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Standard 17 : Interdependence
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A. The distribution and abundance of organisms is determined by the interactions between
organisms, and between organisms and the non-living environment.
B. Energy and nutrients move within and between biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems
via physical, chemical and biological processes.
C. Human activities and natural events can have profound effects on populations, biodiversity
and ecosystem processes.
Number: SC.912.L.17
Title: Interdependence
Type: Standard
Subject: Science
Grade: 912
Body of Knowledge: Life Science
Related Benchmarks
Code
SC.912.L.17.1:
SC.912.L.17.2:
Description
Discuss the characteristics of populations, such as number of
individuals, age structure, density, and pattern of distribution.
Remarks/Examples:
Florida Standards Connections: MAFS.K12.MP.7: Look
for and make use of structure.
Explain the general distribution of life in aquatic systems as a
function of chemistry, geography, light, depth, salinity, and
temperature.
SC.912.L.17.3:
SC.912.L.17.4:
SC.912.L.17.5:
SC.912.L.17.6:
SC.912.L.17.7:
SC.912.L.17.8:
Discuss how various oceanic and freshwater processes, such as
currents, tides, and waves, affect the abundance of aquatic
organisms.
Describe changes in ecosystems resulting from seasonal
variations, climate change and succession.
Analyze how population size is determined by births, deaths,
immigration, emigration, and limiting factors (biotic and
abiotic) that determine carrying capacity.
Remarks/Examples:
Annually assessed on Biology EOC. Also assesses
SC.912.L.17.2 SC.912.L.17.4 SC.912.L.17.8
SC.912.N.1.4.
Compare and contrast the relationships among organisms,
including predation, parasitism, competition, commensalism,
and mutualism.
Characterize the biotic and abiotic components that define
freshwater systems, marine systems and terrestrial systems.
Recognize the consequences of the losses of biodiversity due to
catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity, and the
introduction of invasive, non-native species.
Use a food web to identify and distinguish producers,
consumers, and decomposers. Explain the pathway of energy
transfer through trophic levels and the reduction of available
energy at successive trophic levels.
SC.912.L.17.9:
Remarks/Examples:
Annually assessed on Biology EOC. Also assesses
SC.912.E.7.1.
SC.912.L.17.10:
SC.912.L.17.11:
SC.912.L.17.12:
Diagram and explain the biogeochemical cycles of an
ecosystem, including water, carbon, and nitrogen cycle.
Evaluate the costs and benefits of renewable and nonrenewable
resources, such as water, energy, fossil fuels, wildlife, and
forests.
Discuss the political, social, and environmental consequences of
sustainable use of land.
Remarks/Examples:
Integrate HE.912.C.1.3. Evaluate how environment and
personal health are interrelated.
SC.912.L.17.13:
SC.912.L.17.14:
SC.912.L.17.15:
SC.912.L.17.16:
SC.912.L.17.17:
SC.912.L.17.18:
SC.912.L.17.19:
SC.912.L.17.20:
Discuss the need for adequate monitoring of environmental
parameters when making policy decisions.
Assess the need for adequate waste management strategies.
Discuss the effects of technology on environmental quality.
Discuss the large-scale environmental impacts resulting from
human activity, including waste spills, oil spills, runoff,
greenhouse gases, ozone depletion, and surface and
groundwater pollution.
Remarks/Examples:
Integrate HE.912.C.1.3. Evaluate how environment and
personal health are interrelated and, HE.912.C.1.5.
Analyze strategies for prevention, detection, and treatment
of communicable and chronic diseases.
Assess the effectiveness of innovative methods of protecting the
environment.
Describe how human population size and resource use relate to
environmental quality.
Describe how different natural resources are produced and how
their rates of use and renewal limit availability.
Predict the impact of individuals on environmental systems and
examine how human lifestyles affect sustainability.
Remarks/Examples:
Annually assessed on Biology EOC. Also assesses
SC.912.L.17.11, SC.912.L.17.13, SC.912.N.1.3.
Related Access Points
Independent
Access Point Number
SC.912.L.17.In.4:
SC.912.L.17.In.5:
SC.912.L.17.In.6:
Access Point Title
Recognize possible changes in an ecosystem (biodiversity) that
can result from natural catastrophic events, changes in climate,
and human activity.
Identify the components of a food web, including sunlight,
producers, consumers, and decomposers, and trace the flow of
energy from the Sun.
