Handout
Encyclopedia of Earth

Encyclopedia of Earth: Air Quality in Megacities

For Students 9th - 10th
Article discusses the impact of air pollution on human health, and surrounding environments, in large urban areas around the world. Compares the levels of smog in the cities of Los Angeles and London, discusses air monitoring programs,...
Website
PBS

Pbs Teachers: The Urban Explosion

For Students 9th - 10th
Describe the environmental problems created by rapid development of urban areas, and identify solutions for dealing with problems caused by uncontrolled urbanization. Explain the importance of urban development plans for dealing with...
Website
Other

E Volo: Skyscraper Competition

For Students 9th - 10th
Every year since 2006 eVolo, an architecture magazine, sponsors a futuristic skyscraper design contest in which architects from around the world communicate their visions of the future in architectural terms. Browse the winning entries...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Ecology at Work

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students learn how rooftop gardens help the environment and the lives of people, especially in urban areas. They gain an understanding of how plants reduce the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, provide agriculture space,...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Other Water Cycle

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
For students that have already been introduced to the water cycle, this instructional activity is intended as a logical follow-up. Students will learn about human impacts on the water cycle that create a pathway for pollutants beginning...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Engineers Speak for the Trees

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students begin by reading Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax" as an example of how overdevelopment can cause long-lasting environmental destruction. Students discuss how to balance the needs of the environment with the needs of human industry....
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: What Trickles Down?

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Permeability is the degree to which water or other liquids are able to flow through a material. Different substances such as soil, gravel, sand, and asphalt have varying levels of permeability. In this activity, students will explore...
Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docsteach: Birth of the Environmental Protection Agency (Epa)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
By the late 1960s, issues of unchecked land development, urban decay, and air, noise, and water pollution came to Americans' attention. In November 1971, the newly created Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a large-scale...
Article
Other

Solar Schools: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Renewable Energy

For Students 9th - 10th
One major advantage with the use of renewable energy is that as it is renewable it is therefore sustainable and so will never run out. Renewable energy facilities generally require less maintenance than traditional generators. Their fuel...