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Mercury Emissions: "Cap and Trade" Game
Students identify the role of government in protecting the environment, and participate in a game where they run a profitable or unprofitable power plant in changing market conditions. They summarize the pros and cons of emissions credit...
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Skin: The Behavior and Health Connection
Middle schoolers explore how personal behavior can affect health, especially the health of your skin. They become better aware of how their personal behavior and the environment can have a considerable impact on their health in general....
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Bounce Back - The Long and Short of It
Upper elementary scientists test basketballs with differing amounts of air to find if inflation affects bounce height. The activity introduction poses the question of whether or not the composition of a ball determines bounce height, but...
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Fire Fighting
Students consider the effects of a wildfire on prairie life. They explore the ways that plants regenerate after a fire and create fictional plants that have adapted specifically to the prairie environment. They share models of their plants.
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Landscaping and Urban Forestry - Lesson 4 (Grades 5-6)
Students discuss reasons to plant trees and the best locations for cooling. They analyze two homes identifying types and locations of trees, and location of the central air conditioners. The benefits of shade, the process of...
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Landscaping And Urban Forestry - Lesson 4 (Grades 8-9)
Young scholars discuss reasons to plant trees and the best locations for cooling. They study two homes and identify types and locations of trees and determine the placement of the central air conditioners. The class plans a landscape...
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Environmental Issues
In this environmental issues worksheet, students are given 10 current topics that are problems in our environment today. They complete sentences about each topic by filling in the blanks with the appropriate terms. Some of the issues...
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Building Green
Students read an article and learn about building green. In this environment lesson plan, students visit a website to learn about Mark Baker and Nonnie Chrystal. Students write down the three events that led them to explore building...
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Environment: Banana-in-a-Jar Experiment
Students conduct experiments using bananas sealed in jars to observe the effects on biodegradable waste in landfills. They cover the lid with a plastic sandwich bag to create an airtight seal. Students observe how the oxygen is used...
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Environment: Understanding Climate Impacts
Students investigate the potential environmental consequences of climate change. They conduct Internet research to discover how climate change may impact certain species of animals and present their findings in a poster or skit. Students...
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So You Want To Travel To Namib
Middle schoolers research and plan a trip to the Namibian desert. They watch and discuss a video, develop a list of the harsh conditions while viewing the film, identify the precautions needed for traveling in the Namib environment, and...
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Issue Players and Their Positions
Students identify Environmental Health Problems caused by both living and nonliving things. They summarize Issue Components (event, problem, issue, players, and positions) involving environmental health issues such as contamination in...
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Brine Shrimp Hatching Experiment
Learners hatch brine shrimp in a classroom experiment. For this hatching brine shrimp lesson, students participate in two-week lab in which they study how brine shrimp hatch under different conditions. They record data about the control...
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Protecting Holy Cows
Students study the interrelationships of organisms and their environments. They study ecological communities and determine what is necessary for survival. Students discuss and answer questions concerning a group's biome, habitat, food...
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I See a Coyote
Students role-play coyotes looking for natural resources. For this natural resources lesson, students examine the relationship between animal life and the environment. Students play a game that demonstrates how natural resources affect...
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Smile...you're on Insect Camera!
Students study insects. They go on an outdoor insect outing and look for insects in a variety of places--in the air, under rocks, on leaves, in water, etc. They record information about the insects they find, including habitat, weather...
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The Greening of Mars: The Changes Necessary to Sustain Life on Mars
Fifth graders discuss the currents conditions on the planet of Mars. In groups, they work together to develop a mechanism that allows for a balanced ecosystem to survive on the planet. After presenting their ideas to the class, they...
NOAA
Earth Origami
After reading a brief history of Carl Skalak's journey on the open waters, scholars make a three-dimensional model of the Earth out of an Origami balloon using a printable decorated as the Earth.
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Desert Animals
Students survive within an ecosystem, an animal must be physically and behaviorally adapted to the conditions of its environment.
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Planting Trees to Help the Planet
Students react to a series of statements about trees, then read a news article about the planned planning of millions of trees to celebrate Arbor Day. In this planting trees lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion...
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How Does Climate Affect Your Environment?
Young scholars access the Global Sun Temperature Project website and research the relationship between the location and climate of a participating school to its building structure. They consider how climate affects the type of structures...
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What Are the Layers of the Rain Forest?
Students investigate the different levels of the rain forest by comparing it to an apartment. For this ecology lesson, students practice using forest related vocabulary words and complete a vocabulary data sheet. Students create...
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The Baseball and Air
Young scholars use Curveball to complete the activity to determine how the speed of airstreams changes in relation to changes in the distance of the airstream from the center of the baseball.
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Rainforest Vocabulary Words: Week 1
In these rainforest vocabulary worksheets, read the definitions and the matching terms for the following rainforest vocabulary terms: decomposers, deforestation, epiphytes, extinct, environment, pollute, vegetation, ecology, climate,...