Resource Library

Two of the most serious threats to African wildlife today are habitat destruction and hunting/poaching. In this National Geographic lesson, 9th-12th grade students will investigate both of these issues and determine which problem should be addressed first or whether they must both be addressed simultaneously. This lesson connects to the National Geography Standards.

This teacher page, produced by the Energy Information Administration, provides activities for using Energy Kids as a resource to teach students about energy in a fun and interactive way. The website includes lesson plans, field trips, a career corner, and a teacher guide. The guide provides Language Arts, Math, Performing Arts, Science and Social Studies extension activities by age levels.

In this lesson plan from National Geographic Xpeditions, students consider why so many people live near the coast and learn about the impacts of this trend on ocean animals. Students make posters to educate coastal residents and visitors about human impacts on marine life. The activity is appropriate for grades K-2 and adheres to National Geography Standards.

This lesson plan from National Geographic Xpeditions introduces students to two marine species, one (the horseshoe crab) that is currently invaluable in the field of medicine and another (Bugula neritina) that is likely to prove beneficial in the future. The students conclude by playing the role of researchers and writing plans for harvesting the species for medical purposes.

This lesson plan from National Geographic Xpeditions illustrates the effect that sharks have on the Caribbean coral reef system and shows students how over-fishing of sharks has a ripple effect on the marine ecosystem. The activity is appropriate for grades 6-8 and adheres to National Geography Standards as well as National Science Education Standards in Life Science.

This lesson from National Geographic Xpeditions helps students learn about recent advances in the study of sea life and how the people who do it may ultimately affect the sea, its health and inhabitants. The lesson is appropriate for grades 9-12 and adheres to National Geography Standards.

In this very hands-on lesson, students will learn about dendrochronology (the study of tree rings to answer ecological questions about the recent past) and come up with conclusions as to what possible climatic conditions might affect tree growth in their region.

In this lesson, students will partake in a role-play activity to examine the current system of watershed management in Northern California, exploring whom it benefits and whom it harms. They will then design an alternative means of management that better addresses the interconnectedness of the water and forests.

This issue of Science Activities: Classroom Projects and Curriculum Ideas introduces educators to the importance of flowering plants that live underwater in marine and estuarine habitats. These seagrasses support human food sources, such as crabs and fish, as well as endangered animals, such as turtles and manatees.

This CD-ROM is a collection of 41 classroom activities, assembled by educators in the COSDD Great Lakes Project that provides teachers, non-formal educators and students in grades 4-10 with insights into the uniqueness of the Great Lakes and their influence on aquatic life and human populations.