Forest Foundation
Fire in Our Communities - What Can We Do?
Learn about defensible space and renewable resources with a lesson about forest fires. After exploring the ways that humans have impacted the environment, kids conduct mock interviews about differing points of view in the conservation...
Certificate Street
World Environment Awareness Template
If you are celebrating World Environment Day with your environmentalists, here is a certificate template that you can print out if you are wanting to recognize individual achievements. There are spaces to enter the recipient's name,...
American Institute of Architects
Architecture: It's Elementary!—Fifth Grade
Young citizens construct an understanding of urban planning in this cross-curricular unit. Covering every aspect of city development from the political, economic, and social influences to sustainable building practices, this 10-lesson...
Star Wars in the Classroom
Star Wars Geography Unit
What kind of animals live on an ice planet like Hoth? How would the habitat on Tatooine allow different organisms to thrive? Connect social studies, science, and Star Wars in one engaging activity that focuses on the ecosystems of the...
Curated OER
Conserving Electric Energy
Another fantastic lesson on energy is presented by the American Coal Foundation. This one focuses on electricity; how it is produced, how it is delivered, and how it is used. Some excellent handouts are embedded in this fine plan which...
Curated OER
Lead Contamination In Our Environment
Students identify the sources of lead in their local community and how to prevent further contamination. As a class, they watch a video about the effects of lead on the body and use the internet to discover any new technology that can...
Curated OER
It's Goin' Down; The Rain Forest
Learners discover the global problem of deforestation. In this environmental lesson, students identify organizations on the quest to stop deforestation. Learners also discover what they can do to solve this global dilemma.
Curated OER
Edible Coal Mining
Learners explore the concept of bituminous coal and the role it plays within our world. In this economic and earth science lesson plan, learners discover and model the extraction methods with hands-on activities. Learners also identify...
Curated OER
Sunburns and Sore Muscles: Working to Save the Farm During the Great Depression
Fifth through eighth graders engage in a lesson in which they study working class people during the Great Depression. They work to develop an understanding of the economic developments in Arkansas during the 1930's. Learners access...
Curated OER
Dirty Decomposers
Learners explore the ecosystem by conducting a ziploc bag experiment. In this recycling lesson, students identify decomposer organisms in our environment and how they speed up the recycling process. Learners utilize a ziploc plastic bag,...
Curated OER
Models of Succession
Learners create a model city in order to understand the effects human habitats have on the environment. In this environment lesson, students examine the effects human habitats have on the environment. Learners create a model city and...
Curated OER
Chocolate Asphalt Cookies
Learners make no-bake cookies to learn basic engineering principles, road construction and material science. They experience properties and changes in matter.
Curated OER
Water, Weather, and the World
Students in a special education classroom examine the role of weather and water in their lives. Each day, they add a symbol for the weather outside and identify the proper activities for the weather on that day. In groups, they...
Curated OER
An Introduction to the Marine Environment and Geology of City Point: A Model for Experiential Teaching
Students begin the lesson by researching the history of City Point, Connecticut. Using a map, they color areas they were asked to find and discuss why the areas are important to the community. As a class, they are shown recent slides...
Curated OER
Environment: Fishing and Property Rights
Students participate in a role-playing "fishing game" to discover how over-harvesting can eliminate a resource. In the second round of the game, students are told they can only fish in their assigned territories.
Students explain the...
Curated OER
Water Sources in Cape Verde and West Africa
Young explorers study the scarcity and importance of a continuous supply of fresh water in Cape Verde. They research the five main ways that fresh water is obtained in these countries. Each research group prepares a presentation, and...
Curated OER
Beaver Ecology
Students explore the lives of bgeahvers. They identify the physical and behavioral adaptations that help beavers survive in their environment. Students compare and contrast how beavers influence the ecology of both forest and aquatic...
Curated OER
The Farmer Cares for the Land
Students identify cause and effect relationships in issues relating to agriculture and the environment.
Curated OER
U.S. and Canada: How are We the Same? How are We Different?
Get high school geographers to compare and contrast Canada and the United States. They begin by drawing a freehand map of North America, then complete readings to gain insight into Canada. The text is not provided; however, another text...
Curated OER
Make Your Own Trashasaurus Rex Sculpture
Students explore environmental awareness through reusing materials. In this environmental awareness lesson plan, students use trash to create a "trashasaurus," a large dinosaur sculpture made from waste. Detailed structure and...
Curated OER
Natural Inquirer Ecosystem Article Lesson
Students discover new ways to preserve the ecosystem by completing graphic organizers. In this environmental lesson, students read an article from the Natural Inquirer in small groups and fill out a graphic organizer based on the...
Curated OER
Pollution Solution
Students, after discussing oil pollution, generate solutions to an oil spill.
Curated OER
Dirt Alert
Young scholars explore the environment and effects of pollution. They participate in a "Dirt Alert" scavenger game to study vocabulary words. Students construct a soil simulator to visually illustrate the negative effects on the...
Curated OER
The Wildland/Urban Interface Dilemma
Students examine all sides of the issues surrounding wildland fire. Groups assume the roles of different people who must decide what to do about a fictitious wildfire. They have a discussion to analyze the issue. A good, real life lesson!