Virginia Department of Education
Ecosystem Dynamics
Searching for an eccentric way to enhance lessons on ecosystems while ensuring pupils remain creative and motivated? Upon viewing The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, designated groups design and construct a pop-up book that...
Virginia Department of Education
Molar Heat of Fusion for Water
How can you describe heat of fusion in a way the class understands and relates the importance of this concept to present day issues? In this third lesson of the series, learners conduct an experiment, demonstrating the flow of heat...
Curated OER
Environmentalism: Then and Now
Tenth graders examine the history of the conservation movement and how it relates to contemporary issues. In this Environmental Science lesson, 10th graders research the roots of the environmental and conservation movement and...
Curated OER
Environmental Issues in the Polar Regions
Students list environmental problems they are familiar with and check the ones they think affect the polar regions, and they research and answer questions about environmental issues affecting the polar regions. Students discuss their...
Curated OER
Environmentally Friendly Home
Young scholars discuss ways to make homes more environmentally friendly. They comprehend ways to reduce home resource consumption, such as passive solar heating, insulation, and geothermal heating and cooling
Curated OER
Speaking for the Trees
Students present a play based on The Lorax.For this environmental issues lesson, students read and discuss literature and complete activities pertaining to environmental stewardship.
Curated OER
Have You Heard about the Clinton, New Jersey Story?
In this radon worksheet, students read about radon in the city of Clinton New Jersey. They compose a play about a family in Clinton New Jersey who is face with high concentrations of radon in their home and how they deal with it....
Curated OER
Editorial Cartoons: Poverty/Environmental Justice
Students analyze political cartoons. In this political cartoon lesson, students analyze an editorial cartoon to develop an understanding of the historical context, symbolism, visual composition, and satire of the cartoon regarding...
Teach Engineering
Thinking Green!
Encourage your class to solve local environmental issues. Groups brainstorm environmental issues that are affecting the community, choose one they want to solve, and design a product or service to solve their chosen issue. They then...
Personal Genetics Education Project
Engineering the World Around Us: Genome Editing and the Environment
Challenge young minds to build a better world with genetic engineering. Biologists learn potential solutions for environmental issues using genome editing while interacting with three case studies. Scholars read articles and view...
Advocates for Human Rights
The Right to a Clean Environment: Water
First, young citizens learn about water consumption by doing some research themselves on their home water usage and sharing their findings with the class. Then, they do some brainstorming and devise a plan to reduce water consumption.
Curated OER
Organic Mechanic Part I
On day one of the "Organic Mechanic Part I" instructional activity, learners try to remove the waxy coating of an apple and consider pesticides that may be represented by this addition to our food. On day two, they research pesticides...
Curated OER
Service Projects in the Dominican Republic
Students examine the role of Peace Corps volunteers. In this service instructional activity, students investigate service projects that feature agriculture, small business, education, environmental education, and health concerns in the...
Curated OER
Formal Letter Writing
Students explore the appropriate language and format associated with a formal letter. They practice writing a formal letter concerning an environmental health issue. Students identify the strengths/weaknesses of a formal letter through...
Curated OER
Ethics In The Science Classroom - The Landfill
Students discuss the risks a landfill may pose to a community. The setting is a school board faced with a decision about whether to close a school until the landfill is capped (a 3 year period). They are asked to determine how they would...
Curated OER
Hands Off
Middle schoolers perform a handwashing experiment to see if a difference can be detected in the number and types of microbes on our hands after various types of cleaning. They will also demonstrate that they have learned the whys and...
Curated OER
Environmental Responsibility
Students discuss the importance of recycling and preventing pollution. In groups, they complete mini-studies on various environmental issues and evaluate different consumer products. They use global warming data to determine the...
Curated OER
Hazardous Waste Issues in the News
Learners work together to research hazardous waste in the news. They discover how large the hazardous waste issue is. They complete an experiment and discuss how the issues affect their community.
Curated OER
9-12: The Movie, "A Civil Action," as a Legal/Environmental Science Case Study
Students analyze information to determine how they can help a community that has been affected by water contamination. In this environmental science lesson, students watch portions of the movie "A Civil Action" and discuss specific...
Curated OER
Environmental Voting Records of Legislators
Students collect and record data on the environmental voting record of their local and state legislators using the Internet. They identify examples of environmental problems or endangered species in their state.
Curated OER
The Heat is On
Students investigate climate change. For this current events lesson, students research the listed Web sites that include information about the effects of greenhouse gases on the Earth. Students discuss how to combat the negative effects...
Curated OER
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Water Resources
Students demonstrate how water quality and environmental health issues can be analyzed together, how hydrologic information can be built up, and how decisions can be made using GIS.
Curated OER
Earn Points with Technology
Students explore renewable energy by analyzing a diagram. In this fossil fuel lesson plan, students view a chart explaining the different energy consumption from automobiles and how they impact our environment. Students analyze a point...
Curated OER
Water Wise
Learners calculate their family's water consumption. In this water usage lesson plan, students discuss the water they use in their homes. Learners complete the 'water wise' worksheets to tally their family's use of water. Students answer...