Identify the contributions of non-living elements, such as carbon
and oxygen, to maintaining life in an ecosystem.
SC.912.L.17.In.7:
SC.912.L.17.In.8:
SC.912.L.17.In.1:
SC.912.L.17.In.2:
SC.912.L.17.In.3:
Identify types of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources
and explain the need for conservation.
Describe ways the lifestyles of individuals and groups can help
or hurt the environment.
Recognize that living things in oceans and fresh water are
affected by the location, availability of light, depth of the water,
and temperature.
Identify that living things in an ecosystem are affected by
changes in the environment, such as changes to the food supply,
climate change, or the introduction of predators.
Identify relationships among organisms, including helping each
other (mutualism); obtaining food (predation); benefiting at the
expense of the other (parasitism); and competing with each
other for food, space, or shelter (competition).
Supported
Access Point Number
SC.912.L.17.Su.4:
SC.912.L.17.Su.5:
SC.912.L.17.Su.6:
SC.912.L.17.Su.7:
SC.912.L.17.Su.8:
SC.912.L.17.Su.1:
SC.912.L.17.Su.2:
SC.912.L.17.Su.3:
Access Point Title
Recognize changes in living things (biodiversity) that can result
from natural catastrophic events and human activity.
Identify producers, consumers, and decomposers in a simple
food chain.
Identify that clean water and air are important for supporting
life in an ecosystem.
Identify a way to conserve a familiar, nonrenewable, natural
resource.
Identify ways individuals can help the environment.
Recognize that living things in bodies of water are affected by
the location and depth of the water.
Recognize how animals and plants in an ecosystem may be
affected by changes to the food supply or climate.
Recognize that organisms can interact with other organisms in
an ecosystem to help each other (mutualism), to obtain food
(predation), and to benefit at expense of the other (parasitism).
Participatory
Access Point Number
SC.912.L.17.Pa.4:
SC.912.L.17.Pa.5:
SC.912.L.17.Pa.6:
Access Point Title
Recognize actions that are harmful to living things.
Recognize that animals (consumers) eat animals and plants for
food.
Recognize the importance of clean water for living things.
SC.912.L.17.Pa.7:
SC.912.L.17.Pa.1:
SC.912.L.17.Pa.2:
SC.912.L.17.Pa.3:
Recognize a way to help the local environment.
Recognize common living things in bodies of water.
Recognize what happens to plants and animals when they
don’t get enough food or water.
Recognize examples of mutual relationships between people
and other living things.
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Los Angeles in the
1940s and became a
problem for
decades. Scientists
were able to figure
out the cause of
smog only after
intensive study of
organic compounds
in the air. After
discovering that
nitrogen oxides from
car exhaust were a
primary ingredient
in smog, it took
years of policy
changes and
industrial innovation
to reduce air
pollution and
resolve the smog
issue in LA and
worldwide.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
reintroduction of
wolves into
Yellowstone has
resulted in many
changes in the
ecosystem. Before
the wolves were
reintroduced, large
elk populations
destroyed aspen and
willow trees,
preventing their
reproduction. Since
wolves were
reintroduced, elk
have had to change
their browsing
Introduced Species: The Threat to Biodiversity & What Can Be Done:
Invasive Lionfish Diet Could Impact Native Coral Reef Fishes:
behavior, allowing
some vegetation to
recover in certain
areas. This has
affected many other
species, including
beavers, birds, fish
and insects.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content
area. Invasive
species are a global
threat to biodiversity
for many reasons.
This article outlines
the scope of the
problem, explaining
how invasive
species are
impacting native
flora and fauna and
offering potential
solutions to prevent
their spread.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
article explains how
lionfish, an invasive
species in Atlantic
waters, is
threatening
ecosystems there.
The voracious diet
of the lionfish will
likely affect native
species and the
commercial fishing
industry.
Invasive Pythons Put Squeeze on Everglades' Animals:
Is Large-Scale Production of Biofuel Possible?:
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. This
interesting article
about Burmese
pythons in the
Everglades
showcases the effect
one invasive species
has on a local
ecosystem and
habitat. This is a
great way to discuss
invasive species in
the classroom and
explore the causes
and effects on
biodiversity.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. Is
large-scale
production of
biofuel possible?
The author attempts
to answer this key
question. As the
world seeks to
decrease its
dependence on
petroleum fuel by
genetically
engineering certain
crops, there is the
potential to
commercially
produce biofuels.
