Students...
Curated OER
Fast Food: You Can Choose!
Students research the nutritional value of fast food. They assess which fast foods are best and worst to eat. They organize their data into tables and graphs and explain their findings to other students.
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: The Great Debate—Bottled Water vs. Tap Water in Our School
Should bottled water be sold in schools, or should they only provide tap water? The summative unit in the six-part series encourages scholars debating this topic. The lessons teach how to build an argument, how to gain background...
Curated OER
Working Animals
Pupils examine the need for the humane treatment of animals. In this animal welfare lesson, students realize the need for animal welfare, and decide on a service project that will promote it. The lesson culminates in the creation of a...
Curated OER
How Smoking Affects Our Repiratory System
Seventh graders examine the dangers of smoking. In this life science lesson, 7th graders survey their schoolmates about the factors that would influence them to smoke. They present their findings in class by creating a presentation.
Curated OER
Revised “Understanding Nutrition” Activity
Students evaluate their current food choices. In this health science lesson, students test different drinks to rate the amount of Vitamin C content. They discuss results in class.
Curated OER
Breakfast: Healthy for Me and Healthy for the Environment
Students develop criteria for a healthy and environmentally friendly breakfast and use these criteria to design a breakfast menu. They use a decision chart to evaluate their choices which is imbedded in this plan.
Curated OER
It's a bright and beautiful day...Protect Yourself!
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.
Curated OER
Get in Touch With Trees
In this five senses worksheet, students complete several activities that help them improve their sense of touch and learn about their environment.
Curated OER
Transforming Food Energy: A Balancing Act
Students explain their role as consumers. They use a purchased calorimeter or make their own simple calorimeter to measure the energy content in selected foods. This interesting lesson really gets students thinking about what they eat.
Curated OER
The Breathtaking Nature of the Urban Explosion, Part 4
High schoolers explore the respiratory system. They use a computer to monitor the respiratory rate of an individual. They determine residual oxygen levels in exhaled air. Students evaluate how internal 02 and C02 concentrations...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Heavy Metals and Aquatic Environments
You might know that lead can be toxic, and that you can get lead poisoning from eating or inhaling old paint dust. Lead is called a heavy metal, and there are other sources of heavy metals that can be toxic, too. Silver, copper, mercury,...
Popular Science
Popular Science China's Green Evolution
An article about what China is doing to turn around its pollution problems. Read about plans for establishing large eco-communities in China, which are intended to make China's air and water cleaner as they also absorb millions of...