American Museum of Natural History
Rising CO2! What Can We Do?
It is colorless and scentless, but it makes a large impact on the environment. Learners explore carbon dioxide emissions and what they mean for the environment using an interactive graph. They review changes over time and how they impact...
PBS
Terrific Trees
Engage in a shady activity to practice measurement techniques. Classes venture outside to collect measurements of various trees, using different strategies to measure the height, trunk circumference, width, and crown size. Then they...
National Institute of Open Schooling
p-Block Elements and Their Compounds – II
Ozone, made of three bonded oxygen atoms, is found 15-30 km above Earth, has a strong smell, is blue, and blocks sunlight from hitting the surface of Earth. The 22nd lesson in a series of 36 specifically focuses on the important elements...
Social Media Toolbox
Social Media Plan
It's gameplan time! Journalism scholars create a social media plan based upon work completed in previous lessons. The activity, fifth in a 16-part Social Media Toolbox series, focuses on using data and consensus to create an effective...
Perkins School for the Blind
Modified Golf
Golf is a popular game that is enjoyed around the world. Invite your pupils with visual impairments or blindness to putt a few balls or make a hole in one. This activity provides several very good suggestions as to how you can teach an...
Curated OER
Water in Earth's Hydrosphere
Environmentalists test stream water for temperature, pH, and turbidity. Each group shares their information and then the class makes an overall evaluation of the water quality. A slide show sets the backdrop for the teaching portion and...
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Section Four: How Can We Protect Biodiversity?
Look into the future with a lesson plan on biodiversity and natural habitats. Learners read articles about different perspectives when it comes to planning future development, and decide which angle is the highest priority in a...
PBS
Robo Arm
Future engineers create robotic arms like those on rovers built by NASA in the second lesson of the series. They test their devices by attempting to pick up and move cups to a specified location.
University of Southern California
Mastering Microbes
Small but mighty! Learners explore the role of microbes in a healthy ecosystem. An engaging activity asks pupils to design an aquaponics system that demonstrates that healthy microbes are necessary to maintain the ecosystem.
American Museum of Natural History
What do you know about Biodiversity?
What do your classes know about biodiversity? A 10-question online quiz asks questions related to biodiversity and species groups. As learners answer questions, they click on links to additional information. The lesson could be an option...
Serendip
How Eyes Evolved – Analyzing the Evidence
Octopodes existed for hundreds of thousands of years before humans, yet our eyes share many similarities. Scholars analyze the evidence to determine if the evolution of eyes best fits a homology or analogy model. They discuss the issue...
Curated OER
The Delicate Balance - Iowa's Natural Resources
Discover the natural resources in Iowa by studying it's history. For this environmental lesson, your students will observe a topographical map of Iowa and identify where its most valuable resources are. They complete an Iowa name...
California Academy of Science
Energy: A Day in My Life
If only we could harness the energy of fifth graders, our energy problems would be over! The class discusses where different forms of energy come from and how we use them. They complete a chart of the activities that they do daily...
Carnegie Mellon University
Bathtub Model
Using a colorful infographic handout and a guide sheet, hold a class discussion about how a bathtub can serve as a model for the greenhouse effect created by Earth's atmosphere. Participants will understand that as energy or matter is...
Curated OER
Composting
Using 2-liter bottles, junior ecologists create composting tubes in which they place nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials. They observe what changes occur over two weeks' time. Provide more specific direction to your class as to what...
Curated OER
Summer Breeze
Introduce a lesson on wind with this short poem titled, "Summer Breeze." After reading the poem, ask your class why wind is important for our environment. What a great resource for a lesson hook!
Curated OER
Parts of the Plant and Their Functions
Delving into this slideshow will help the students understand the composition of plants and their structures. Each slide identifies certain structures and explores how they support the plant's survival along with assisting our...
Curated OER
Animal Adaption to Environment
Students explore the concept of adaptation as a means of surviving in varied environments. They discuss human adaptations and then view slideshows and video that present animal adaptations in the following environments: cold regions,...
Curated OER
Watersheds and Wetlands Lesson Plan
Students study the characteristics of wetlands and watersheds. In this wetlands and watersheds instructional activity, students study the characteristics of wetlands. They investigate the plants and animals that live there and will tell...
Curated OER
Products, the Environment and Consumer Choices
Young scholars review the factors of production and how they are used to make the products they buy. In groups, they participate in different scenerios in which they discover the amount of power they have to affect change buy purchasing...
Curated OER
Volcano Lesson Plan
Students describe the properties of volcanoes, and explain why volcanoes are important to the environment.
Curated OER
Clean Air: Our Health Matters
Students learn about the human respiratory system. In this pollution lesson, students identify the parts of the respiratory system and what happens to them when they breathe in polluted air. Students learn about the importance of...
Curated OER
Our Environment
Students engage in a literature study that helps students to connect with some of the issues of conservation. They list parts of the environment that need protection with the help of a graphic organizer. Then students discuss in groups...
Curated OER
Pesticide Watch Card
Students examine human health by identifying dangerous pesticides. In this agriculture instructional activity, students research the food production system in the United States and discuss dangers such as pesticides, chemicals and...