Plant sources for
bioenergy, the
harnessing of plant
bioenergy, and the
sustainability of the
Jaguar Corridor Lights Up Eastern Colombia:
Low-Oxygen "Dead Zones" in North Pacific Linked to Past Ocean
Warming:
industry are all
issues considered in
this text. The article
discusses both
environmental and
economic
consequences.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
text describes how
predation of
domestic cattle by
jaguars in Colombia
was becoming
increasingly
common due in part
to deforestation. A
conservation
program was
implemented to
create a corridor for
jaguars to pass
through, keeping the
jaguars separated
from the farms and
livestock and
allowing them a
natural pathway to
cross through the
Andes Mountains to
eastern Colombia.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
text describes the
results of a recent
study that has found
a link between past
ocean warming and
the onset of "dead
zones" in the Pacific
Mercury-Laden Fog Swirls over Coastal California, Scientists Find:
New Zealand Announces Plan to Wipe Out Invasive Predators:
Oceans May Absorb More Carbon Dioxide:
Ocean off Oregon
and Washington.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
article discusses the
research conducted
on the amounts of
methyl mercury
found in fog
samples. Two
different studies
were conducted, and
both indicate that
fog is a major
contributor and
source of the
presence of methyl
mercury in an inland
environment.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
text explains the
new Zealand
government's plan to
eliminate invasive
predators from the
country by 2050 and
the challenges that
may be involved in
reaching this goal.
The article also
describes the effects
the predators have
had on the native
wildlife to date.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
Oil Found in Gulf Beach Sand, Even after Cleanups:
Open-Cycle:
Organic Fruit and Veggies Help This Farmer-Mom Save Money and
Forests in Bangladesh:
content area. This
article is about
plankton and how
they use nutrients
like carbon dioxide
based on where the
plankton are living.
This informational
text is intended to
support reading in
the content area.
This article
discusses the unseen
effects from the
Gulf oil spill which
lie beneath the
surface of the
"clean" sand along
the Gulf Coast of the
United States.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. This
text describes the
open cycle method
of converting the
energy of warmed,
surface seawater
into electricity and
the benefits of using
this method.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
text describes how
people in
Bangladesh are
using homestead
farming to provide
for their families,
while
Panama Canal: Superhighway for Invasive Species?:
Panel’s Warning on Climate Risk: Worst Is Yet to Come:
simultaneously
contributing to
preserving local
forests. With the
help of USAID,
farmers are using
higher-yielding
seeds and cultivating
crops using organic
fertilizers and
composting. The
demand for food
grown without
pesticides and
nourished by
compost helps the
homestead farmers
to make enough
money to improve
their standard of
living, while helping
the environment at
the same time.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
article describes the
effects the Panama
Canal expansion
may have on the
number of invasive
species introduced
to the East Coast
and Gulf Coast of
the United States.
The article explains
how ballast water
and wet surface
areas are the two
ways the invasive
species can travel
from port to port.
This informational
text resource is
Parasites: Rulers of the Reef:
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
article describes a
report by the
Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate
Change, which
summarizes the
many
environmental,
climatic, social, and
economic effects of
global warming that
are already
occurring and will
continue to take
place. The report
also predicts the
environmental and
socio-economic
effects of climate
change that will
occur in the
upcoming decades,
especially those that
will affect poorer
countries.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
text informs readers
about the influence
of parasites on
damselfish, a coral
reef species. The
author explains how
his team determined
the reason for the
consistent behavior
of damselfish
leaving their
aggressively
guarded territory
Peering into the Secret World of Life Beneath Winter Snows:
each morning to go
to a cleaning station.
Through the
scientist describing
how his research
lead to new
observations that
lead to new
questions and
research, the text is
a good example of
how scientific
investigations are
conducted, including
working
collaboratively and
communicating
important results.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
text describes a new
field of researchers
called winter
ecologists who are
examining the
effects of warmer
winters caused by
climate change. The
text describes how
snow creates an
insulating layer for
the living organisms
below the snow.
When that insulating
layer is thinner, due
to increased global
temperatures, the
organisms suffer
colder temperatures,
stress, and even
death. Winter
ecologists are trying
to learn more about
Peru Billboard Doubles Up as an Air Purifier:
Peru's Melting Glaciers Teach Community "to Be Strong in the Face of
the Changes":
this layer, which is
called the
subnivium, and how
organisms are
responding to these
changes.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area.
