This program is designed to allow students opportunities for classroom and field study, to gather real world scientific data and draw conclusions based on the data. There is also provision to enter data online and to retrieve and graph longitudinal trends. There are links to basic and advanced protocols, classroom activities, and k-12 curriculum ties. One link leads to an image index with photographs ... Full description.

The site offers an interactive discussion of different vantage points associated with dam building. It describes some of the engineering and environmental issues that go into the process of selecting a site for building a dam and the conditions necessary for electrical generation. Links to classroom and family activities are organized by grade level. Full description.

In this lesson students will identify and interpret different types of maps. Following a group introduction, they will work in cooperative groups to compare and contrast information provided by maps. This activity is an introduction for a more in-depth evaluation. Students will also learn the following vocabulary words: commercial, cultivated, deciduous, herbaceous, industrial, and residential. This ... Full description.

This activity is used as an end of the year project to summarize what the students have learned about the human effect on the earth. It is intended to provide a greater perspective on the subject through student interviews of other people (parents and grandparents) on the topics that they have learned about. The students will come up with a list of interview questions and conduct three interviews ... Full description.

This activity is an encapsulated method for teaching population dynamics, conservation, and the effects of overpopulation on planet resources. It provides an introduction to the Malthusian hypothesis of arithmetic food production growth and exponential human population growth. Discussion and essay ideas, a film, a song, and a game are incorprated into the activity. Full description.

This activity will allow students to develop a model of the mathematical nature of population growth. The investigation provides an excellent opportunity for consideration of the population growth of plant and animal species and the resultant stresses that contribute to natural selection. Students will discover that populations grow or decline through the combined effects of births and deaths and ... Full description.

Mission Geography uses existing NASA data and images where possible to engage students in active, hands-on inquiry, modeling the scientific method and developing students' understanding of environment-society relations and Earth science. This module focuses on Earth as our home and investigates the physical and human landscapes in which we live. Students learn that the world's population is unevenly ... Full description.

Humans depend on freshwater for drinking as well as for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses. Careless and wasteful use of this renewable but high-demand natural resource contributes to water depletion. This video segment provides a look at a house in Tuscon, Arizona that is equipped with water conservation devices that cut its household water consumption in half. There is also discussion of ... Full description.

This six week project asks students to create a webpage about one of the following regions: desert, prairie, plains, forest, or mountains. Topics include regional climate, weather, agriculture, species, and environmental issues. This project combines students' research abilities with writing and speaking skills as they present their complete webpages to their classmates. The site provides links to ... Full description.

In this activity students will identify places with night lighting all around the globe and hypothesize what these bright areas indicate. The teacher will ask students what they think their city or town looks like from space - especially at night. Students who have flown on an airplane at night will have a good idea. The students will discover what it is like to fly over the Earth, and map the night ... Full description.