The National Geographic Society's global energy debate lesson plan explores the controversial issues surrounding the energy debate in the United States. Students will research recent initiatives being taken in this area and analyze their implications. They will then assume the roles of pivotal stakeholders in this debate and testify to a mock congressional committee responsible for making decisions ... Full description.

This lesson familiarizes students with the different types of transnational pollution, and gives them an opportunity to role-play in a hypothetical case of transnational pollution involving the Danube River. The major goal of this activity is to show students that an incident in one nation may well have serious environmental consequences for other nations. Additionally, it will give students an opportunity ... Full description.

In this case study activity, students will investigate caffeine as a potential new pollutant in a northwest river system. Effects of caffeine on invertebrates and salmon fry will be explored through field work and lab work. This example page is part of the Starting Point collection and was adapted from the Lifelines Online case study. Users will find information including learning goals, context for ... Full description.

Through computer technology, students develop a paper topic (in this case, invasive species) with the assistance of additional students answering guided questions. This Starting Point website builds a context of use for this peer review activity by describing the learning goals, teaching notes and materials, and citing additional references and resources. Full description.

Through computer technology (WebCT, Blackboard), students develop a paper topic (in this case, the human impacts on sharks) that is peer reviewed by additional students answering guided questions. This Starting Point page details the learning goals, context of use, teaching materials, and assessment method for this activity. Also included are useful references and resources and topics discussed. Full description.

This site provides a description of a cabin in Tofte, MN on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The new owner of the cabin decided to remake it into a model of sustainable building practices. The site includes several dozen flash animations looking at sustainability from many angles as well as the specifics of the house and its surroundings. Full description.

This Ology game site contains rules and a board for a board game dealing with extinction, particularly the modern biodiversity crisis. The players need to read endangered species facts from the board to answer questions on the spaces that they land in so that they can progress. Users can follow links to what to do and materials needed for the game. Full description.

This MS Word document explains roles for a Planetary Climate role-playing exercise dealing with the atmospheres of Venus and the Earth. Roles include experts on coal, carbon dioxide, heat balance, spectroscopy, atmospheric transmission and the water cycle. Full description.

This sub-site contains a variety of resources to assist teachers using scenarios and activities from Exploring the Environment, an Earth system education site. The page includes links to planning, facilitating and assessing help, entry level modules, module notes, software, problem-based learning information, a discussion forum and links to other useful sites. The assessment section is particularly ... Full description.

This subsite of Exploring the Environment Teacher Pages provides a detailed description of problem-based learning as well as advice on how to teach using problem-based learning. The page highlights goals, objectives, learning and background and references related to problem-based learning. Users may also follow links to other parts of the Exploring the Environment website. Full description.