What happens to our recycling once it is hauled away? In the third of four Earth Day lessons about recycling and reducing our impact on the world's natural resources, learners explore where recycled materials go and what becomes of them....

The Mining Act of 1872 allows mining companies to purchase land from the U.S. Government at 1872 prices - about $5.00 an acre! This video features the town of Crested Butte, Colorado, and a mountain just outside of town that was...

NASA has crafted an imaginative and memorable series of lessons, "NASA and Jamestown Education Module." This lesson is one of the five components. In it, middle schoolers connect history and science by comparing the settlement of...

Define the term "urban forestry"; discuss several problems facing urban forests today and both government and public efforts centered on developing and maintaining sustainable urban forests. Develop a feasible action plan for alternative...

Students investigate the use of soil, an important natural resource in artwork. They experiment by crushing soil particles and adding the different color samples to artist acrylic to create true "earth colors". Using this paint, they...

Is it possible to have a waste-less lunch? Can your class become leaders in conservation? Discuss the importance of reducing waste during lunch time with a fun lesson that can be extended to everyday practices. First the class examines...

Seven superb slides sharpen science students' scoop on soil. In viewing them and reading the accompanying captions, your class will uncover the importance, different types, horizons, and protection of soil. They can then assess their new...

Having fresh, clean drinking water is a privilege many people take for granted. Help raise awareness about the scarcity of water and the importance of conservation by discussing different ways water is used in everyday life. Brainstorm...

Water is essential to life on earth. How is it then, that people can survive in desert regions with very limited access to fresh water? Through ingenious architecture and engineering, communities in India's Golden Desert have been able...

The exploration for oil in the Gulf of Mexico and in Alaska is highlighted in this fascinating video. The "easy oil" has already been found, so companies are drilling deeper, and exploring places they never have before. The only downside...

Sixth graders explore the water supply on Earth. For this water consumption lesson, 6th graders attempt to determine whether the Earth has enough water for human consumption. Students experiment and chart observations.

Students explore natural resources of our planet. In this natural resources lesson, students use an apple to explore the land, water, and climate. Students also use the apples to explore the part of our planet that can grow food and...

"Ecological Services" is a unique look at how natural ecosystems provide resources and supportive processes to sustain human life. It examines the value of food production, gases and water recycling, climate moderation, genetic records,...

Links to two different versions of this mapping activity are available. In "The Small Version," youngsters design a town, keeping the water supply in mind. In "The Large Version," they also design a town, but they consider services and...

The "Bottled Bacteria" activity instructions are a bit unclear, but the remaining activities investigating limiting factors in ecosystems are well-written. Learners model the exosystem of a bear and a herd of deer. They set up a...

Explore how lack of access to water impacts peoples' lives in poor countries. Through text reading and discussion, middle schoolers are presented with the story of a young girl who lives and functions with limited water resources. They...

Future energy engineers visit several stations, each one dedicated to a different alternative source of energy. They describe how solar energy is converted into other forms of energy, the patterns of distribution of energy resources in...

After reading the True Story of the Three Little Pigs, sixth graders consider the use of sustainable and alternative energy sources. They participate is a panel discussion on the topic, conduct research and present their findings orally....

Class members are each assigned a state's natural resource to research. In pairs, they engage in silent debates: they pass a paper back and forth, writing a line on each turn about why their resource is most important. At the end,...

What is a fossil fuel? Ever heard that question? Well, now you have an answer, or least a research project that will allow learners to find the answer on their own. They research how electricity is generated from coal then create a...

Third graders recognize what our natural resources are and their importance. In this natural resource recycling lesson, 3rd graders understand why it is important to recycle and conserve natural resources. Students can explain how...

Examine water as a scarce natural resource instead of taking it for granted. Middle schoolers identify the traits of potable water, and research local water sources to determine if they are impaired or not.

Students analyze text and maps in determining the effect the world's energy resources have on human society, and make charts illustrating at least three ways each resource makes life easier for human society.

Middle and upper graders explore the concept of drought and how it affects society both politically and economically. In small groups, they will research a drought, how it impacted a specific area or region, and then analyze their...