Students at a
university in Peru
have erected a
billboard near a
construction site that
filters air. It uses
water to rid the air
of pollutants like
dust, bacteria, and
even metal particles.
This innovative
billboard purifies the
same amount of air
as 12,000 trees! The
billboard uses
recycled air and
takes little energy to
work. The
embedded video
shows the impact on
the construction
workers who are
near the billboard.
This informational
text is resource
designed to help
support reading in
the content area. The
article discusses the
impact of climate
change (global
warming) on the
tropical glaciers in
Peru. It focuses on
providing a
Pesticides Spark Broad Biodiversity Loss:
description of how
Peruvians depend
upon the glaciers
and the impact that
the melting of the
glaciers could have
in the future. The
author also
emphasizes
USAID's role in
working with
Peruvians to help
them develop plans
to deal with the
possible loss of the
glaciers
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. This
article is about how
agricultural
pesticides are
contributing to the
biodiversity loss of
invertebrates.
Research teams
examined streams in
broad regions to
study the effects of
pesticides in those
ecosystems. Up to
42% fewer species
were discovered in
streams that were
highly
contaminated. In
another study, it was
found that
neonicotinoid
insecticides
accumulate in the
soil at levels that kill
soil invertebrates.
Plankton: Doing More than just Drifting Through:
Plant vs. Predator:
Polar Bears Across the Arctic Face Shorter Sea Ice Season:
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
article describes
how "climate
change around the
world is having
numerous impacts
on the oceans, and a
major concern is
how plankton is
being affected."
Ecologist Daniel
Janzen of the
University of
Pennsylvania
describes how this
plant's strategy came
about and what's in
it—both good and
bad—for the
bamboo, the rats and
other predators, and
anyone living
nearby.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. Polar
bears are among the
animals most
affected by the
seasonal and yearto-year decline in
Arctic sea ice,
because they rely on
ice for essential
activities such as
hunting, traveling,
and breeding. A new
research study has
confirmed this
finding.
Polar Bears and Climate Change:
Prairie Dogs Are Serial Killers That Murder Their Competition:
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. Polar
bears are highly
specialized to living
on sea ice in the
Arctic including
their dependence on
two species of seals.
Therefore, scientists
expect polar bears to
be greatly affected
by climate changes
due to their habitat
(reduced sea ice)
and prey
availability. These
effects include
increased
movement, fewer
den areas, and
decreased prey
access, which are
predicted to have a
variety of negative
consequences on
polar bears in the
future.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
article discusses the
discovery of the
white-tailed prairie
dog murdering
ground squirrels in
cold blood in order
to eliminate the
competition for
food. The article
further highlights
how the killings of
Protecting the Honey-Bearers:
Puffins in Peril:
Rangers Use Artificial Intelligence to Fight Poachers:
the squirrels benefit
the prairie dog
offspring.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
article discusses the
problem of declining
honey bee
populations in the
United States and
lists the possible
factors involved.
The text then
describes the study
on African honey
bees to determine if
there are genetic or
physiological causes
in their response to
the Varroa parasite.
Researchers are
hoping the data they
gather will help
them improve
breeding programs
or management
practices in U.S. bee
populations.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
text describes the
challenges the puffin
faces - including
possible extinction due to global
climate change.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
text discusses the
design of an
artificial intelligence
(AI) technology
called PAWS that
was designed as a
tool to help wildlife
officials stop
poachers. PAWS
uses data about
previous poaching
activities and
analyzes the data to
create smart and
efficient routes for
wildlife officers to
use while looking
for poaching
activity.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
Reconsidering the Value of Non-Native Species:
article describes the
role (negative and
positive) non-native
species play in
ecosystems.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. This
article describes the
causes and potential
Report: Polluted Farm Runoff Linked to Toxic Green Algae Slime in U.S.
effects of toxin
Waters:
cyanobacteria
blooms that have
occurred in bodies
of water in the
United States. The
blooms are affecting
water quality, killing
wildlife, and
threatening human
health (including
causing death and
illness) across the
United States.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
article discusses the
relationship between
phytoplankton and
Research Spotlights a Previously Unknown Microbial 'Drama' Playing in different bacteria in
the Southern Ocean:
the Southern Ocean.
