In this module, students pretend they have been hired as an environmental consulting firm to deliver testimony for the hearing to develop a mercury pollution reduction plan for the State. In order to accomplish this task their consulting company must: inventory and assess current sources of mercury pollution to the extent feasible, including both (fictitious) Ramford County and regional sources of ... Full description.

This is one unit from "Turning the Tide on Trash: A Learning Guide on Marine Debris," an interdisciplinary guide designed to provide maximum flexibility in the classroom. The guide can be used as a stand-alone teaching tool, or individual activities may be used to supplement work in other subject areas. This unit covers the effects of marine debris, including impacts on marine organisms, coastal areas, ... Full description.

In this activity students investigate fish species with spines capable of injecting venom. They discover that the ability is nearly always a protective mechanism, but is occasionally used for incapacitating prey and that the spines may be concealed, as in the stonefish, or displayed as a warning, as in the lionfish. Students learn that venoms represent some of the most complex chemical compounds in ... Full description.

This tutorial explains the steps of primary treatment of wastewater: screening, pumping, aeration and grit removal, primary settling of sludge, removing scum, and chlorine treatment for disinfection. Alternative primary treatments such as using Water Hyacinth to remove heavy metals and pumping wastewater through artificial marshes are also described. A short quiz is available. Full description.

This lesson is designed to help students apply the pollution prevention (P2) concept in school. The background material spotlights activities and areas throughout the school that generate pollutants and wastes and presents checklists of actions based on P2 to counter them. The lesson plan provides guidance and activities that help students to explain where waste and pollutants are generated in the ... Full description.

In this activity, students visualize how much solid waste is generated for each person in Wisconsin. They come to understand how the number of people living in their state and country affects the amount of trash generated. They also learn about the environmental and social effects of trash disposal. Full description.

In this activity, to get an idea what the lives of Antarctic researchers are like, students will demonstrate their understanding of the roles and responsibilities of United States Antarctic Project participants. They will review a list of occupations at the station and put them in categories. In addition students will problem-solve an emergency situation specific to the operation of Palmer Station. ... Full description.

This poster can assist students in understanding how everyday occurrences can affect their drinking water. It highlights risks to drinking water that come in many forms, such as municipal and industrial discharges, recreational activities or simply natural conditions and events. It provides a detailed graphic description of these risks and the barriers in place to help ensure the safety of our drinking ... Full description.

These experiments use simple materials to prove that a lot of one's body heat escapes from one's head and that wearing a hat stops some of this heat loss. In addition, students consider how sitting directly on cold ground will cause one to lose heat faster than sitting on insulating material. Full description.

In this activity, students describe the positive effects that trees have on air quality and determine how to landscape a home with trees to decrease energy use. Students will draw a map of their yard or school site showing the location of trees and check a leaf of each tree for particulates. They will then make observations on several different days to determine which trees save energy and draw on ... Full description.