Environmental Science

Science Literacy Project Standards-Based Curriculum (M)
"These activities allow students to use data from the Nature's Academy Citizen Science Database to observe trends in various environmental indicators (litter collected, weather patterns, dissolved oxygen levels, wind speed, and biodiversity). Students practice graphing, drawing conclusions from data, and presenting their results . . . Although this curriculum is aimed at students and teachers participating in the field trip program, the materials provided may prove to be a useful resource for many educators." From NOAA for grades 3-5

NOAA 8th Grade Science Days (O)
"From studying the oceans to solar flares, NOAA has researchers in a wide range of scientific topics. Put on your scientist hat and take your time to look around at the videos and activities we have prepared for you to see what it would be like to be one of our scientists in these various fields!" Topics are organized with videos from NOAA scientists to watch and are followed up with links to student activities. For broken student activity links, paste the link to the activity into the Internet Archive to access the content.

Underwater Robots (M,O,T)
Lessons for grades 6-8 and 9-12 that demonstrate key underwater robot concepts; additional video resources are available

Remotely Operated Vehicles Curriculum (M,O,T)
Environmental studies often require the use of ROVs (remotely-operated vehicles). "This curriculum introduces students to remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and careers in marine science and underwater archaeology. Through a variety of hands-on activities, using problem-based learning, students learn the science behind an ROV. They also work to solve real world problems, while learning about the engineering design process. Students design, build, and test an ROV, as they ready for competition. The curriculum can be used in its entirety or activities can be used independently as appropriate for individual teaching objectives."

Earth Genius Curriculum (Y,M,T)
This garden-based curriculum is "centered around three core concepts: waste, water, and food." Available in English and Spanish.

Use Dr. Seuss's The Lorax to Explore Environmental Issues  (M)
Students analyze the actions of a fictional character on his environment and suggest possible ways that the character could have made a less harmful impact on his environment. Grade 6-8.

Learning and Teaching about the Environment  (Y,M,O,T)
This website provides K-12 students and educators with access to quality homework resources, lesson plans and project ideas for learning and teaching about the environment. Environmental education (EE) is a multi-disciplinary approach to learning about environmental issues that enhances knowledge, builds critical thinking skills, and helps students make informed and responsible decisions.

Games, Quizzes and Other Cool Stuff!   (Y, M)
From the Environmental Protection Agency student resource site.

Coral Reefs

Coral Reefs Lesson Plans (M,O,T)
Two lesson plans with printables and activities to show "the ecology of coral reefs, natural and anthropogenic threats to corals, and the science of coral restoration." Designed for students to work in pairs.

Curriculum: Remote Sensing and Coral Reefs (M,O,T)
"Satellites have revolutionized communication, entertainment, and scientific monitoring. It becomes increasingly relevant for our 21st-century students to learn about these objects that hover around our planet. Satellite monitoring of the environment around coral reefs offers invaluable information to those working to preserve these unique ecosystems."

Deep Coral Communities Curriculum (O,T)
"This lesson focuses on the species found in deep-sea coral communities, the threats that face them and what individuals and communities can do help protect them."

Investigating Coral Bleaching (M,O,T)
"Through the lessons in this module, designed for grades 6-12, students are guided through the use of NOAA data (sea surface temperature and SST anomalies, coral bleaching hotspots, and degree heating weeks) to understand how scientists monitor coral bleaching events in order to determine what is happening to the health of coral reefs in the world's oceans."

Long-Term Reef Monitoring (M,O,T)
"Environmental monitoring is a challenging activity, especially underwater.  This activity will introduce students to the methods used for evaluating underwater habitats and the kinds of information that can be learned from those efforts. "

Marine Debris & Noise Pollution

Plastic, Plastic Everywhere (M,O,T)
"This lesson is intended to raise awareness of marine debris and its affect on our environment."

Activating Knowledge on Plastic Pollution (Y,M,O,T)
"Plastic Pollution and You, published by New York Sea Grant, is a 15-lesson curriculum focused on marine debris sources, impacts, and solutions."

An Educator's Guide to Marine Debris (Y,M,O,T)
"Designed as a stand-alone teaching tool or to supplement lessons for educators in both formal and informal settings. Appropriate for students grades K-12, with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) objectives." From NOAA

Trash Shouldn't Splash Toolkit (Y,M,O,T)
Starting on page 38 of this PDF are student lessons and activities for analyzing and reducing single-use plastics.

