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 website contains details and activities about dinosaurs. It covers the geologic time periods during which dinosaurs existed, a web-quest for dinosaur information, quizzes and games about various dinosaur topics, and research starters for projects and activities. For teachers, there are lesson plan suggestions, assessment ideas, and details for using this site in the classroom as a project. Links ... 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.

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.

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.

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.

All of Earth's living things depend on healthy, life-sustaining ecosystems for their survival. But continued human population growth, combined with the planet's limited supply of natural resources, might generate disastrous consequences for our shared environment. This interactive quiz tests users' knowledge of demographics, population trends, consumption, and sources of environmental damage. Annotated ... Full description.

This is a series of interactive modules that explore the history of life on Earth, while focusing on the processes of science. Each module contains suggested lesson plans and an extensive teacher's guide. In addition, each module has a suggested grade level and an adaptable grade level. Full description.