The text goes on to
describe the results
and how they
changed previous
ideas and
assumptions about
the needs of
phytoplankton.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
text explains how
scientists are
working with the
National Science
Foundation (NSF) to
Revealing the Ocean's Hidden Fertilizer:
explore the role of
phosphorus, and
specifically the
phosphorus cycle, in
marine ecosystems.
The author explains
what is known about
the topic, what
research was done,
what conclusions
were drawn, and the
importance of the
scientists' findings.
An online passage
which addresses the
Health and
Risks of Genetic Engineering:
Environmental risks
of genetic
engineering.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. This is
a fascinating article
about the large role
one tiny organism
plays in its
ecosystem. The
Salamander's Hefty Role in the Ecosystem:
author explores the
predatory habits of
the salamander, how
this amphibian can
affect the carbon
cycle, and the
changes that have
been taking place in
the salamander
populations over
time.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
text describes how
jellyfish populations
Scientists Discover Stinging Truths About Jellyfish Blooms in the Bering in the Bering Sea
Sea:
have been impacted
by different limiting
factors like
temperature and
food availability.
Scientists suspect
that increasing water
temperatures affect
Sea Turtles: Ancient Creatures with Modern Problems:
the development of
polyps in multiple
ways. In addition,
the study is a multidisciplinary effort
between experts in
marine ecology,
statistics, and the
mathematical
geosciences. It is
thought such models
may be applied to
other marine and
land-based
ecological studies
and the spread of
infectious diseases.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. How
could an ancient
creature have
modern problems?
The author makes
the point that the
long history of sea
turtle exploitation
has led to the current
threats sea turtles
are facing. The
content includes:
fossil record
evidence, a
description of the
diversity of species,
life cycle and
habitats, human
contribution to their
decline in numbers,
global hazards,
management and
conservation by
various researchers
and regulatory laws,
Seahorse Heads Have a 'No Wake Zone' That's Made for Catching Prey:
Seeking Zika: Where and When Will Zika-Carrying Mosquitoes Strike
Next?:
and suggestions for
citizens to help
conservation efforts.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
article explains how
seahorse heads are
specialized to
eliminate vibrations
in the water, which
might alert prey to
their presence.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
text describes
current research into
the mosquitoes that
carry the Zika virus,
with the ultimate
goal of using the
research to predict
and possibly prevent
future outbreaks.
Scientists are
studying three towns
in Ecuador by
collecting data to
help them discover
the socioeconomic
and environmental
factors that put
people most at risk
for diseases carried
by the Aedes
aegypti mosquito,
including the Zika
virus. The scientists
are also examining
how virus
transmission by
Some Ducks Let Young Be Raised by Relatives:
Spider Venom Could Yield Eco-Friendly Insecticides:
these mosquitoes
may be affected by
climate change.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. This
text is a news article
describing three
reproductive
strategies of
goldeneye ducks.
The text provides
evidence regarding
the reasons for such
behaviors and also
notes how the
hypotheses
regarding them have
changed over time.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. A
biochemist is
studying spider
venom to see if it
can be used to
control agricultural
pests. The venom is
harmless to
vertebrates but kills
insects that may kill
crops. If successful,
the spider venom
could be used to
replace chemical
pesticides that are
harmful to humans,
wildlife, and the
environment. In
addition, insects that
destroy crops are
becoming resistant
Stronger Storms are Bad News for Coastal Ecosystems:
Sustainable Farming:
Text Resource - Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide:
to these chemical
insecticides but
would not be
resistant to
bioinsecticides.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
article explains the
effect that strong
storms have on
coastal ecosystems.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. By
compiling
information from the
U.S. Department of
Agriculture, this text
briefly discusses the
history of
sustainable land use
before moving into
an in-depth
discussion of the
consequences of
conventional
farming and the
ways sustainable
farming might
improve these
conditions.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
article describes the
possible effects on
the planet due to the
rise in carbon
dioxide in the
atmosphere,
especially the
implications for
climate change.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. It is
designed to
introduce the ideas
and the research
history of
bioremediation
studies performed
Text Resource: Bioremediation: Nature's Way to a Cleaner Environment: by the USGS
scientists. This text
begins with an
environmental spill
and moves into the
progress gained in
cost effective and
safe cleanup of toxic
substances from the
environment using
research completed
by the USGS.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. Human
activities, mainly the
use of fertilizer, are
overloading
Text Resource: Too Much of a Good Thing: Human Activities Overload ecosystems with
Ecosystems with Nitrogen:
nitrogen. Nitrogen is
a dynamic cycle that
is mediated by
bacteria. Humans
have been
contributing to the
nitrogen cycle
through synthetic
nitrogen fixation.
