Lesson Plan
Curated OER

POWER UP!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students compare and contrast different energy sources and the trade-offs of using them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Industrialization of the American Landscape

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the Chernobyl incident and the resulting environmental health impacts. They explore three different isotopes that were released into the atmosphere. Through inquiry, students determine the difference between types of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wind & Sun: Powerful Alternatives

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine the power that is possible from the sun through an interactive program. They also analyze how energy turns into different forms in different parts of the human body. They finally explore how wind is created and how wind...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Einstein's Big Idea

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the concept of the Einstein's Theory of Relativity while conducting research using the internet and following the outline of the objectives to guide the information search. The lesson includes background...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energizing Resources

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders describe electrical energy and how it is produced. In this natural resource lesson, 7th graders explain the various ways of obtaining and using natural resources for energy and the environmental consequences. They will...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Energy Connection

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students conduct solar experiments. They calculate the solar gain and operate a solar cell devise used to generate electricity. Students compare and contrast solar energy gain with students in India. They analyze the difference...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring for Petroleum - Modeling an Oil Reserve

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners experiment with locating oil reserves. In this conservation activity, students use a cardboard box to create sand, rocks, and an oil reserve (water balloon). They use a probe to dig around in the box to find the oil reserve and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling an Oil Reserve

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students conduct an experiment.  In this oil and natural gas lesson, students learn how geoscientists identify and explore reserves of petroleum.  Students make a model of an oil reserve, record how much it would cost to drill...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Energy Debate

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research controversial issues surrounding the energy debate in the U.S. They role-play as stakeholders in this debate and testify to a mock congressional committee responsible for making decisions about public lands and energy...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Greenhouse Effect- Online Interactive

For Students 5th - 6th
In this greenhouse effect worksheet, students learn about Earth's climate change by reading a 7 paragraph text. Students then answer 10 questions. This is an online interactive worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Day In My Life

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students brainstorm how they can conserve energy in their daily lives. For this energy lesson plan, students discuss how they use energy and ways to conserve it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students recognize that carbon dioxide's role in the greenhouse effect. They research the greenhouse effect to design and create a greenhouse structure to measure the changing temperatures over a 24-hour period. In addition, they write a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Adventure Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students complete a scavenger hunt. In this energy lesson, students use various Internet websites to explore forms of energy, non-renewable sources, renewable sources, electricity, uses of energy and energy efficiency.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore how a nuclear accident can affect biological systems. They examine the case of the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in 1986.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate Change: Is there a Controversy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore climate changes. For this climate changes lesson, students research what causes changes. Students search the Internet, summarize reports they find and create a poster with the information.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Power of the Plug: How Electricity Will Change Our Lives... Again

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study electricity. In this physics lesson, students review electrical energy by discussing three ways of generating it. Students explore various energy sources used for creating electricity and examine how different states...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I See a Coyote

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students role-play coyotes looking for natural resources.  For this natural resources lesson, students examine the relationship between animal life and the environment.  Students play a game that demonstrates how natural...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Acid Rain

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students understand the dynamics of acid rain and its impact on the living and non-living environment. They hypothesize how acid rain affects water pH levels in two lake systems with differing watershed features.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eco-Kids: How Students Can Help Save the World

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify the different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. In this ecology lesson, 4th graders create models of wind mills and hydropower. They discuss the pros and cons of using alternative forms of energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Acid Rain

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Young scholars investigate acid rain. In this environmental lesson, students participate in an experiment using litmus paper and various liquids and then test the acidity of the liquids. Young scholars identify reasons why acid is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Global Change- Earth as Home

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners create their own environment. In this environmental protection lesson, students pretend they are the owners of a tropical island. They create jobs for the citizens and develop the island as a model environment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carbon Cycle Game

For Teachers 6th - 8th
For this carbon cycle lesson, middle schoolers review the carbon cycle and visit stations in the room where they experience every phase in the carbon cycle. Middle schoolers journal about their journey through the cycle and...
Interactive
Curated OER

Energy Alternatives and Conservation

For Students 7th - 8th
In this energy alternatives and conservation activity, students research the topic, answer 3 questions, then complete a 4 step plan to create a print or digital project.  This page has numerous links to web resources.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Magic of Solar Thermal: How the Sun Can Be Used to Heat Water

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students are introduced to how the sun is used to heat water.  In this solar instructional activity students identify the different types of solar water heating and demonstrate how it works.