The purpose of this resource is to measure the pH of water. Students use either a pH meter or pH paper to measure the pH. If using the pH meter, the meter needs to be calibrated with buffer solutions that have pH values of 4, 7, and 10. Full description.

The purpose of this resource is to teach students about the acidity levels of liquids and other substances around their school so they understand what pH levels tell us about the environment. Students will create mixtures of water samples, soil samples, plants and other natural materials to better understand the importance of pH levels. Full description.

The purpose of this activity is to measure air pressure. Students record atmospheric pressure using a barometer or altimeter. Intended outcomes are that students gain an understanding that barometric or altimeter pressure varies and its increase or decrease indicates an upcoming change in the weather. Students also learn that the air has weight. Supporting background materials for both student and ... Full description.

The purpose of this resource is to develop an understanding of how water flows through different soils and how it is transformed when it flows through these soils. Students time the flow of water through different soils and observe the amount of water held and also the filtering ability of the soils. They will also observe the filtering ability of soils by noting the clarity of the water before and ... Full description.

The purpose of this resource is to introduce students to the importance of soil. In the first activity, students generate a list of why soils are important. In the second activity, students are asked to describe the five factors that form a unique soil profile and to explore these concepts. In the third activity, students are shown a demonstration of how much soil there is on Earth that is available ... Full description.

In this activity students construct a sundial and use it to observe the movement of the sun through the sky over the course of a day by marking changes in the position of a shadow once each hour. Students determine the approximate time of solar noon at their school as indicated by the time of the shortest shadow. They revisit the site on a subsequent day to estimate the time of day using their sundial. ... Full description.

The purpose of this resource is to To observe seasonal migration patterns, feeding habits, and nesting behavior of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) in North and Central America. All students will learn about hummingbird natural history and ecology. Students will learn how to identify and age male and female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and to observe migration and feeding behavior. ... Full description.

The purpose of this resource is to develop an understanding of the relationship between budburst and the environment and to help students recognize actual budburst when they are doing the Green-Up protocol. Students will do simple explorations to observe the relationship between budburst and temperature. This is a winter or dry season activity to be done prior to green-up observations. Full description.

The purpose of this resource is to increase students' awareness of the qualitative changes in plants during green-up and green-down from which they will be collecting quantitative leaf change data, and to develop an understanding of the patterns and differences among plants at the same location. Students will observe, compare, and classify plants during green-up or green-down and then make inferences ... Full description.

The purpose of this resource is to develop an understanding of plants' response to light. Students will do simple investigations to observe plant responses to light. Full description.