Text Resource: USGS Science for an El Niño Winter:
The Certainty of Climate Change:
This has resulted in
eutrophication of
aquatic systems and
greenhouse gas
emissions. Methods
to increase the
efficiency of
nitrogen fertilizer
use are discussed.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. El
Niño is known to
cause weather
disturbances,
however, its impact
on winter storms
causes a slew of
additional
complications when
coupled with rising
ocean levels
instigated by global
warming. The
USGS reviews the
effects, efforts to
study the
phenomena, and
hints at ways to plan
strategically for
them in this timely
article.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. Our
Earth’s temperatures
have increased over
time and scientists
are attributing this to
human activities.
The Hidden World under Our Feet:
The Importance of Wastewater Treatment :
The Indian River Lagoon: An Estuary of National Significance:
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
article discusses the
contribution that soil
biodiversity has to
the larger
ecosystem. It
addresses the
consequences of the
loss of soil
biodiversity
resulting from
human activity.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content
area. Wastewater is
being dumped into
rivers, streams, and
oceans, affecting not
only the marine
environment but
also water quality in
general. Better
treatment processes
are needed before
this contaminated
waste reaches our
waterways. The
article points out the
problems faced by
specific countries
and their need for
better management.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. What
is the Indian River
Lagoon? Why is the
The Infinite Struggle Against Invasive Species in the Galapagos:
lagoon an estuary of
“national
significance?” What
are some of the
environmental
challenges the
lagoon faces? These
questions represent
interesting and
relevant content
explored in this
informative text
about one of
Florida’s most
important
estuaries. The text
also has the
potential to be used
as an anchor text to
segue into further
areas of inquiry such
as the role of water
management
districts, restoration
initiatives, and the
death of wildlife on
the Indian River
Lagoon.
The Galapagos
Islands provide
some of the most
unique flora and
fauna in the world,
and the islands have
served as a hot spot
for modern
evolutionary theory,
thanks to the work
of Charles Darwin.
However, the
island’s unique
biodiversity is
threatened by
invasive species.
This article delves
into the struggle we
The Invasive Squirrel That Wasn't:
The Sloth's Busy Inner Life:
These Itsy-Bitsy Herbivores Could Stage a Huge Coral Reef Rescue:
face to preserve the
species which are
native to the islands.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. This
article describes the
discovery of
evidence that
contradicts the
notion that a specific
species of squirrel
was introduced to an
Alaskan ecosystem.
It further discusses
the implication of
the new evidence
and challenges the
current meaning of
invasive species.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
article is about how
scientists sought to
understand why
some sloths descend
from trees, risking
their lives, to
defecate on the
ground. Their
research results
suggest that the
behavior is to
increase the benefit
gained from the
sloth’s mutualists:
moths and algae.
This informational
text resource
supports reading in
Threatened Coral Get Fishy Rescue:
Tiles May Help Shrink Carbon Footprint by Harnessing Pedestrian
Power:
the content area. The
article implies that
human interactions
that raise the global
temperature (climate
change) can have
disastrous effects on
coral reefs (coral
bleaching). The
article explains how
a discovery of other
organisms filling a
previously occupied
niche may help to
rebuild and sustain
coral reefs.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. This
article describes an
experiment that was
done by scientists to
show how corals are
being destroyed by a
certain type of
seaweed and how
gobie fish rescue the
coral.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
text describes the
development of
floor tiles that
provide a green,
alternative energy
source. These tiles
work on the
principle that
pressure (footsteps)
generates an electric
current from certain
crystals in an
application of the
piezoelectric effect.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
article describes a
recent study that
helped researchers
prove a link between
overfishing to
increased growth of
fleshy algae to
microbialization.
This increase in
Too Much Algae – and Too Many Microbes – Threaten Coral Reefs: microbes causes a
depletion of the
amount of oxygen
dissolved in the
water. In addition,
the increase in
microbial growth
can spread disease.
In conclusion,
microbialization is
found to be a major
contributing factor
to the destruction
and decline of coral
reef health.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. This
article expresses its
author's opinion
Tough Decisions on the Front Line of Nature Conservation:
about culling
animals in zoos,
which is reducing a
population by
selective slaughter.
