ACTIVITES & TOOLS

Celebrate Earth Day!
In celebration of Earth Day, students research famous environmentalists and write letters to them asking for their opinions on current issues. They then turn their letters into poems.
ReadWriteThink | Activity | 3-12

Creative Climates
Your Mission: As head of the new National Geographic Climate Observation Post, you need to create a Climate Map to illustrate the world's different climate zones. Xpeditions, Grades K-12

Backyard Naturalist
Your Mission: prepare yourself to take groups of tourists on short nature hikes and answer their questions about area wildlife. Because naturalists are expected to know a lot about the local environment, your job requires you to become knowledgeable about local wildlife and learn how to collect and analyze biological data. This will ensure that you can answer all those tourists' questions! Xpeditions, Grades K-12

Everyday Explorer
Your Mission: Become an Everyday Explorer! You will be making an exploration tool kit that will provide you with the necessary gear and ideas for year-round activities that will help you dive in, get hands-on, and find out exactly what makes your neighborhood tick. Xpeditions, Grades K-12

Saving Our Oceans
Your Mission: Teach oceanographers with different specialties about other ocean specialties and thus create a better understanding of the ocean as a complete, diverse system. Xpeditions, Grades K-12

The Arctic and Antarctic Circles
Your Mission: Explore the ends of the Earth—the Poles—to compare and contrast each region. Xpeditions, Grades K-12

Preserving Biodiversity
Your Mission: Create a map that shows where some endangered species live in the world. Xpeditions, Grades K-12

Explore and Write About Nature
This reading and writing activity gets children outside and encourages them to explore the world around them, whether it’s in their own backyards, in the woods during hikes, or at parks or beaches. ReadWriteThink, Grades 3-5

The Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America's Lost Grasslands
Prairie Builders, written and photographed by Sneed B. Collard, III, tells the remarkable story of an effort to bring back part of the native tallgrass prairie in Iowa. Readers learn where the vision for a new prairie came from and how scientists and volunteers are working together to make the vision a reality. The text includes striking photographs, taken by the author, which help bring the project to life. Science NetLinks, Grades 3-8

The Amateur Naturalist
The Amateur Naturalist, by Nick Baker, is full of information to enhance any outdoor learning experience. Each chapter is dedicated to a group of animals (mammals, birds, fish, etc.) or plants. Within each chapter, there is information on finding, tracking, and identifying each species, plus a few hands-on projects to enhance the outdoor learning experience. Science NetLinks, Grades 3-12

Investigating Local Ecosystems

This lesson lets students investigate the habitats of local plants and animals and explore some of the ways animals depend on plants and each other. Science NetLinks, Grades K-2

Protecting Our Precious Planet: Sharing the Message of Earth Day
In this lesson, students will learn to think globally and act locally by participating in the Internet-based Earth Day Groceries Project. ReadWriteThink, Grades K-2

Elementary Ecosystems
Students explore the basics of species interdependency within an ecosystem or habitat. Students will perform a simple simulation to see how one species can affect many others, and gain a basic understanding of the importance of biodiversity. Xpeditions, Grades K-2

Just Turn It Off
Energy is often expended when it doesn't need to be. Students investigate the importance of turning off lights, toys, machines, and appliances in this lesson. Science Netlinks, Grades K-2

True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet
This lesson helps students understand that products and objects that humans make have lifespans, too, and that they need to be recycled, reused, and re-imagined so there will be less pollution and waste on the planet. Science NetLinks, Grades 3-5

Power Up!
In this lesson, students compare and contrast different energy sources and the trade-offs of using them. Includes a student interactive. Science NetLinks, Grades 3-5

Folktales and Ecology: Animals and Humans in Cooperation and Conflict
Study of humans and animals in cooperation and conflict within folktales lends itself to a simple lesson on ecology and endangered species, where students can explore how humans' relationship with nature has been compromised. EDSITEment, Grades 3-5

