Modeling the Effects of Dam Removal on the Elwha River part of NAGT:Our Resources:Teaching Resources:Teaching Materials Collection
Students are introduced to the social and scientific issues surrounding the removal of the Glines Canyon Dam on the Elwha River, and conduct a hands-on experiment with real-world application to observe the effects ...

A Kinesthetic Demonstration for Locating Earthquake Epicenters part of NAGT:Our Resources:Teaching Resources:Teaching Materials Collection
A kinesthetic activity for students to understand the technique for locating the epicenter of an earthquake. It is performed indoors and outdoors in three lessons.

Mentos and soda eruptions- lessons on explosive volcanic eruptions part of NAGT:Our Resources:Teaching Resources:Teaching Materials Collection
Students participate in a popular experiment with Mentos candies and soda. This helps them learn about the scientific method, gas saturation, bubble nucleation, and explosive volcanic eruptions.

Urban Planning 101: Map Appreciation part of NAGT:Our Resources:Teaching Resources:Teaching Materials Collection
This is a synthesis activity, providing closure to river and/or map units. Students will begin by looking at a series of maps, including 3D maps. They will brainstorm ways the natural world may interact with humans ...

Rainwater Harvesting Service Learning Project part of Service Learning:Activities
× Students will gain an understanding of the history, benefits, and components of a rainwater harvesting system and partner with community members to design and build a rainwater harvesting system for their ...

From Grid to Home part of Energy:Energy Activities
This one-period classroom activity is designed to have students analyze energy use, cost, and source patterns from household to regional scales and relate these patterns to CO2 emissions. This idea was generated at ...

The Waves and Tsunamis Project part of NAGT:Our Resources:Teaching Resources:Teaching Materials Collection
How is a tsunami like a wave on a string? We assemble rubber bands, paper clips and washers into strings with various mass distributions to observe the effects on wave characteristics. The project is supplemented ...

Demonstrating Climate Change and the Water Cycle to Fifth Grade Students part of NAGT:Our Resources:Teaching Resources:Teaching Materials Collection
Demonstration of the greenhouse effect and its role in climate change, discussion of the phases of water and the water cycle, and a hands-on experiment to investigate the role of temperature in phase changes of ...

The Effect of Acid Rain on Seed Growth part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is an in class lab where students will compare different acid solutions on seed germination and growth.

Stream Study: An Investigation of an Aquatic Ecosystem part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field study where students gather data on a stream based upon their protocol. They will correlate their data with another group and present their results to the class. They will develop and defend in class a new experimental question for a spring study.

Watershed: Exploring Run-Off and Infiltration in the Classroom part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a classroom based inquiry activity where students will observe how water changes when it is moved through a variety of different mediums. Eventually, the students will take this model to the larger ideas of watershed in the community.

Investigating soil acidity: Comparing pH and buffering capacity of various soils part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this activity students investigate soil pH differences and buffering capacity as it relates to acid rain, interpret and present their findings, and develop a new, experimental question.

Combustion/Pollution part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Students observe a burning candle and the byproducts given off through the burning process. This observation leads to a discussion to the effects of air pollution on our lives.

Water Quality part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This is a field investigation in which students test water quality in 2-3 areas using their own testable question.

Density Differences part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this lab activity, students determine density differences of water samples with varying temperature and salinity levels. Students synthesize information to predict the effects of oil in given water samples.

Worm Farming and Composting part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a lab investigation where students design an experiment to create rich soil using organic matter, dirt, newspaper and red worms.

Our Friend the Worm! - Introducing Worm Composting into the Classroom part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is an introduction to setting up a composting worm bin in the classroom. It is part of a yearlong study on the interaction and influences that living system have on each other.

Sinking Water: A Connection With Glaciers, Ocean Currents and Weather Patterns part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This lesson has activities where students will learn about buoyancy and explore how hot water rises and cold water sinks. As an extension and real-life application, students will see that glacial run-off is occurring at a rapid pace and the cold glacial water could potentially change ocean currents thus influencing global climates.

Observational Skills: Observing and creating sketches of an outdoor environment part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this series of activities, students observe and sketch the environment outside their school using their senses. Students create a classroom book using one of their sketches.

Using Benthic Marcoinvertebrates Captured by Rock Baskets to Determine Biodiversity in a River. part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this ecology investigation, students will build and place rock baskets to collect benthic macroinvertebrates in a local waterway. They will observe and identify their macroinvertebrates and use the data to determine the pollution tolerance index for various areas of a river.