This lesson plan will help students gain a better understanding of natural events and consider the dangers that natural hazards and natural disasters pose to humans. Through writing and by gathering and comparing data, students will examine factors that make natural phenomena hazardous to people. They will use scientific vocabulary to summarize research about natural hazards, and compare and discuss ... Full description.

This activity can be used as a culmination to a module or unit on astronomy or space science. Working in small groups, students will select a site in space to visit that will be the most beneficial for exploration and they will be asked to justify their choice of destination. They are to plan their trip taking into account as many factors as possible including the length of time needed to reach their ... Full description.

This online article reports on a five-week expedition to recover eggs from the emperor penguin that was part of Robert Falcon Scott's failed Antarctic expedition. It discusses the scientific importance of the emperor penguin, what the trip (labeled "the worst journey in the world") was like on a daily basis for the three men who made it, and the frightening and unexpected difficulties Scott and his ... Full description.

As part of this research activity, students examine travel information prepared by the Antarctic Support Services. They begin by reviewing the U.S. Antarctic Program Participant Guide, which contains information to help researchers and staff prepare for life in this extreme environment. Students are asked to imagine sleeping with a snow shovel in their tent so they can dig out in the morning, what ... Full description.

At this site students discover that while its existence had been predicted for thousands of years, Antarctica was the very last continent discovered. They also learn about its first explorers and the teamwork that exists there today. This online letter is part of a series written by a glacial geologist working in Antarctica. In her letters home, Stephanie Shipp shares her work and discoveries. Specifically, ... Full description.

These are excerpts from the diary of Robert Falcon Scott, who led an ill-fated expedition to the South Pole. After immense physical hardship, they reached the Pole, only to find that Roald Amundsen and his team had claimed the prize just a month before. The excerpts describe the long march back to the waiting ship, during which the party died one by one from exposure. A brief biography of Scott is ... Full description.

At this site students will discover that the first time Manahan walked into Scott's primitive 1902 hut, still sitting out on the Antarctic ice, he couldn't help but see how similar their work was despite their very different base camps. This in-depth profile of a marine biologist takes a look at the first explorers of the Antarctic and the challenges they faced. In the question and answer profile, ... Full description.

This activity will enable students to see the links between specific areas of environmental science. They will especially realize how science must inform policy if land use and zoning regulations are to be sustainable for both the human and natural economy. During this activity students will synthesize several areas of environmental science including water quality, soil quality and capabilities, land ... Full description.

In this activity, students will calculate the cumulative radiation dosage for a trip to Mars. They will have to take into consideration the length of the voyage and the amount and sources of radiation that will be present, and will gain an understanding of the eleven-year solar cycle, solar proton events (SPEs), and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). Full description.

This activity familiarizes students with legislation on hazardous waste, how it is developed, enacted, implemented, and enforced in the United States. Students discover that hazardous waste comes from a variety of sources, from both present and past activities. They also learn that years ago, before we understood the dangers of hazardous waste, there were no laws controlling its disposal and many ... Full description.