Resource Library

Learn about our nation's fossils at home or in the classroom with these activities developed by education specialists in the National Park Service, fossil sites, and various museums. Some of these activities have a site-specific element that can be adapted for use at home or in the classroom. Virtual site visits are also available within the following resources.

Sea Education Association (SEA) Semester offers a database of K-12 lesson plans. Lessons are listed by grade level and topic, and many were designed by teachers who have participated in the SEA Experience program. Topics include marine biology, oceanography, nautical science and marine ecology. Lesson plans can be adapted to meet educational standards in math and science.

In this lesson plan from National Geographic Xpeditions, students learn about some of the important discoveries that oceanographers have made and some areas that they are still investigating. Students make posters explaining how oceanography is important and how it's used. The lesson is appropriate for grades 3-5 and adheres to National Geography Standards.

In this lesson plan from National Geographic Xpeditions, students learn about the varying sizes of ocean waves, what causes the variation and where to find giant waves. Students learn the parts of a wave and discuss wave height, wavelength and wave period. They experiment with creating waves on National Geographic's online Wave Simulator and discuss how geography affects waves.

In this lesson plan from National Geographic Xpeditions, students explore the weather phenomena El Niño and La Niña. They learn about when and where these weather changes occur and about the effects they have on everything in their wake. The lesson is appropriate for grades 6-8 and adheres to National Geography Standards.

This lesson from National Geographic Xpeditions helps students understand the environmental importance of coral reefs and the threats to reef conservation. Through the process of gathering geographic information about a place (in this case, the Great Barrier Reef), students learn how a "geographic focus" can sharpen their insights about a conservation issue.

Students describe a forest as a living community. They determine how members interact and, in many cases, depend on each other for their basic survival needs.

This 10 module curriculum allows teachers to download (free of charge) social studies activities that are based upon archival materials and focus on environmental history. If Trees Could Talk helps students develop critical thinking skills in environmental issues within a social context. It helps produce better informed and more productive citizens.

What Happens When an Oil Spill Occurs is an interactive, online overview of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska in 1989. Along with images and animation depicting the extent of the spill and resultant clean-up efforts, the presentation creates a simulation using models that project the impacts of an oil spill off the coast of Connecticut.