In this lesson, students learn about meteors, meteorites, and comets by reading and discussing a related New York Times article about the Leonid meteor showers and the methods that scientists are using to learn from these meteors. Students then create and observe a comet in their classroom. Full description.

In this lesson, students assess the causes and effects of massive arsenic contamination in the water supplies of 43 of Bangladesh's 64 districts. Students evaluate why this contamination occurred, how it affects the population of Bangladesh, and why this environmental catastrophe is proving so difficult to solve. Full description.

In this lesson, students learn about the varying sizes of ocean waves, what causes such variation, and where to find giant waves. Students will learn the parts of a wave, and discuss wave height, wavelength, and wave period. They will explore variables that influence wave size through scientific visualizations. They will then experiment with creating waves on the National Geographic Wave Simulator ... Full description.

This lesson allows students to explore the importance of weather prediction and the Internet's role in changing the way weather is reported. By participating in an Internet scavenger hunt, students will come to a greater appreciation of the role Internet weather prediction plays in their own lives as well as the lives of people all over the world. Full description.

This lesson plan will help students to understand that the way a community disposes of its wastewater may negatively affect local aquatic habitats, that it is possible to find wastewater-disposal methods that do not pollute, and that both governments and citizens can take action to ensure that waste water will be disposed of in a way that is not destructive. As part of the lesson, students will discuss ... Full description.

In this lesson, students will identify rivers in their local area and compile information about aquatic life in or near these habitats. Through research in various books or other sources, the students will learn more about the various animal and plant species living in riparian areas. The compiled information can be assembled into a class book, combining both text and drawings related to aquatic life. ... Full description.

As part of this lesson plan, students will be asked to read a news article and to construct and explain theories for the decline of the water level of the Great Lakes. They should be able to locate the Great Lakes on a map, compare them to lakes in other parts of the world, hypothesize what might happen in the short term if global temperatures continue to rise, and to consider these seemingly contradictory ... Full description.

In this lesson, students create a community service advertising campaign that raises awareness about the importance of keeping trash out of the marine ecosystem. Students work in teams to create different ad campaigns geared toward particular target audiences and produce posters promoting their messages. Links to additional information and resources are also provided. Full description.

In this lesson, students research maps, weapons and weather from a variety of wars, then create a presentation showing the impact weather and topography has had on military operations. Full description.

With this lesson plan, students participate in a hands-on activity using a plastic bottle and other simple ingredients to learn the three factors required for cloud formation. Detailed Procedure and Materials, Vocabulary linked to an on-line glossary, and Teacher Notes are provided. This activity is related to the NASA CERES Students Cloud Observations Online (S'COOL) project. Full description.