Use your class's knowledge of pollution and water treatment to write an editorial to town citizens. They apply prior knowledge in order to compose a letter intended for newspaper publication, focusing on writing to an appropriate audience.

In this current events worksheet, students analyze political cartoons that feature space science. Students respond to 3 talking point questions.

Help empower your class by learning about the editorial section of the newspaper. They will have the option to also write to a politician. The goal is to teach learners how to speak-up and express their opinions on important issues....

Introduce learners to the debate format with an activity that uses the National Park Service's controversial Channel Islands restoration program as a topic. Class members learn how to generate provocative debate questions, how to prepare...

Students brainstorm and share opinions about products that can be reused or recycled after reading the article, "Seattle's Recycling Success Is Being Measured in Scraps." They then investigate, analyze and evaluate articles on recycling...

Young scholars explore the ways science is presented in a children's television show. Students conduct internet research, and then create and design a skit that highlights the problem-solving process.

In this sources of energy activity, students complete a concept map and they choose one of the sources of energy in the concept map to research. They create a magazine ad, a newspaper editorial, a newspaper article or any other creative...

Students write a day in the life story from the point of view of another endangered animal. Students write to your local newspaper to express their opinions on the issue. Students research a horse's diet and explain why horses have...

Students watch an episode of "Nature" about the "Big Red Roos." They create food chains and webs based on the information they've researched on the red kangaroos. They write an editorial on the topic of the killing of kangaroos in the...

Students examine the legal side of the teaching of evolution. They study the Scopes Trial and reflect on what it means for a teacher to be denied the right to teach a key scientific concept. In addition, they design their own editorial...

Students examine journalism and its different styles.  In this effective communication instructional activity students create an editorial message and articulate an article.

Students infer America's attitude towards aviation in the early 1900s. In this The Aerial Age instructional activity, students analyze early 1900s literature, music, advertisements, and popular culture in reference to aviation. Students...

Students are introduced to global warming through analysis of political/editorial cartoons dealing with the subject. They discuss the cartoon and what the feel it means and then discuss the mechanics of and the concerns about global...

Enhance your middle and high schoolers' research skills with this lesson. After viewing a video clip about HIV and AIDS, high schoolers identify the facts and issues surrounding the disease. They work together to create a newspaper...

Here is a fabulous lesson plan on the Earth's radiant energy system. This amazing, 31-page document is chock-full of great activities, worksheets, lab sheets, quizzes, rubrics, and assessments. Learners model and explain cloud formation,...

Wow! What a lesson plan! Six terrific activities are described in great detail, in this 31-page document! Learners will model and explain cloud formation, sketch and identify certain cloud types, calculate and compare incoming and...

Here is a fabulous collection of lessons for your emerging meteorologists! In them, learners will utilize satellite data to determine distribution of rainfall, research global rainfall patterns, and utilize their knowledge to propose new...

Upper graders and middle schoolers make up a scenario of planning outdoor concert locations for their favorite musical group. They do this by looking into the weather patterns in a variety of tropical regions. They research where and...

Here is an impressive collection of lessons on sharks. In them, pupils undertake a serious study of sharks, their habitats, their social structure, and how humans adversely impact their existence. These lessons effectively integrate...

Tornadoes, blizzards, and hurricanes, oh my! For 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...

Political cartoons are a poignant way to examine energy sources. This analysis handout has scholars examining a cartoon by Joe Heller (a link to his gallery is included for possible extensions). Background information reminds pupils of...

Is global warming all smoke and mirrors? Find out what your scholars think with this handout, which has them analyzing two political cartoons on the topic. Background information gives context, detailing the computer hacking during the...

Earth science explorers design an experiment to demonstrate that the albedo of a surface affects its temperature. They test to find out if moisture on the surface affects temperature. They discover whether or not concrete or asphalt heat...

Thinking about designing a project for your social studies or environmental science classes? Use an overview of a project that prompts class groups to research an environmental issue.