Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigative Case - "Swampeast Missouri"

For Teachers 12th - Higher Ed
Young scholars explore wetland hydrology and biology and decide whether or not to restore a wetland or retain dams and drainage systems. They examine the complexity of decisions regarding wetland restoration as well as investigate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Case Study of Local Trends in the Carbon Cycle

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine the relationship between chlorophyll and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  In this investigative lesson students study the local effects of climate change. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing the Effects of El Nino and La Nina

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine the differences between an El Nino and La Nina year.  In this investigative lesson students create maps and graphs of the data they obtained. 
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Hydrogen-Oxygen Reaction Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers conduct an experiment using the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. After pairs balance the chemical equation for making water, they mix different ratios of hydrogen and oxygen in a chemical reaction. Classmates...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Lab 2: Nanocatalysts Clean Your Car Emissions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Surface area certainly surfaces as a variable for chemical reaction rates. Scholars perform an experiment to discover how the size of catalysts affect the rate of a chemical reaction. They record their results in tables and graphs to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Tree Rings to Determine Climate Change

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine how to locate and access data sets.  In this climate change lesson students import data into Excel and graph it.   
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Local Environmental Issues: Pollution

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders discuss the ways in which human interaction with the environment and production of waste products contribute to pollution. Through a pollution demonstration, they explain how various groups of plants and animals can be...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gotta Have Energy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore energy. They discuss the types and uses of energy and research an assigned energy source. They create a "benefits versus potential environmental impacts" chart that lists energy sources and possible impacts. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

pH Potential

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners experiment to determine the positive and negative impacts of human activities on environmental change. They examine how physical and biological processes such as decomposition affect soil characteristics while looking at the pH...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Waterworks in Braintree

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore how waters affect the town of Braintree.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ocean Pollution

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers study their role in eliminating ocean pollution and helping keep the oceans clean. In this environmental issues lesson, students define pollution and brainstorm examples of ocean pollution. Middle schoolers define...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Fuel and the Ticking Clock

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students study energy sources to learn about fossil fuels and environmental concerns. In this energy sources lesson, students watch demonstrations for various energy examples. Students find hidden pennies, make a bar graph on their data,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Land Use and Nitrogen

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students consider the effects of development on water quality. They test nitrogen levels in waters before and after development, investigate wastewater treatment options and research best management practices to reduce nitrogen loads.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Katrina Case Study: Watershed

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the importance of the coastal wetlands. In this environmental lesson, students observe a model of wetland transformation over time. They discuss what changes occur in the wetlands and how hurricanes can affect the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Have All the Wetlands Gone?

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students investigate the wetlands. In this environmental conservation lesson, students discuss the characteristics of wetlands and identify their location. Students work in cooperative groups to complete a handout.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who's Down the Well?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify several sources of contaminants to groundwater. They discuss the movement of possible contaminants through that groundwater from outside sources. They describe how environmental engineers analyze contaminants to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Diversity And Adaptations Of Organisms

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate how organisms respond to environmental stimuli through their behavior. They observe how plants and animals respond to varying amounts of light, water and gravity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environment and the Earth

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students were involved in environmental service learning and they gathered information from academic buildings for a database. The data allowed them to use an establish baseline data on light use, recycling, and water fixtures in five...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Oh Deer!"

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars play a game where half of them are deer and the others are components of habitat: food, water, shelter and space. They signify their needs by hand gestures and take what they need to their side of the game. They discuss...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Full is Full?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine porosity and permeability and relate these concepts to groundwater flow. They use simple materials to conduct a porosity experiment and use the information to understand how environmental engineers decide on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A River Ran Through It

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research how water is used to generate electricity. They investigate water's potential-to-kinetic energy transfer in hands-on activities about falling water and waterwheels. They take measurements, calculate averages and graph...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Adventures With Super-Absorbers and Substance Solubility

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students understand the concepts of absorption, swellability and solubility and recognize that science is all around us in our everyday lives and is fun to explore.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Treacherous Trash

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students recognize the harmful effects people have on the environment. In this environmental lesson, students simulate water pollution clean-up by using tangled objects and untangling them in a cooperative group. Students identify why...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build An Island

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students explore erosion. In this science lesson plan, students build an island and observe the effects of erosion on the island. Students discuss freshwater ecosystems in Hawaii.