Lesson Plan
World Wildlife Fund

Land of the Midnight Sun

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
From days of 24 hour sunlight, to endless nights that last for days, the Arctic is a very unique place to live. Examine the seasonal changes that occur in the northern-most reaches of the globe and the impact they have on the plants and...
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Albedo, Reflectivity, and Absorption

For Teachers 5th - 6th
What is reflectivity, and what does it have to do with the Earth's climate? As reflectivity is measured by albedo, scientists can gather information on Earth's energy balances that relate to global warming or climate change. Budding...
Activity
Wild BC

Maple Trees and Marmots

For Teachers K - 3rd
Kinesthetic activities simulate animal activity as the seasons progress in a lesson that introduces climate change to primary pupils. The kids role-play maple trees collecting what they need to survive, but as each year comes...
Lesson Plan
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Montana State University

Everest Extremes: Biodiversity

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
How many animals can live in a climate as cold as Mount Everest's? Find out with a science lesson all about biodiversity. Activities include research, presentations, group work, coloring maps, and a simulation of a food web.
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Where is the World's Water?

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Scholars discover the amount of the Earth's water in various locations such as the ocean, ice, the atmosphere, etc. They then make a model of the how much water those percentages represent. Finally, analysis questions bring the concepts...
Activity
National Wildlife Federation

Habitat Web

For Teachers K - 6th Standards
Young scientists weave together an understanding of ecosystems with this fun collaborative activity. Taking on the roles of different living and non-living elements of specific habitats, learners use a ball of yarn to create...
Unit Plan
Calvin Crest Outdoor School

Survival

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Equip young campers with important survival knowledge with a set of engaging lessons. Teammates work together to complete three outdoor activities, which include building a shelter, starting a campfire, and finding directions in the...
Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Hedgerows

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Hedgerows prevent soil erosion, capture pollutants running off fields, store carbon to help combat climate change, and provide homes for predators of many pest species. The biodiversity lesson begins with an activity that...
Activity
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NOAA

The Incredible Carbon Journey: Play the Carbon Journey Game

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Class members explore the carbon cycle in the final installment of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They play a simulation game where they walk through the steps carbon takes as it cycles through the different layers...
Activity
Environmental Education in Wisconsin

Biome Travel Guide

For Teachers 5th - 12th
In a perfect marriage of social studies and science, groups work together to research and create a travel guide presentation to share with the class. Not only do kids learn about the climate and geography of a biome, but also the...
Activity
US Department of Energy

Your Own Greenhouse

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young science learners construct a greenhouse out of a plastic bottle. They use a nail to punch a hole through which a thermometer will be inserted to monitor the temperature. This simple experiment easily demonstrates the greenhouse...
Lesson Plan
Serendip

Changing Biological Communities – Disturbance and Succession

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After cutting down a forest to make a farm, how long would it take the environment to turn an abandoned farm back into a forest? Scholars study this exact scenario while they interpret many charts and graphs of the changing ecosystems as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Habitats: Cactus Hotel

For Teachers K - 2nd
A reading of Brenda Z. Guiberson’s, Cactus Hotel, launches a study of animal habitats. Working with parent volunteers or teacher aides, groups travel outside the classroom to select a habitat, take digital pictures, and incorporate the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring and Oregon Commodity

For Teachers 3rd
A fun (and delicious!) lesson teaches measurement to your third graders. They work in small groups to first predict, then to measure the weight, circumference, and number of seeds found in a watermelon. Everyone gets to eat watermelon...
Activity
University of Georgia

Land Biomes Project

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Challenge scholars to research a biome and create a presentation for the producers of Survivor to choose their ecosystem for the next season's show. The materials include outlines, worksheets, and grading rubrics for individuals as well...
Lesson Plan
Mascil Project

Closed Greenhouses

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Controlling the efficiency of a greenhouse is a mathematical task. A collaborative project challenges learners to create an efficiency plan for a closed greenhouse. Using algebraic equations, they consider a set of constraints, design...