Winogradsky columns are ideal for observing the role of bacteria and other microorganisms in an ecosystem. This student activity guide is complete with data tables for observations and analysis questions for processing what was observed....

Just as no man is an island, no country is totally independent of other countries. To understand the impact of individual consumer decisions on the global natural environment, class groups consider how the stuff they...

Sometimes explaining an argument can lead to confusion and miscommunication. Narrow down the details in written arguments with a group activity in which learners pretend to be aliens from another planet, struggling to understand each...

How do you classify a newly discovered species? Learners view a presentation and complete research about biodiversity and the classification hierarchy. The lesson includes activities with dichotomous keys and work on classifying both...

Scholars analyze the environmental movement started in the 1960s. Through excerpts from Rachel Carson's books as well as diary entries, they take a look at the reason for the modern movement to save the planet and then create final...

Young astronomers follow a step-by-step procedure for dividing a lump of dough into parts, resulting in a scaled volume set of puny planets. Along with the printable directions is a template chart of planet names on which learners can...

Students access the Internet, research one of the planets, copy and paste necessary information, and design a creature that would survive for a year on their planet. They present their creature and its qualities to the rest of the class.

Operating a vehicle remotely can be difficult, especially when the vehicle is on another planet. Young engineers get a feel for some of the real-world challenges as they work to program their rovers (blindfolded group members)...

Teach young environmentalists to protect their planet's resources with a set of interactive experiments. Kindergartners and other youngsters learn about watersheds and the water cycle, while older elementary learners focus on fertilizer...

Is Earth's energy flow a little off balance? Explore our energy budget using a click-through interactive. Scholars discover the many factors that move solar energy around the planet and why the system is no longer in equilibrium.

Young scholars work in small groups to research a planet in our Solar System in order to compare it to Earth. They examine the planet's size, atmosphere, rotation and revolution periods, temperature, and other attributes. They collect...

Students study Mars and what it would take to man a mission there.  In this solar system lesson students view a video and complete an art activity in groups. 

Students use a website to gather information about a planet and its moons. They work in small groups to plan a slide show presentation on a planet and its moon using a Power Point Template.

Students write a friendly letter to an Alien Pen Pal including details about the planet Earth.

Young scholars work in groups to create the planets of the solar system.  In this planets lesson, students create a hanging solar system taking into account the size, shape and position of the planets.  Young scholars discuss...

Eighth graders identify the layers of the Earth's interior, while learning to use WP utilities.

Students, in gorups, develop a Bill of rRghts for a newly discovered planet. They give the planet a name and they decide upon ten human rights they think are the most important. Then they compare their list with the lists of other...

Students explore what is special about our planet. They explore the various climates that are found on the planet Earth. Students create an advertisement to convince people why their favorite environment would be the best place to visit.

Students explore extreme earth phenomenons. In this savage planet lesson, students explore and report on various types of severe weather and earth phenomenons using the Internet, a word processor, or other multimedia device.

Students design and build one of three engineering problems dealing with living and working in space.

Students discover the techniques meteorologists use to examine the atmosphere. In groups, they build their own weather station and observe the various weather conditions. They identify the types of weather patterns that allow the...

Scholars read a brief overview of what a terrarium is and how it creates the greenhouse effect, then click on a link to discover the materials and 10 steps they need to build their own.

How do you put something as large as the universe in perspective? Use a series of scale experiments. Classmates collaborate around four experiments to examine the scale of the earth-moon system, our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy,...

Sixth graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. In small groups, they participate in a Webquest, watch movies, complete graphic organizers, and answer questions, create a model of the planets, and develop a Powerpoint...