Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Forensic Science: Case of the Missing Diamond Maker

For Teachers 5th - 9th Standards
Someone stole a diamond-making machine. Who done it? Scholars use forensic science at six different stations to determine the culprit. They analyze fingerprints, use their senses, and complete chemistry experiments to determine the...
Lesson Plan
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National Wildlife Federation

Green Green Revolution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
School budgets don't have a lot of extra money, so when learners propose saving the district money, everyone jumps on board. The first lesson plan in the series of 21 introduces the concept of an energy audit. Scholars form an eco-action...
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Baylor College

Infectious Disease Case Study

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Small groups of life science learners look at Allison's symptoms and discuss a diagnosis. They use a chart of illnesses and draw symptom clues from an envelope to determine what illness she has. A lesson like this gives children an...
Lesson Plan
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Center Science Education

Weather in the News

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Tornadoes, blizzards, and hurricanes, oh my! In this lesson, meteorology majors compare stories of historical storms written by two or more different sources. As a result, they understand how the media portrays such catastrophes and...
Lesson Plan
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PBS

Lessons - Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Volcanoes are among the most spectacular geological features on the planet. Jump into an exploration of these amazing phenomenon with this multimedia lesson series. Working collaboratively in small groups, young scientists view videos...
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Fibers, Dyes, and the Environment

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Nanofibers can be made through electrospinning or force spinning in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pupils study the role of fibers and dye on the environment through a series of five hands-on activities. Then,...
Lesson Plan
Personal Genetics Education Project

Engineering the World Around Us: Genome Editing and the Environment

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Challenge young minds to build a better world with genetic engineering. Biologists learn potential solutions for environmental issues using genome editing while interacting with three case studies. Scholars read articles and view...
Lesson Plan
Center Science Education

Weather and Climate Data Exploration

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Access local temperature data online, graph averages, and critique it. Learners listen to a scenario where weather and climate are confused, and then answer questions to differentiate the two. The lesson itself is compact, but there is a...
Lesson Plan
National Geographic

The Monsoon

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Few things are as fascinating as the challenge of climbing Mount Everest. This lesson investigates how monsoon weather impacts climbers. To begin, you are instructed to show various video clips. The only one directly provided, however,...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Ebola Outbreak

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
As of April, 2016, more than 28,000 suspected cases of Ebola were recorded in Western Africa with over 11,000 human deaths. Classes discuss the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014 and then groups develop an action plan based on...
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California Academy of Science

Optimal and Sustainable: Renewable Energy Revamp

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
More than 100 cities around the world have shifted from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Scholars investigate a city wanting to make this switch, but needs help determining how to make the shift. Groups consider all options,...
Lesson Plan
Michigan Sea Grant

Great Lakes, Great Careers

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Pupils play a question-asking game to investigate careers relating to marine and aquatic science, then conduct research to further investigate the career of their choice—examples range from marine veterinarian to underwater...
Lesson Plan
US Environmental Protection Agency

Mapping Greenhouse Gas Emissions Where You Live

For Teachers 5th - 10th
After investigating the US Environmental Protection Agency's climate change website, your environmental studies learners discuss greenhouse gas emissions. They use an online interactive tool to look at data from power production...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Climate, Corals and Change

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Global warming isn't just an issue on land; deep ocean waters are also showing troubling signs. Young scientists learn more about deep water corals and the many recent discoveries researchers have made. Then they examine data related to...
Lesson Plan
US Environmental Protection Agency

Getting to the Core: The Link Between Temperature and Carbon Dioxide

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Polar ice samples provide scientists with valuable information about the condition of the atmosphere for hundreds of thousands of years in the past. Of particular interest is the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and its...
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Ozone Data Comparison over the South Pole

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Did you know the hole in the ozone is seasonal and filled by January every year? The lesson uses scientific measurements of the ozone over the South Pole to understand patterns. Scholars learn that the hole grew bigger annually before...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water in Earth's Hydrosphere

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Environmentalists test stream water for temperature, pH, and turbidity. Each group shares their information and then the class makes an overall evaluation of the water quality. A slide show sets the backdrop for the teaching portion and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Allele and Phenotype Frequencies in Rock Pocket Mouse Populations

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
In the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, some tiny creatures show just how quickly natural selection can turn a mutation into an advantageous adaptation. Watch a video about rock pocket mice, who show that one small change can make all...
Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Forensic Science Crimes Dramas

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
How do TV shows present criminology—is it realistic? High schoolers research crime dramas and participate in class discussion about topics such as who exists as the target audience and the values the shows communicate. They also research...
Lesson Plan
US Environmental Protection Agency

Carbon Through the Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Meteorologists view an animated video by the Environmental Protection Agency to learn how the carbon cycle works, and then move into groups to analyze and graph actual data of the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration from Hawaii's...
Lesson Plan
Rainforest Alliance

Climate Educator Guide

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Climate change is a hot topic in the news. Class members examine carbon dioxide data to analyze trends of our atmospheric makeup over time. They also discuss climate and climate change, and determine how these changes are affecting life...
Lesson Plan
Center Science Education

Tracking Hurricane News

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Here is a unique twist for your lesson on hurricanes. After examining extreme weather news headlines, your storm chasers view a PowerPoint about hurricanes and then zoom in on Hurricane Irene. They map a timeline of her trek up the East...
Lesson Plan
Center Science Education

Investigating the Climate

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What do graphs of atmospheric gases over time show us? Do they indicate that carbon sources and carbon sinks are not in balance? Up-and-coming meteorologists watch video clips, read information, and analyze data from the HIPPO...
Lesson Plan
Mascil Project

Water Quality

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How do you prevent the spread of water-borne illness in large public swimming areas? Scholars discover the challenges to identifying safe water through an inquiry experiment. They then produce posters sharing their understanding of water...

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