Washed Ashore: Ocean Conservation Lesson Plans (M,O,T)
Full science- and art-focused curriculum for grades 5-8 covering the science of plastics, where plastic comes from and where it goes, the scientific method, the science of oceanography and ocean-based transport, waste reduction through resourcefulness, use of visual art elements and principles, aesthetic scanning, visual art lessons and processes utilizing debris, active collaborative problem solving through artistic mediums, group science and art activities that illustrate “Every Action Counts,” social science and language art reflection to establish eco-friendly alternatives to plastic.

Winged Ambassadors: Ocean Literacy Through the Eyes of an Albatross (M,O,T)
"Albatrosses, charismatic and threatened seabirds, are ambassadors for a clean ocean because they traverse vast oceanic regions searching for floating food. Along their journeys, they ingest plastic trash and feed it to their chicks. These five lessons comprise new and modified activities, using inquiry-based science instruction, aligned to new standards for grades 6 – 8 with extensions for grades 9 – 12."

How Increased Ocean Noise Affects Whales (Y,M,T)
"Hands-on activities and a selection of videos will show students how increasing ocean noise affects whales and their ability to communicate with each other. Students will learn how whales communicate, how sound travels in waves, and how sound travels faster in water than in air. Students will also learn how the deployment and recovery of acoustic mooring devices help scientists measure ocean noise."

Wetlands and Water Science

At Home with the Bay Virtual Field Trip Series (Y,M,O,T)
"At Home With The Bay” is a virtual series of engaging environmental education lessons taught by Galveston Bay Foundation’s staff. Lessons include a lab, conservation craft, talk with a Bay biologist and an activity of the week. Each lesson comes with an accompanying activity guide."

Wetlands: Why Are They Endangered  (M,O)
Students explore the damaging effects of human environment interaction on wetlands. Grade 8-10

Water Science for Schools  (Y,M,O,T)
From the USGS, this educator resource has lesson plans, student worksheets, posters, interactive diagrams, quizzes, and more.

Monitoring Estuarine Water Quality (M,O,T)
"In this module, designed for grades 6-8, students engage with an interactive graphing tool to explore parameters such as nutrients, temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and in some cases, contaminants. Students are guided through the use of these data to understand relationships between parameters, and the effect that water quality has on estuarine organisms."

Estuary Resources for Educators (T)
Resources for K-12 covering a variety of topics related to estuaries

Climate Change

Here on Earth: Climate Change (T)
Resources for understanding and teaching climate change

Sea Level Rise (M,O,T)
This module "informs about sea level rise, its causes, and impacts; and challenges students to think about what they can do in response. This module features an integrated educational package of grade level-appropriate (6-12) instruction and activities centered on a 23-minute video presentation." From NASA's JPL and NOAA's National Ocean Service

Understanding Ocean & Coastal Acidification (O,T)
"Through the lessons in this module, designed for grades 9-12, students will explore relationships between carbon dioxide, ocean pH and aragonite saturation state. By examining these parameters using interactive graphs and models, students can predict whether ocean conditions support the growth and survival of shell-building marine life, both now and in the future."

Ocean Acidification: Dungeness Crab Case Study (T)
"This communication toolkit is designed for educators and communicators to use to teach others about the impact of ocean acidification on Dungeness crab. The toolkit includes: fact sheet; infographic; PowerPoint slideshow with script; reference list; resource list; public domain video B-roll; and public domain images."

Climate Resilience in Your Community Activity Book (M,O)
"In these activities, you will learn all about community resilience [to environmental hazards like floods, wildfires, extreme heat, and more] and discover ways that you can make a difference." From NOAA for grades 3-8

Investigating Sea Level (M,O,T)
In these lessons for grades 6-12, students are "guided through the use of NOAA data (sea level and tide data from NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services) to understand how scientists monitor sea levels in order to determine the effect of sea level changes on coastal communities."

Investigating El Niño (M,O,T)
"In this module, designed for 6-12th grade classrooms, students evaluate changes in sea surface temperature over space and time and investigate how El Niño affects phytoplankton & species distribution in the eastern Pacific Ocean."

Conservation

The World's Biomes  (Y,M,O,T)
Biomes are defined as "the world's major communities, classified according to the predominant vegetation and characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular environment"

Journey 2050  (M,O,T)
Journey 2050 takes students on a virtual farm simulation that explores world food sustainability. Using an inquiry based approach the program encourages students to make decisions and adjust them as they see their impact on society, the environment and the economy at a local and global scale. The students hear from farmers across the globe. As the student interacts with each family they learn the role of best management practices in feeding the world, reducing environmental impacts and in improving social performance through greater access to education, medical care and community infrastructure. Our Journey to feeding the world has started.