Discuss wants and needs with your elementary ecologists and get them to consider what would happen to our natural resources if we all got everything that we want. Learners play a card sorting game and take an ecological footprint quiz on...

Humans are quickly depleting Earth's fossil fuels and locating them is becoming increasingly difficult! Layered muffins are used for models as young geologists take core samples in order to determine the presence of oil. Consider first...

Introduce youngsters to the term ecological footprint. Learners identify ways in which humans affect the environment. They look at the problems associated with the use of natural resources, and focus on ways to preserve natural...

Advertising for the purpose of influencing public policy regarding the use of alternative fuels is the focus of an innovative and engaging lesson. Learners are split up into six team in order to create an advertising campaign that...

Use this slide show to introduce your class to some of our most useful natural resources. The text beneath the photographs differentiates between renewable and non-renewable resources. The need for conservation of resources and human...

Scarcity of resources is a fundamental economics concepts that kids need to understand. You'll use a large bag of popcorn to demonstrate this concept. Have the class come up row-by-row to fill their snack bags with popcorn. By the last...

Chemists use the destructive distillation technique to produce three derivatives from a sample of bituminous coal. You will find background information, a materials list, procedures, and sample follow-up questions that you can use in...

In small groups, energy engineers research and make a topographic map of a marine natural resource. They report to the rest of the class pros and cons of extracting their assigned resource. The two activities may take up to four class...

Teams of electrical engineers work together to develop plans for increasing electricity to a fictitious, but growing community. They consider different sources of electricity, both renewable and nonrenewable, the cost of building and...

Beginning with a general discussion about natural gas, methane, and hydrocarbons, a few videos and diagrams are projected to support the lecture. Individuals participate in a brief activity by drinking juice through a straw, and then...

Students explore nonrenewable energy resources. For this coal lesson, students investigate how coal is formed and how it is used as a source of energy. Students mine for "coal" using toothpicks and chocolate chip cookies.

Learners discover numerous uses of water. In this water usage lesson, students interview family members and discover unknown ways water is used in our daily lives. Numerous resources are provided.

A referenced PowerPoint is not included, but this instructional activity can still make an impact with emerging environmentalists. After introducing them to the facts about overfishing, they experiment with a fishing simulation using...

"God made dirt, so dirt don't hurt!" In fact, dirt is soil, which is an amazingly dynamic material that we cannot live without! Dig into the depths of soil development, topography, and layers with this PowerPoint. The photos are fuzzy,...

Students identify habitats and understand why they are important to our environment.  In this environmental lesson students design their own habitat, observe and record data on the impact their habitat has on the environment.

Eighth graders explore the scarcity of energy resources. They also explore the competition for natural resources and the inadequate distribution of natural wealth among the Earth's nations.

Learners work in small groups to list features and elements found on a variety of grade- appropriate maps. They develop a class list of map features and elements to draw from as they create a map of an imaginary country.

Students use the Internet to find the ways we use trees. In this tree lesson, students make a list of the uses of trees and find magazine pictures that show these uses to make a collage. They read The Giving Tree  by Shel Silverstein and...

Learners write about the importance of trees. In this natural resources lesson, students look at deforestation occurring across the globe and present what they learned to the class. As closure, all learners write a poem about the...

Students identify the various uses of water. In this water conservation lesson, students read the book, The Drop In My Drink: The Story of Water On Our Planet and write down their favorite uses of water. Students illustrate how they can...

Students identify renewable and nonrenewable resources. In this energy source instructional activity, students participate in a game to identify the various types of resources. There are various extensions to this instructional activity,...

Students create unique art piece from litter. In this visual art activity, students learn the importance of recycling and create a unique art piece. Students construct collages.

Pupils simulate methods used to extend the effective life of an oil well by extracting less available oil. They identify techniques which can be used and evaluate their effectiveness. Pupils are introduced to rock size and temperature of...

Pupils read and discuss the information that they read on the "Kentucky Coal, Reclamation and Subsidence." They then answer questions in reference to the reading. Some questions that students answer are: What is reclamation?, Name...