The argument
supports the idea of
culling as a way to
control inbreeding
and to control the
breeding of animals
that will not help the
species stay
adaptable and
immune to diseases.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area.
Zombies may seem
like science fiction,
but that's exactly
what scientists are
calling the behavior
in some species of
Undead-End: Fungus that Controls Zombie-Ants has own Fungal Stalker: ants. This article
looks at the parasitic
relationship between
a form of fungus and
carpenter ant that
causes this zombielike behavior. It also
looks at a further
complication to the
process as the
parasitic fungus has
a parasite of its own.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
text explains how
some bees living in
Urban Bees Respond to Littering by Adopting Innovative Nest-Building
an urban
Techniques:
environment have
started to build their
nests out of humanmade materials such
as plastics.
Furthermore, the
bees seem to prefer
Virus Fingered as Top Suspect in West Coast Sea Star Wasting Disease:
Volcano Power Plan Gets US Go-Ahead:
the materials to
plants! Scientists
theorize that these
nests may actually
prove to be safer for
the bees, as they are
stronger and protect
against parasites.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
National Science
Foundation article
discusses research
on the identification
and the effects of the
Sea Star Associated
Densovirus. The
article further
explains the
importance of
research on this
virus because of its
impact on the tidal
ecosystems on the
Pacific West Coast.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
text describes a
group of
researchers/investors
who are attempting
to convert the
energy in
volcanically heated
water to electricity
using a new method
of forming more
fissures to hold the
heated water.
Warming Waters Contributed to the Collapse of New England's Cod
Fishery:
Watching Our Seas Rise:
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
article discusses the
decline in the
population of cod
found in the Gulf of
Maine. The author
writes that fishery
managers have set
strict quotas on cod,
with little positive
change. Research
indicates climate
change has been a
major factor in the
steady decline of
cod, and the text
explains why.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
collective efforts of
many scientists
enable us to measure
how fast Earth's sea
levels are rising,
past and present.
Presently, satellites
are measuring sea
levels and have
showed significant
increases in the last
20 years due to
glacial melting and
the expansion of sea
water. Evidence
from the past shows
sea levels have risen
and fallen steadily
with the ice ages,
until a sudden spike
Wave Power:
What Happens to Shipping Containers Lost at Sea?:
around the
beginning of the
Industrial
Revolution. Coastal
areas and islands are
expected to be most
affected by rising
sea levels.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. New
Jersey-based
company Ocean
Power Technologies
has gained a permit
to launch
PowerBuoys, which
will convert ocean
wave energy into
power for human
consumption. The
benefits and
concerns of
harnessing the
ocean’s energy by
this method are
discussed in the
article.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. This
article examines
how the marine
environment is
affected by shipping
containers that
accidentally fall to
the seafloor. It
explores how the
containers can be
harmful but can also
be a benefit to the
What is the Carbon Cycle?:
What is the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?:
ecosystem
depending on factors
such as what the
containers are
carrying and what
the containers are
made of.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
text describes the
carbon cycle and its
dynamic nature.
Carbon dioxide is
recycled by plants
and other
autotrophs,
considered "sinks."
Animals and
heterotrophs give off
carbon dioxide as a
by-product of the
process of cellular
respiration. In
addition, human
activity, accelerated
by industrial
activity, produces
more carbon dioxide
than autotrophs can
handle, leading to
global warming.
The article explains
the ocean garbage
patches: what causes
them, what
consequences to
marine life result
from their presence,
and what we can do
about them. This
informational text
resource is intended
What you Need to Know about Energy:
What's Good for Crops Not Always Good for the Environment:
Which Emits More Carbon Dioxide: Volcanoes or Human Activities?:
to support reading in
the content area.
This site from the
National Academy
of Sciences presents
uses, sources, costs,
and efficiency of
energy.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
article describes a
recent development
that will allow
scientists to help
farmers determine
the precise amount
of nitrogen needed
for their corn and
soybean fields. The
research was
conducted by two
scientists at the
University of
Illinois. If farmers
can pinpoint the
exact amount of
fertilizer needed,
reducing the amount
that runs off or
leaches into the
water supply, the
better for all living
organisms on Earth.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. This
article answers the
question of whether
volcanic activity or
human activities
Will Seafloor Carpets Be the Key to Harvesting Wave Energy?:
Will Snakes Inherit the Earth?:
contribute more to
global warming.
