Curated OER
A Symphony of Decomposers
Young scholars discover decomposition. In this environmental lesson, students explore different types of decomposers and their role within the ecosystem. Young scholars also discover how waste interferes with the decomposition process.
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Wilderness Survival: A Field Practicum
Students are provided with hands-on-field testing of authentic applications from principles pertaining to: Psychology A. Develop a positive, can-do attitude with a high degree of self-reliance that is transferable to human interactions...
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Marine Protected Areas
Learners role play different stakeholders perspective on the debate about Channel Islands. In this marine science lesson, students identify different types of Marine Protected Areas. They research about their stakeholder's point of view...
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COMPOSTING: WHY BOTHER?
Students explore the composting process and participate in a contest to make the most compost the fastest from the school's kitchen and yard waste.
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Explore Efficient Energy Uses
In this energy worksheet, students explore different ways to conserve energy. They write a short description for each of the 10 methods presented.
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Our Solar Roof
Students sketch what a solar installation will look like. In this energy instructional activity, students examine the benefits of using solar energy. They record a video on the installation event for further study.
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Fossil Fuel Sources, Usage and Alternatives: What are the Options?
Students identify the different sources of fossil fuels. In this environmental science lesson, students research about how these impact our environment. They explore renewable energy sources that could replace fossil fuels.
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They're Tilling that Field Behind the Mall
Unfortunately, the article for which this resource was written is not available. You can, however, find another current document on agriculture and urban development for your class to read together, and then still follow the suggested...
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Lesson: Living With the Farm Next Door
Discuss with learners why farms are growing in size and why there is sometimes conflict between farmers and their non-farming neighbors. Read the article, "Living With the Farm Next Door," and then craft letters to the editor from the...
Curated OER
Mission Possible: Energy Trade-offs
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...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Personal Choices and the Planet
The last activity in the series of four has individuals determine steps they can take to reduce their carbon footprints and then analyze their schools' recycling programs. Through a sustainability audit, they identify how and where their...
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Managing Your Energy Budget
Learners experience an inequitable resource distribution and electronically calculate their own Ecological Footprint. The assess their resource use and learn more about sustainable living strategies in a video tour by Penn State...
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Coral Reefs Endangered
Students research where in the world coral reefs are located. In this ecology lesson, students create food chains and food web. They simulate growing coral reefs to understand their characteristics better.
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Tread Lightly: Where We Stand
Students explore the concept of ecological footprints. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students calculate their ecological footprints and consider how to reduce them.
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Walking the Talk
Students research production, consumptions, and disposal of everyday items and their ecological impacts. In this sustainable economics lesson, students discuss clothing and various items used everyday in groups. Students then study a...
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Michigan Ecosystems: The Web They Weave
Students examine the forest ecosystem and how all life in the forest depends upon itself. In this ecological lesson, students participate in a personal connections activity where someone pulls on a string and everyone feels it,...
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Toward a Sustainable Agriculture
Students analyze organic production systems. In this organic agriculture lesson, students examine key organic practices for both crop and livestock. This lesson includes 5 different activities, 4 critical thinking questions and...
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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...
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Carbon Footprint Estimator
Students discover what a Carbon Footprint represents. In this sustainable lifestyle lesson, students determine their Carbon Footprint as an individual and as a class. Students use a the Internet to calculate how many earths it would take...
National Wildlife Federation
Green Green Revolution
School budgets don't have a lot of extra money, so when students propose saving the district money, everyone jumps on board. The first instructional activity in the series of 21 introduces the concept of an energy audit. Scholars form an...
Curated OER
Hedgerows
Hedgerows prevent soil erosion, capture pollutants running off fields, store carbon to help combat climate change, and provide homes for predators of many pest species. The biodiversity lesson begins with an activity that discusses why...
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Renewable Energy Sentences
Students construct sentences using nouns and verbs from a "renewable energy" word bank. In this cross curriculum ecology and sentence structure grammar and mechanics lesson, students listen to the book Our Earth: Clean Energy by Peggy...
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What's Cooking?
Students investigate solar energy by making sun tea. In this ecology and solar energy instructional activity, students prepare traditional tea and "sun" tea, then record and graph data comparing color, clarity, smell and taste.
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Prairie Predator and Prey
Fifth graders brainstorm a list of animals that live on the prairie, and classify them as predators and prey. They conduct interviews where they ask the animals what they need to look out for to sustain life on the prairie.