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Lesson |
Description | Picture |
Grade Levels |
Learnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One of the best ways to learn about a tree is to look at its annual rings. Tree rings show patterns of change in the tree's life as well as changes in the area where it grows. In this activity, students will trace environmental and historical changes using a cross section of a tree trunk, or "tree cookie." |
 |
Activity: 3-8 |
Science
1.1, 1.2, 2.1 | |
| Like humans, trees can become weak and unhealthy, suffer injury, and die. People have learned to read the symptoms of unhealthy trees to help them. In this activity, students will examine trees for signs of damage or poor health. |
Part A: 1-8 |
Science
1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2 | ||
| In temperate regions, people can observe the annual change of seasons. In autumn, leaves of many trees turn color and fall to the ground, many animals migrate or go into hibernation, the days get shorter, and the air gets colder. This pattern repeats itself every year. |
Part A: K-5 |
Science
1.3, 2.1, 2.2 | ||
| In this activity, students will discover that trees have a lifecycle that is similar to that of other living things. They will investigate a tree's role in the ecosystem at each stage of its life. |
Activity: 3-6 |
Science
1.2, 1.3 | ||
| Succession is a natural pattern of change that takes place over time in a forest or ecosystem. In this activity, students will study the connection between plants, animals, and successional stages in local ecosystems. |
Part A: 3-6 |
Science
1.3 | ||
| The term "forest fire" may conjure up images of fear and devastation. Preventing fires is still important, but times have changed. In this activity, students will learn how fire is a natural event in forests and other ecosystems and how it helps keep plants and other parts of the ecosystem healthy. |
Activity: 4-8 |
Science
1.2, 1.3, 2.1 | ||
| This activity gives students the opportunity to explore a variety of natural resources and products that people depend on every day. In addition, students will gain insight into the processes by which these natural resources are turned into products and, when possible, recycled into new products. |
4-8 |
Science
2.2, 3.2 | ||
| Patterns for reducing solid waste can be seen in community efforts to reduce consumption and recycle resources. In this activity, students will set up a program for reusing, recycling, and reducing consumption of resources at school. |
Projects 1 & 2: 4-8 |
Science
2.2,3.2 | ||
| Nearly everything we buy comes in some sort of package. Packaging, made from a variety of renewable and nonrenewable resources, is necessary to protect an item, keep it fresh, make it tamper-proof, and make the item easy to transport and store. In this activity, students will examine the pros and cons of different packaging strategies. |
5-8 |
Science
1.2, 2.1, 3.2 | ||
| In this activity, students will calculate the amount of automobile travel their family does and explore some of the potential environmental consequences of increasing automobile emissions and energy use, as well as ways and benefits of reducing those levels. |
5-8 |
Science
1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2 | ||
| Patterns of change are evident in the Earth's global systems. By exploring the issues of global change, students will gain an understanding of how we must deal with the possibility of global environmental changes today. |
5-8 |
Science
1.2, 1.3 | ||
| Children are naturally curious about their environment. They should be encouraged to explore the out-of-doors, while having respect for living things and their habitats. In this activity students will develop a set of guidelines for exploring and enjoying nature. |
PreK-4 |
Science
1.2, 1.3 | ||
| Patterns of change can be observed in the diversity of species on Earth. In this activity, students will become advocates for endangered species of plants and animals, and create "public relations campaigns" on behalf of these species. |
4-8 |
Science
2.2 | ||
| By reading fables such as The Lorax by Dr. Seuss or The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono, students can examine the importance of conserving natural resources. |
Part A: 2-8 |
Science
1.2, 1.3, 2.2 | ||
| Patterns of change can be observed in human uses of natural resources. In this activity, students will explore some traditional Native American attitudes and lifestyles with respect to the land and its resources and will compare those attitudes with their own. |
4-8 |
Science
1.2, 1.3, 3.2 | ||
| Human attitudes and values, and therefore behavior, with regard to the environment can change over the course of generations. In this activity, students will study the writings of men and women who have shaped the way people think about the environment. |
Part A: 4-8 |
Science
1.2, 1.3, 3.2 | ||
| By examining the historical attitudes of Native Americans and American pioneers toward the environment and natural resources, students can reflect on their own lifestyles, and identify trade-offs between simple subsistence and the modern technology-based living. |
5-8 |
Science
2.2 | ||
| Humans have always had a strong need to record the events of their lives. From cave painting to writing paper, humans have preserved their history in many ways. In this activity, students will discover how the development of paper revolutionized the way people communicate and record information. |
4-8 |
Science
3.2 | ||
| Throughout history, people have depended on natural resources for survival. The availability of food, water, and resources to build shelters has generally determined where humans have settled and how cultures evolved over time. In this activity, students will explore how ancient civilizations developed systems for using their natural resources. |
6-8 |
Science
1.2, 1.3 | ||
| In this activity, students will study changes in their local environment over short and long periods and will identify patterns of change. |
Part A: K-4 |
SS-History
1.2, 2.1-2.3 | ||
| Each living thing has a habitat -- a place to live that suits its needs. For human beings, the community they live in is their habitat. In this activity, students are encouraged to take action to improve their community by making some positive environmental changes. |
5-8 |
Science
2.2 |
