Students explore threats to diversity in the Central African rainforest. They use a guided website to research animals that are threatened with extinction, examine human uses of the rainforest and think about what they can do to help...

Students role play to become familiar with the life of Thoreau. In this Thoreau lesson, students view a video of the Walden play about Thoreau.  Students perform and promote the play as a school event.

Fourth graders examine how trees help to absorb the pollution that is emitted from automobiles. They review the process of photosynthesis and determine how forest management is important on their reservation. They think about the...

Sixth graders differentiate weather and climate. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders complete a KWL chart about the two. They complete a worksheet by identifying whether a certain statement describes weather or climate.

Students write short papers on the background of the Pakistani missile called Gauri, named for one of the first Afghan military invaders of India in 11th century, Prithvi is named for Hindu general who fought Muslim invaders, Agni (Hindu...

Students investigate the urban heat island effect. In this urban heat island effect lesson, students learn how trees, grass, asphalt, and other things on the school grounds effect temperature. They use the information to generalize it to...

Students make recycled paper out of scrap paper, water, and leaves. In this natural resources lesson plan, students learn about conservation of the forest and how we can use recycled paper to fuel our paper supply.

Learners view and discuss a video about the challenges facing wildlife on the planet Earth. They define key terms, watch the video, and answer discussion questions about the film.

Students read an article on Alaska and its climate concerns.  In this research lesson students create a poster that contrasts Alaska then and now that pertains to climate change. 

Learners fill jars with dried beans and water, cover the jars, and wait to see what happens in this excellent Science experiment ideal for Earth Day (April 22nd). Emphasis is placed on discovering the reactions of seeds to water.

Students examine what factors influence climate.  In this investigative lesson students compare the factors that influence climate and how they effect tree growth.

Students examine the pH level of rain water in their local community. They locate each location on a map. They analyze the data and draw conclusions.

In this energy crossword worksheet, students read 36 clues pertaining to energy conservation. Students fit their answers in a crossword puzzle. There is no word bank.

Students describe the importance of having a balance ecosystem. After a brief lecture, students give an explanation of the properties of an ecosystem. They create a web, using yarn which shows how the various members of the ecosystem are...

Students read an online article to explore rainforests of the world starting with the Barro Colorado reserve in the Panama Canal. They participate in a mock international summit about rainforest conservation issues.

Students measure the pH of local rain water. Students map the location of the collected rain water according to pH levels.

In this El Nino worksheet, students review this specific change in the climate cycle by completing 20 short answer questions.

In a lesson plan in this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom, young scholars do the work of a team of paleontologists studying a time of rising carbon dioxide and rapid global warming during the Eocene epoch. By examining fossils of...

In this activity, young scholars explore how, in New England, the timing of color change and leaf drop of deciduous trees is changing.

Animated resource helps young researchers understand what global warming and the greenhouse effect mean.

Cast your vote on the important environmental issues. Associated with each issue, there are at least three links to sites which can further your understanding of the issue. To encourage others to respect the environment, you can also...

Deforestation causes more greenhouse gas emissions than all trains, planes and automobiles combined. Suzanne Simard examines how the complex, symbiotic networks of our forests mimic our own neural and social networks- and how those...

A look at Canada's Boreal Forest ecosystem. One of the largest ecosystems in the world, it provides abundant fresh water for North America and is home to many species of wildlife, for example, wolves and caribou. There is also discussion...