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Lesson Plans & Activities

Peer-reviewed, classroom-ready NGSS-aligned lesson plans, activities, data puzzles, virtual field trips, and design challenges covering environmental hazards, climate change, mental health, Earth systems, community resilience, and more.  

Lesson Plans & Activities

Cartoon graphic of young people embracing with a speech bubble that says "Earn the We are Water Patch!" and the We are Water logo
Watershed Stewardship Patch Activity

Earn a We Are Water Patch by becoming familiar with your local watershed!

 We can be good watershed stewards by taking positive actions that will help to ensure the watershed’s healthy functions. In this activity, students learn how to be good watershed stewards and become familiar with their local watershed through observation, positive action, and community engagement.
Scout Patch/Badge
STEAM Activity
Action Project
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
We are Water logo with birds and a sun and the subtitle, "connecting communities" on the bottom.
Cartoon graphic of young people embracing with a speech bubble that says "¡Obtén el Parche de Somos el Agua!" and the Somos el agua logo
Actividad del parche sé protector de la cuenca | Watershed Stewardship Patch Activity

Earn a We Are Water Patch by becoming familiar with your local watershed!

 We can be good watershed stewards by taking positive actions that will help to ensure the watershed’s healthy functions. In this activity, students learn how to be good watershed stewards and become familiar with their local watershed through observation, positive action, and community engagement.
Scout Patch/Badge
STEAM Activity
Action Project
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
We are Water logo with birds and a sun and the subtitle, "connecting communities" on the bottom.
Cartoon graphic of a young girl and boy dressed as superheros and the text "BE A WATER ECOSYSTEM HERO! Battle Water Pollution in a collaborative game and get outside to Find a Pollinator"
Be a Water Ecosystem Hero Take & Make Kit

This Take & Make Kit will help you become a water ecosystem hero that can battle water pollution, protect our rivers, and recognize pollinators in your local environment! 

 Student's work together to protect a river from water pollution in a collaborative board game, search for evidence of pollinators in their backyard, and learn about the connections between water, pollution and pollinators.
Game
eBook
STEAM Activity
Elementary School
Middle School
We are Water logo with birds and a sun and the subtitle, "connecting communities" on the bottom.
Cartoon graphic of a young girl and boy dressed as superheros and the text "¡SÉ UN HÉROE DEL ECOSISTEMA DEL AGUA! Combate la contaminación del agua jugando en equipo y sal de casa para Buscar un Polinizador"
Sé un héroe del ecosistema del agua | Be a Water Ecosystem Hero Take & Make Kit

This Take & Make Kit will help you become a water ecosystem hero that can battle water pollution, protect our rivers, and recognize pollinators in your local environment! 

 Combate la contaminación del agua jugando en equipo y sal de casa para buscar un polinizador.
Game
eBook
STEAM Activity
Elementary School
Middle School
We are Water logo with birds and a sun and the subtitle, "connecting communities" on the bottom.
Emperor penguin colony gathers tightly together on dark blue snow
Antarctic Life & Albedo

This is the third lesson of a five-part curriculum about Antarctic physical environments and ecosystems. 

 In this lesson, students explore the importance of albedo (or reflectivity) to penguins and the surfaces they inhabit and learn how penguin colonies may be mapped using satellites.
Lesson
Virtual field trip
STEAM Activity
Middle School
High School
University/College
Alpine tundra vegetation with large boulder with snowy mountain range in the background
Exploring the Arctic

This is the first activity of a three-part curriculum about Arctic climate; the activities may be used independently or in sequence.

 This activity introduces students to the Arctic and Arctic climate. Through a virtual exploration of the geography of the Arctic students become familiar with the region. They are then introduced to meteorological parameters that Arctic research teams use.
Lesson
STEAM Activity
Middle School
High School
University/College
Soil erosion shows roots of trees by side of road, trees are gray and so is the ground
Soil Percolation: Where Does the Rain Go?

Project EXTREMES lessons were written to be stand alone lessons but can be incorporated into a larger unit.

 This lesson activity has students conduct an experiment that reinforces one component of the water cycle.
Lesson
STEAM Activity
Elementary School
Extremes
Illustration of two people high-fiving in a work environment

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