Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life Cycle of the Drosophila Fly

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students observe the life cycle of the Drosophila fly as well as manipulate large numbers of flies, determine the difference between the sexes, and identify the different stages of the fly's life cycle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Form and Function in the Marine Environment

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students study the relationship of form and function in the marine environment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sights and Sounds of Orcas

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students investigate the orca whale. They participate in an online Webquest, listen to whale vocalizations online, answer discussion questions, and locate and read newspaper articles on marine mammals and orca whales.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Endangered Species 1: Why are Species Endangered?

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Emerging ecologists examine endangered species by visiting the US Environmental Protection Agency website. They consider human contribution to the decline of different species. They research an endangered animal and then craft a poster...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Delicate Balance - Iowa's Natural Resources

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Discover the natural resources in Iowa by studying it's history. In 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recycle Relay

For Teachers Pre-K
Here is a quick activity intended to get little learners ready to conserve. They classify trash for recycling by placing items in the categories reduce, recycle and reuse. In teams the sort real life trash items into the best...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Pond Safari

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students study pond life by visiting a pond and completing an associated worksheet. They play an online game based on the pond learning experience.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reading Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers

For Teachers K - 4th
Students discover the impact "Lady Bird" Johnson had on America by reading a short biography.  In this historical persons instructional activity, students read a multi page biography of the former first lady and write a summary of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fish Tales

For Teachers 1st
Have your class learn about marine life. Learners write a story about a fish, create an art project, and share their work with the class. This experience could be enhanced by having them conduct Internet research to discover some of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Top to Bottom

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Marine science classes read about the 2005 North Atlantic Stepping Stones Expedition and review climate change. They use maps to locate the seamount chains. In collaborative groups, they research how climate change may be altering the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Treasures in Jeopardy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In small groups, middle schoolers research deep-sea coral reefs and design a poster to educate the public about their importance. They compare them to shallow-water reefs and consider the impact of bottom-trawl fishing. Many internet...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Red Wigglers

For Teachers K - 1st
Learners are introduced to the benefits of using Red Wiggler worms to produce compost. They identify the requirements for the worms and the methods to follow in order to produce compost. They draw a picture of a functioning worm bin.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Composting

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Heating in the Himalayas

For Teachers 6th - 8th
A fascinating lesson on how solar power is utilized by people who live in the Himalayas is here for you. In it, learners perform a case study which will help them understand that solar energy is a renewable resource, that geography...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Yesterday in Energy

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Clever! Collaborative groups of environmental scientists create a museum exhibit and presentation for an energy-using activity such as heating a home or transportation. They must compare past to present use of energy for that particular...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air Pollution: The Issue of Global Warming

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Here is an outstanding 10-page lesson plan on global warming. Learners discover that there is a lot of controversy surrounding this topic in that the science behind global warming is difficult to prove. The best thing about this plan is...
Lesson Plan
Center Science Education

CO2: How Much Do You Spew?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Split your earth science or environmental studies class into groups and give each a scenario card. Scenario cards describe the lifestyles of 10 different fictitious families, focusing on their energy usage. Carbon dioxide emissions are...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Ocean Acidification Mock Conference

For Teachers 7th - 12th
In a comprehensive role playing activity, teens play the parts of different stakeholders in the realm of acidic oceans. They research, debate, and create a presentation from the perspective of either ocean organisms, the fishing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Photosynethsis....How do we know it's really happening? - Biology Teaching Thesis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers think of one way to detect photosynthesis in plants besides those ways shown in class. They identify the reaction that occurs during photosynthesis. Students define the difference between an acid and a base. They identify...
Lesson Plan
Rainforest Alliance

Investments in Forest Carbon

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
One hundred metric tons of CO2 can accumulate in one acre of forest over time—that's a lot of carbon! In the activity, groups of middle school learners determine what makes forests important. They then solidify the concept by using a...
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Resiliency Among the Salmon People

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Is losing cultural traditions the cost of social progress, or should people make stronger efforts to preserve these traditions? High schoolers watch a short film about the native Yup'ik people in Alaska and how they handle the shifts in...
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 Plan3:32
Orange County Water Atlas

Location, Location, Location…

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young geographers discover not only how to read and recognize coordinates on a map, but also gain a deeper understanding of latitude and longitude and how climate changes can vary significantly across latitudes.
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Deconstructing Consumerism

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
To increase awareness and launch a discussion of consumerism, class members view What Would It Look Like, a 25 minute film of images that capture the global effects of the consumption of goods. Viewers make a list of the images that...