Social Studies

To become familiar with endangered species' habitats and characteristics, students design, present, and evaluate a visual presentation (kiosk or website) for a specific endangered species. This lesson is designed for grade 4 and adheres to Florida Sunshine State Standards.

In this lesson 2nd graders will gather information about an endangered species, the panda. After making a research web as a class, the class will work together to organize and write a research report about Pandas. This research report will then be posted on the website Project: TESAN - The Endangered Species and Nature, a collaborative project that posts and collects student work about endangered species from all over the world. This lesson is best suited for Grade 2 and adheres to National Education Standards.

In this Project Wild activity from the Council for Environmental Education, students identify ways that oil spills can adversely affect birds and explore the negative impacts pollutants can have on wildlife, people and the environment. The lesson is appropriate for grades 5-8 and aligns with national science and mathematics standards.

This lesson plan is an investigation in which students consider the criteria used to assess damage to natural resources and mitigation measures when a large scale environmental threat, such as an oil spill, occurs. The lesson plan is appropriate grades 7-12 and aligns with National Geography and Science Education Standards.

In this lesson plan from the New York Times Learning Network, students create experiments to learn more about the effects of oil spills and apply their findings to coastal communities in the gulf region. They also explore the economic impacts of the oil spill as well as the technological progress involved in stopping the leak. The lesson is appropriate for students in grades 6-12 and meets McREL standards in Engineering Education, Geography, Health, Science, Technology and World History.

This lesson plan from the American Society for Engineering Education focuses on how engineers use various techniques to provide speedy solutions to oil spills. Students work in teams to analyze an oil spill, then design, build and test a system made from everyday materials to contain and remove the oil from the water. The lesson is appropriate for grades 3-12 and adheres to National Science Education Standards as well as Standards for Technological Literacy.

Students research different physical and behavioral characteristics of birds and create theories about their migratory behavior. They research the natural history of different migratory birds and create diagrams of the bird's annual cycles of behavior. This lesson is best suited for grade 6.

Songbirds at the Crossroads of Migration is a comprehensive curriculum guide that provides educators with information, hands-on lessons, and opportunities to involve students in learning about the importance of New Jersey's habitats and ecosystems as they relate to the needs of migratory songbirds. This lesson is best suited for grades 7-12 and adheres to New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards.

Students are introduced to using websites as resources for science content information. Specifically, in cooperative groups or pairs, students find information on a bird of their choice by accessing online resources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, research databases, and bird association and organization websites. They select, record, and organize this information into a bird profile and then present it to their peers.

In this lesson, students examine the effects of packaging decisions and the engineering advancements in packaging materials and waste management. They also observe biodegradation in a model landfill. This lesson is best suited for grades 3-5 and adheres to Colorado Life Science and Interrelationships Educational Standards.