Urban Changes

It's sure getting hot out there! Scholars analyze satellite data on land use and surface temperatures, and then learn how to ground truth satellite data through an activity. They apply technology to identify urban heat islands and...

Is qualitative or quantitative research more convincing when it comes to climate change? In the eighth lesson during this 21-part series, scholars begin by performing a quantitative analysis of deforestation and urbanization. Then, they...

"Humans have become a geologic agent comparable to erosion and [volcanic] eruptions ..." Paul J. Crutzen, a Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric chemist. Using Landsat imagery, scholars create a grid showing land use type, such as urban,...

Encourage advocacy and involvement in public policy. The lesson described here lays out a detailed plan for creating strong democratic citizens. Class members discuss the different types of citizens, complete two graphic organizers about...

Urbanization and how it affects wildlife is the focus of a presentation that uses statistics to make a case for concern and change.

Build a bridge to learning in a STEM-aligned unit about urban infrastructure. Young engineers explore the many aspects of civil planning and design in a five-day unit. Content includes the challenging aspects of balancing building with...

Middle schoolers discover that throughout history cities have been centers of population but that human exploitation of fossil fuels was key to the growth of large cities worldwide. They research urban growth through a number of websites.

It doesn't matter how old you are or where you live, you can help protect the environment. Created in 2005 for World Environment Day, the agreement shows that the simple steps one can take to make a change have stayed the same, despite...

More than 20 million Americans lack access to grocery stores. The sixth lesson in the 13-part unit on Our Hungry Planet introduces the concept of food deserts and ideas to correct this lack of access. Discussion questions provide a...

To discover the impact of urbanization on the environment, learners compare landscape paintings from the past with contemporary photographs, create found poems from descriptions of artwork, design backyard or public garden spaces,...