6-8

The mission of OurEarth.org is to engage, empower, and nurture current and future environmental leaders by providing education and access to information. OurEarth.org combines a novel combination of grassroots activism, education, and internet technology to achieve its goals. At the heart of the organization is the OurEarth.org website which is a community-driven portal for environmental programs, activities, and resources.

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. The National Park Service recommends visiting a local fossil site to create a similar outdoor experience.

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. Using Energy Kids provides students with the opportunity to learn about energy while improving research and reading skills.

This site offers links to several fact sheets about common insect pests; these include pests found in household and pantry settings, vegetable plants and fruit trees, ornamental plants, Christmas trees, and field crops.

The Nature Walk is part of the USDA's Stop the Beetle campaign, an educational program designed for states in which the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) beetle has proven an invasive pest. This animated video, targeted to 8-12 year olds, depicts the life cycle of the EAB beetle. Viewers learn about how the EAB beetle is an invasive pest and is threatening to ash trees. The video also presents ways for kids to help protect ash trees by spreading the word about not moving firewood.

Suitable for 5 to 16 year olds, ARKive’s free fun-packed teaching resources cover a range of key science and biology subjects including: adaptation, food chains, Darwin and natural selection, classification, identification, conservation and biodiversity.

These teaching resources include: classroom presentations, activities and handouts, teachers' notes as well as links to ARKive species profiles and scrapbooks.

The Water Sourcebooks, developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, contain 324 interdisciplinary, hands-on activities on topics including Introduction to Water, Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment, Surface Water Resources, Ground Water Resources, and Wetlands and Coastal Waters. The sourcebooks are divided into four sections based on grade level: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

Magnificent Groundwater Connection is a series of lesson plans surrounding groundwater from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lesson plans are appropriate for students in grades 7-12 and can be adapted to meet science and math standards.