Activities/Lesson Plans

In the pursuit of her Girl Scout Gold Award, Tarin Rickett of Croton-On-Hudson, NY created an extensive lesson plan booklet focusing on Invasive Species. Realizing that invasive species pose a serious threat to ecosystems around the globe, Tarin's lesson plan booklet includes classroom activities geared towards 4th, 5th, and 6th graders (though they can be adapted for older age groups).

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.

In this lesson plan from National Geographic Xpeditions, students learn the components of a wave, and then discuss the effects of wave height, wavelength and wave period in determining the overall size of a wave. The lesson plan is appropriate for grades 9-12 and adheres to National Geography Standards.

The Gulf of Mexico Deep-Sea Ecosystem Education Materials Collection, developed by NOAA's Office of Exploration and Research, is comprised of an Educators' Guide and 16 lesson plans on deep-sea ecosystems and exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. The lessons in this collection touch on physical science, life science and Earth science topics and offer many opportunities for cross-curricular activities involving social studies, language arts, mathematics and fine arts.

This lesson plan from the BRIDGE DATA Series introduces students to the threat that lost of abandoned crab pots pose to marine life, as they continue to catch animals without letting them go. Students analyze data collected from recovered derelict fishing gear and calculate the loss of potential catch that it causes. Materials and related resources for the lesson plan can be downloaded online. The lesson is appropriate for grades 6-12 and aligns to National Science Standards.

Voyage From The Sun is a 20-lesson classroom science module designed to introduce 4th-9th grade students to the major ways in which energy is important in living systems. Voyage encourages students to explore the story of Earth's energy. Students examine how they use energy, where it comes from, and how human impact on natural habitats affects the natural energy flow. Voyage From The Sun supports science reform efforts by building bridges between biology, the physical sciences, math and language arts.

School Power...Naturally is part of the Power...Naturally program developed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The website offers numerous lessons and activities on renewable energy at all grades levels, which can be downloaded as PDFs or Word documents.The lessons are correlated to New York State Curriculum Standards for Math, Science and Tecnology.

The Alliance to Save Energy’s Energy Hog program is an online computer activity that reveals "energy hogs" in our homes that can be eliminated, thus saving energy and protecting the environment. The website also includes the Energy Hog Challenge, a set of classroom activities that can be downloaded for free. Correlates to National Science Education Standards as well as Colorado state standards. Appropriate for 3rd-6th grade students.

Developed by the Bonneville Power Administration in Portland, Oregon, Are You an Energy Saver Star? asks students to collect data on energy usage and perform energy audits in a number of capacities. The results are then analyzed to see where the most conservation could be achieved. Adheres to state standards in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Best suited for grades 4-7.