Energy Sources and Use
This lesson helps students to distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy and to investigate a variety of renewable energy resources and compare the benefits and drawbacks of each. Science NetLinks, Grades 3-5

Earth Day Every Day
Students explore how classroom and community projects can improve the local environment and benefit communities beyond one's own. Students will discuss environmental concerns, analyze these concerns, and offer practical remedies. Xpedtions, Grades 3-5

What's Happening to the Emperor Penguins?
Students will learn about emperor penguins' habitat and behaviors through Web sites such as National Geographic Creature Feature: Emperor Penguins and will illustrate a map to show what they have learned. Xpeditions, Grades 3-5

Earth Verse: Using Science in Poetry
In this lesson, students listen to poems in the book Science Verse by Jon Scieszka. Students then create diamante, acrostic, or shape poems with illustrations. To help increase fluency, students read their poems to the class. Finally, students create original poems using facts they have learned in the current science curriculum. ReadWriteThink, Grades 3-5

How We Know What We Know about Our Changing Climate NEW!
This lesson helps students understand the scientific research into climate change and the role of citizen scientists in helping professional scientists generate data to track the problem and devise solutions. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-8

Endangered Species 1: Why Are Species Endangered?
The purpose of this lesson is for students to examine the plight of endangered species and to help them understand and gain perspective on human issues that continue to endanger species and threaten our global environment. Sciecne NetLinks, Grades 6-8

Endangered Species 2: Working to Save Endangered Species
In this lesson, students explore the Endangered Species Act and the work of scientists who strive to protect species. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-8

Marine Sanctuaries
Through this lesson, students develop an understanding of diverse marine ecosystems and the problems they face. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-8

Polar Regions: Arctic Adaptations and Global Impacts

Students will learn about the adaptive capabilities of animals and people living in polar regions, look at recent climate changes, study the effects of global warming and understand the interconnectedness of life in these regions with life around the world. Xpeditions, Grades 6-8

Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues
Students explore environmental issues that are relevant to their own lives, self-select topics, and gather information to write persuasive essays. ReadWriteThink, Grades 6-8

Green Roof Design
In this student-centered learning model, students work collaboratively in small teams to design a heat- and water-conserving “green roof” of plant material for an urban apartment building. Science NetLinks, Grades 9-12

Tigerland and Other Unintended Destinations
Through this lesson, students gain an introduction to conservation biology via the memoirs of a scientist who has traveled throughout the world to study and defend endangered species. Science NetLinks, Grades 9-12

Environmental Issues in the Polar Regions
Students will learn about how environmental problems affect the polar regions, and they will create magazine ads to educate the public about these problems and to convince people to pay more attention to human impacts on the Arctic and Antarctic.
Xpeditions, Grades 9-12

Get Dramatic: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Explore the concepts behind the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle slogan and use this information to write and perform a commercial and create a stage backdrop of recycled materials.
ArtsEdge | Lesson | K-4

Exploring Weather Conditions Through Painting
Discover how weather influences culture, daily life, and mood by examining paintings depicting different types of weather.
ArtsEdge | Lesson | K-4

The Dance of the Butterfly
Create an original dance that communicates the stages of the life cycle of the monarch butterfly in this lesson that integrates science content with dance movement.
ArtsEdge | Lesson | K-4

The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge
Help students understand both the physical forces behind climate change and the social responses to it as a means to preserve the health of people and our planet.
Science NetLinks | Lesson | 3-5

Protecting Our Precious Planet: Sharing the Message of Earth Day
Students discover that they can make a world of difference when they participate in the Earth Day Groceries Project.
ReadWriteThink | Lesson Plan | K-2

INTERACTIVES

Nowhere to Hide
In this activity, students can manipulate the level of pollution emitted by the factory (i.e., the background color of the screen) and observe the effects on the different colored bugs, moving them toward a better understanding of evolution by natural selection.
Science NetLinks, Grades 3-5, 6-8

