Social Studies

Transportation, land use, natural resources and trade are natural ways to tie environmental topics to social studies lessons. Encourage students to: analyze environmental legislation, use Geographic Information System resources (such as Google Earth) to look at environments globally, and explore the impacts of climate, environment and natural resources on historical events. Use the search function to the right to explore other ways to incorporate environmental themes into social studies lessons.

Environmental Catalysis Module

The NanoEd Resource Portal provides lessons for instructors that wish to incorporate cutting-edge nanoscience into their STEM curricula. In the Environmental Catalysis Module students learn what a catalyst is and become aware of the use of catalysis to promote environmental protection.

Green Reading List

One of the best ways to teach about the environment is to incorporate environmentally-themed fiction or non-fiction books into classroom lessons and activities. Check out the list below to find a diverse list of "Green Reads" for your students.
 

Global Warming Statistics

Students research real-time and historic temperature data of U.S. and world locations and analyze the data using mean, median and mode averages. Students use a calculator or electronic spreadsheet to compile their statistics and then graph the data using a spreadsheet or graph paper.

Promise of Place

Promise of Place is a project of the Center of Place-based Learning and Community Engagement. Promise of Place supports place-based education by facilitating collaborative efforts in research, program design, technical assistance, resource development and dissemination. Place-based education immerses students in local heritage, cultures and landscapes, providing valuable opportunities and experiences.

Investigating Biodiversity

Through the application of math concepts students examine the degree of biodiversity that exists in the everyday environment in order to develop an understanding of how scientists classify organisms. They also explore why biodiversity is important for living things.

Center for Ecoliteracy

The Center for Ecoliteracy (CEL) provides information, inspiration and support to educators and other members of the educational community who are helping young people gain the knowledge, skills and values essential to sustainable living. Through CEL’s initiative, Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability, the organization offers both a theoretical framework and practical resources for combining hands-on learning in the natural world with curricular innovation in education.

Who Will Take the Heat?

Students will learn about the environmental, economic and political issues surrounding global climate change policy and will specifically compare the emissions of the U.S. and China, the two largest producers of emissions that cause global warming.

Koshland Science Museum Global Warming Webquest

Using this Internet-based webquest activity, students will learn about climate change, energy use and global warming, including how scientists, business leaders and policy makers study and respond to climate change and how society and the environment will be impacted by global warming.

CE Service-learning Tip Sheet

This service-learning tip sheet developed by Classroom Earth is meant to give you the fundamentals about service-learning, explain how they are different from similar concepts such as volunteerism, community service and project-based learning. In it, you will also find some suggestions of how to find partners and identify problems.

Effects of Urban Growth

In the last decade, many areas in the Sunbelt region of the United States have experienced tremendous population growth. The growth can be a result of enticing media campaigns or lifestyle and employment opportunities that a city offers. Moving to these "boom towns" can be very beneficial for families. However, there are also drawbacks to rapid population increases within communities. This lesson focuses on the pros and cons of rapid growth and how community changes impact the residents and environments of these growing areas.

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