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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.
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Monitoring Aquatic Ecosystems Lesson Plan

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students perform an experiment to test the quality of the water in a marsh.
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Eek, It leaks!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students construct model landfill liners out of two-inch strips of garbage bags within resource constraints. The challenge is to construct a bag that will hold one cup of water without leaking. This represents similar challenges that...
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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...
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Porosity And Permeability

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners participate in an exercise/experiment designed to show how environmental pollution can affect the quality of drinking water.
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Meteorology (Condensation)

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders define condensation and evaporation. They identify and describe the steps in the water cycle. They ask questions to end the lesson.
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Acid Rain And Geology

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Learners become aware of the environmental problems caused by acid rain and study the pH scale. They determine acidity of local rain water.
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Activity #8 Simulation of Oil Spills

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students conduct an experiment to simulate an oil spill and identify the characteristics of oil in water. They evaluate the effectiveness of various cleanup methods. They discuss the how to clean up an oil spill, and what causes oil...
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Digging Up The Facts

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research environmental issues. In this environmental lesson, students use the Internet to research an environmental problem and list ten facts about it. Students write a summary of facts.
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Positively Paper

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students study concepts related to paper recycling. In this recycling lesson plan, they investigate the chemical processes used to recycle paper, and look at the environmental problems associated with using and recycling different types...
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River Planning

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners use a model to conduct an experiment involving dam construction. Based on their observations, they draw conclusions about social, economic, and and environmental issues and make a decision concerning dam location. As a group,...
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Positively Paper

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students discover that all paper is recycled the same way, and that some paper requires complex chemical treatments before it can be made into usable recycled paper. They see that we must choose what kinds of paper minimize environmental...
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Rain Shadows and Sea Breezes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students plot the average rainfall for a variety of cities in the United States. Using the map, they work together to determine patterns on which toxicants are transported through the air. They determine the impacts of various weather...
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Marine Debris and Me

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the environmental issues that pertain to the marine environment. In this research ocean landfills lesson students come up with alternative means of disposal. 
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Acid Rain Research

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students collect samples of rainfall, cloud condensation, and water that trickles through the soil. These samples are tested for pH, conductivity, and the presence of sulfates, nitrates, calcium, and magnesium.
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The Urban Heat Island Effect - Lesson 2 (Grades 8-9)

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students use the scientific process to show that when various surfaces are exposed to similar environmental conditions, surface temperatures may vary. They examine the "urban heat island" phenomenon and analyze why it increases energy...
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Earth Day Grocery Bag Art

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students decorate grocery bags with messages aimed at increasing environmental responsibility. They deliver the bags to local grocery stores in time for Earth Day.
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What Trickles Down?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore different levels of permeability and compare the permeabilities of several different materials. They are introduced to the basic concepts of building design, landscape architecture, and environmental pollutant transport....
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Earthworm Bridge

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete analysis experiments for decomposers and their adaptable traits. In this decomposers lesson, 4th graders test worm behavior to light, sound, warmth, touch, and moisture. Students work in groups to analyze the...
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The Nitty Gritty-The Source and What To Do

For Teachers 7th - 9th
In this environmental contaminants worksheet, students read about a scenario where children were exposed to lead from an old painted bench at a park. Students answer 5 questions about the investigation and what should be done to protect...
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Rocks and Minerals

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students identify how weathering and erosion effect the Earth's surface. In this weathering and rocks lesson plan, students study various types of rocks in water and brainstorm ways the Earth's surface changes. Students view an...
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Save the Earth: It's Everyone's Home!

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students research ways to conserve and reduce energy and resources. For this reducing waste lesson, students work in teams to experiment with water and losing resources. students brainstorm about ways to conserve and reduce energy and...
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Mushrooms Can Save the World

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use mushrooms to solve problems. In this environmental instructional activity, students study how fungi have been used to combat environmental problems. Students design strategies that employ mushrooms to combat other...
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Understanding Groundwater & the Effects of Pollution

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students complete a unit on the effects of pollution on our water supply. They create a graph to examine the density of earth's land surface, round the population to the nearest hundred million place, participate in a...