Power Up!
In this interactive, students compare and contrast different energy sources and the trade-offs of using them.
Science Netlinks, Grades 3-5, 6-8

Human Footprint Interactive
Learn more about how much of the world you use in a lifetime and find out how that compares with the footprint of the rest of the world.
National Geographic Education, Grades 6-12

Greenhouse Effect Interactive
Explore the greenhouse effect process to discover how the Earth stays warm and comfortable in the coldness of space.
National Geographic Education, Grades 6-12

EarthPulse Interactive Maps
Try the features of this interactive map to find out about the complex nature of the global connections underlying seemingly simple human activities.
National Geographic Education, Grades 5-12

Your Carbon Diet
Discover how we use different energy sources and the effects on not only our environment but also our budget.
Science NetLinks | Interactive | 6-8

PODCASTS & VIDEOS

Celebrating the Earth
Every day is Earth Day! Emily shares her story of children inspired by The Lorax and explores science and nature activities with guest Sharon Betty and The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming.
ReadWriteThink | Podcast | K-5

Ascending Plants
In this podcast, students learn that plants are gradually moving to higher altitudes to escape global warming. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12

Thoreau's Plants
In this Science Update podcast, students learn how global warming has altered the composition of plants on the shores of Walden since the time of Henry David Thoreau. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12

Carbon Emissions
This podcast discusses why carbon emission rates may be higher than scientists thought. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12

Fossil Fuel Switch
This podcast asks, "How much would it cost to quit fossil fuels cold turkey?" Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12

Mountain Rain
This podcast focuses on why pollution from cities could dry out nearby mountains. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12

Nitrogen Pollution
In this Science Update podcast, students learn why human sources of nitrogen may be just as environmentally costly as carbon emissions. Science NetLinks, Grades 6-12

A Conversation with Jean Craighead George
In this episode of SB&F Booktalks, you'll hear from children's science author Jean Craighead George. Her book, Julie of the Wolves, won the prestigious Newbery Medal, the American Library Association's award for the most distinguished contribution to literature for children, in 1973. My Side of the Mountain, the story of a boy and a falcon surviving on a mountain together, was a 1960 Newbery Honor Book. She has also received 20 other awards. AAAS, Grades K-12

A Conversation with Kim McKay
In this episode of SB&F Booktalks, children's science author Kim McKay talks about her SB&F Prize winning science book True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet. AAAS, Grades K-12

National Geographic Environment Video Library

• Global Warming 101
• State of Polar Bears
• Global Warming: Antarctica Ice
• A Way Forward: Facing Climate Change

RESOURCES

National Geographic Environment Site
Explore news about the environment and take the Great Energy Challenge
National Geographic Education | All Grades

What is Global Warming?
Get the facts about global warming and its effects on the Earth's climate.
National Geographic Education | All Grades

Earth Day Teaching Resources
This collection of lessons and resources helps teachers and students incorporate Earth Day’s message of ecology and environmentalism in the classroom.
Science NetLinks | Resource Collection | K-12

Environmental Button
Examine this button that depicts an ecology symbol invented by cartoonist Ron Cobb in 1969.
History Explorer | Artifact | K-12

View from Mount Holyoke (The Oxbow)  - from the Picturing America Gallery
Share this picture and accompanying essay with your students as they explore early America’s struggle to come to terms with the cultivation of its wilderness heritage.
EDSITEment | Resource | K-12

Profile of Sergio Avila: Wildlife Biologist
Students read about Sergio Avila, a wildlife biologist, who works in northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States for an organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of native species and habitats.
National Geographic Education | Resource | 6-12

Do the residents of Wonderopolis “think green”? You bet they do! Check out these eco-friendly Wonders of the Day:
Wonder of the Day #43: Where Do Recycled Items Go?
Wonder of the Day #87: What Is A Polar Ice Cap?
Wonderopolis | Resources | K-5