Fourth graders explore needed mineral nutrients for healthy soil. For this soil lesson, 4th graders investigate how living and nonliving elements combine to contribute to fertile soil development.

Students study how to create a compost heap. In this composting lesson, students create a compost heap. Students write an essay describing the process.

Pupils examine the effects of rainfall on different surfaces and discuss water pollution. They review the water cycle and the uses of water in daily lifestyles. Students discuss the effects of soil run off in streams and rivers.

Students investigate the correct mix of material types for compost. In this composting lesson, students explore the correct amounts of different types of materials to create a compost heap. Students then create a compost heap.

Investigate the different types of pollution that storm drain runoff carries into oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams with this class demonstration. Using an aquarium and an assortment of everyday items that contaminants like motor oil,...

Take a deep dive into Oregon's ecosystems, plants, and changes from the past to the future. Many hands-on activities in an environmental science unit delight scholars, including creating a field guide for a local park. The in-depth study...

Students discuss background information presented by the teacher and read dictionary definitions for the words "organic" and "synthetic." In this gardengin lesson plan, students complete a worksheet on the material. Students grow and...

Students investigate how earthworms help build good soil. They examine the worms carefully to find the ringlike segments and swollen band at the front of the earthworm's body. Students take turns dampening the soil every day and adding...

Young scholars perform a series of experiments which show that plants require nutrients in certain quantities. They also cooperatively read materials on the nutrient requirements of plants, fertilizers, composting, and soil management,...

Students explore the importance of natural resources. They are given copies of the story, "Who Cares For The Land," and students follow along as the teacher reads it. Students identify the key points in the story. (Soil, water and air...

Students define and discuss terms organic and synthetic, read article pertaining to organic agricultural practices in Oklahoma, complete worksheet, grow plants using both commercial and organic fertilizer, compare growth rates, and chart...

Sixth graders investigate erosion. In this erosion lesson, 6th graders explore how farming changes the environment. Students construct an erosion model and research ways to protect the soil from excess mud generated by farming.

Fifth graders study the effects of running water on erosion. They examine how the soil on the playground is affected by erosion and determine how the placement of trees and shrubs changes the path of erosion. In their science journals,...

Sixth graders create a Venn diagram of different soil types. They plant cord seeds in clay, sand, and fertile black soils are record their growing rates. After two weeks they discuss the effects of soil types on the growth process.

Fifth graders are introduced to the important topic of renewable, and non-renewable, resources. They are expected to be able to correctly categorize different types of resources as renewable or non-renewable. Another emphasis of this...

Here's a fine lesson on renewable and non-renewable sources of energy for your 5th graders. In it, learners list a number of natural resources on the board, then try to sort the resources into appropriate categories. This helps them to...

Young foresters examine the strategies, like prescribed burns and thinning, that are employed to ensure healthy forests.

Students are presented with the question, "Do plants that grow underwater use oxygen?" They create an experiment to test the presence of dissolved oxygen in the water using provided materials. Student experiments include a control jar as...

Composting is a great way to get children involved in recycling. First, they discuss how biodegradable products decompose to make compost. Then, they talk about what can and cannot be composted. They play a game similar to around the...

Fifth graders identify renewable vs. non-renewable resources and comprehend why conservation of resources is important. They are asked what they think the words natural and resource mean. Pupils then put the words together to define...

Students research various forms of alternative energy sources and examine the pros and cons of each type. They discuss American oil dependence and the Bush administration's policies regarding this issue.

Students discover why soybeans are called the "miracle seeds." They make their own soynuts and share other foods made from soybeans. They create a bulletin board of soybean products.

Pupils discuss how the Hudson River is an ecosystem made up of both biotic and abiotic factors. They view the PowerPoint the Journal Down the Hudson River. Students become aware of where the Hudson River begins and ends, the plant and...

Students are shown how temperature affects dissolved oxygen and they create a graph showing this relationship. They think about the adaptations of animals to live in different water temperatures. Students test four different water...