A couple PowerPoint presentations are used to stimulate discussion about the perspectives of different countries on the issue of energy consumption. Afterward, they play a game in which each team is assigned a country, considers its...

After a lecture about how the first industrial revolution triggered the path to climate change, your environmental studies class discusses what the impacts are. In a culminating activity, they get into groups and identify countries on a...

Students compare their perceptions of risk to the perceptions of scientists and risk professionals. in small groups, they evaluate risks on a scale of 1 to 10 for the average American on a yearly basis.

Young scientist explore the various positions in the debate on stem cell research and then discuss these perspectives before formulating their own positions. They must research the topic and beliefs that others have. They will also look...

What do cereal, fog, and space shuttles have to do with newspapers? A collection of science investigations encourage critical thinking using connections to the various parts of the newspaper. Activities range from building origami seed...

How can acknowledging opposing viewpoints reinforce one's argument? Use this New York Times lesson to study consumerism and the environmental impact of new products. After reading the article "Whether a Hummer or a Hybrid, the Big...

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...

It's not often that you come across a clever laboratory activity that is both imaginative and comprehensive! Using M&M's and Reese's peanut butter candies to represent two different clam species, young biologists test for "relative...

A wrap-up to the unit, young environmentalists discuss and write about the difference in perspectives of a water keeper and water treatment engineer. 

The bowhead whale of the Arctic region is of great importance to the people that live there. Your class will brainstorm all they know about this wonderful whale and create an informational video, which they will share with the children...

Students read about and study insects--their distinguishing characteristics, habitats, camouflage methods, defense mechanisms, etc. They draw pictures and write a story from the viewpoint of an insect and share their pictures and stories...

The Pacific Northwest includes four mountain ranges and one rain forest. Explore the breathtaking scenery using a lesson from a larger series from PBS covering climate and weather. Starting with photographs taken from the international...

Students discover how the public's perceptions of science have changed throughout recent history; then research scientific and technological breakthroughs in a variety of areas. They then create plays that allow scientists to encounter...

High schoolers consider decisions about how to use resources that are in short supply. High schoolers role-play different perspectives in a land-use simulation, and examine land use issues around the world. This interesting lesson sheds...

Research skills are extremely important and they can be linked to any subject. Get your class thinking about scientists that study the polar region, what they do, and how they get funded to continue their research. Each child uses a...

Scholars research scientific heroes who haven't been given enough credit for their discoveries. While many are women, there are also men to whom credit is overdue.

Approximately 50 percent of people in the world who are chronically hungry work in agriculture. While it seems counter-intuitive, the farther you live from a farm, the more food options are available. Scholars explore concepts related to...

Take a look at climate change from another angle. Readers learn about the MISR instrument on the Terra satellite and how it studies Earth. Pupils experience how the multiple cameras give scientists multiple views so they can better study...

Explore the reason for the seasons! An interactive lesson allows learners to explore the earth's rotation from the viewpoint of four cities at different latitudes. It provides descriptive information at eight points during the orbit...

Explore the world (our world) of melting ice caps. Why are these caps melting? What is the effect of melting ice caps? Dive into the ever-present issue of global warming with a resource that has learners looking at data and participating...

Everyone should take an interest in the fate of wild cats. A thorough lesson explores the habitat changes of native North American wild cats and asks learners to make connections to human development. They consider the implications of...

According to the United Nations, climate change affects every country on the planet. This research project encourages scholars to explore the factors that affect climate change from different perspectives: climate scientist, policy...

One of the most striking pieces of evidence for Darwin's Evolution of Species was his observations of finches and how their beaks differed from island to island, depending on their primary food sources. So what would happen to the theory...

Can you move like a photon? Young scholars use a maze to reproduce the straight line motion of a photon. The second in a six-part series of lessons on the sun has learners measure angle of incidence and refraction to determine the path...