With evidence and
support, they easily
conclude human
activities are the
heaviest contributor
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
article describes
how scientists have
discovered a method
of transferring wave
energy into
electrical energy by
the use of manmade
seafloor "carpets."
After the article
explains how the
process works, it
lists the potential
benefits of utilizing
this method on a
large scale.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. The
author discusses the
effects that invasive
animals can have on
an ecosystem. She
initially writes about
the Burmese
python's effect on
the Everglades and
follows with the
effects of other nonnative species on
native species.
Finally, she exposes
the reader to the
debate about
whether something
should be done to
control invasive
species.
This informational
text resource is
intended to support
reading in the
content area. Rain
and runoff carry
pollutants from
human activity to
the sea in places like
Tacoma,
Washington. The
city has devised a
With Data and Resolve, Tacoma Fights Pollution:
scientific process for
identifying sources
and pathways of
pollution and is
making headway in
reducing pollutant
buildup and damage.
By utilizing forensic
methods to find the
source of pollution
and fining polluters,
Tacoma is winning
the war.
This informational
text resource is
designed to support
reading in the
content area. The
article discusses the
effects of the wolf
population in
Yellowstone Ecosystem Needs Wolves and Willows, Elk and... Beavers?:
Yellowstone
National Park, as
well as how other
organisms are linked
in this food web. As
the wolf population
decreases, the elk
population increases
due to lack of
predation. The
larger elk population
decimates the
willow population, a
prime source of food
and building for the
beaver. As beaver
population
decreases, streams
no longer deposit
enough sediments.
This then changes
the willow
population, because
they are no longer
able to take root in
the stream.
Lesson Plan
Name
A Hole in the Ozone:
Description
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational
text intended to support
reading in the content area.
The article informs
readers about the ozone
layer and why it was larger
and lasted longer in 2015 than
in previous years. Although it
was unusually large, the
practices that have been
followed since the Montreal
Protocol was enacted have
actually resulted in a longterm decrease in the size of
the ozone hole. The text
explains the aberration and
also provides general
information about the ozone
layer and its function in
protecting human life. The
lesson plan includes a notetaking guide, text-dependent
Alternative Energy - Solar:
Bad News for Starfish:
Battle of the Borders:
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric. Numerous options to
extend the lesson are also
included.
The underlying focus of this
lesson is to provide students
with documents designed to
equip students with
information that describes the
following: solar policies
guiding the current federal
administration, basic current
forms of solar energy use,
costs and benefits of
investments in solar energy,
the planned infrastructure
designed to make the
transition to solar happen.
In this lesson plan, students
will analyze an
informational text intended
to support reading in the
content area. Â The National
Science Foundation article
discusses research on the
effects of the Sea Star
Associated Densovirus, a
virus devastating sea star
populations. Â The article
further explains the
implication of the virus
for the tidal ecosystems of
the Pacific West Coast. Â The
lesson plan includes a notetaking guide, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric.
Â
This resource is about the
difficulties of implementing
environmental policies and
laws that effect human
Be Alert - I Am Invasive!:
Bee Faithful! :
behaviors and land in
bordering countries. It uses a
reading strategy called SLAM
to analyze arguments and
identify supporting details in
written text.
Through schoolyard
exploration, class discussion,
and group projects, students
will investigate common
invasive species and their
impact to Florida ecosystems.
Students will recognize the
impact various invasive
species have on biodiversity
and the consequences of the
subsequent loss of
biodiversity.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
that addresses a study that
confirms the impact of
removing just one bumblebee
species from an ecosystem.
The text describes how
removing just one bumblebee
species from an ecosystem
causes less effective
pollination and lower seed
production. Bumblebees, as
most bees do, stick with one
species of flower until it's
finished blooming. Scientists
have found that when one bee
species is removed it causes
the remaining bee species to
"cheat" on their original
flower species. This causes a
decrease in pollination and in
seed production. This lesson is
designed to support reading in
the content area. The lesson
plan includes a note-taking
guide, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
Bees Endangered for First Time:
Best Types of Grass to Grow in Florida:
Biological Magnification in Aquatic Ecosystems:
Bioremediation: Nature's Way to a Cleaner Environment:
answer keys and a writing
rubric. Â
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
that addresses a recent listing
of yellow-faced bees on the
endangered list. This is the
first time any type of bee has
ever been listed as
endangered. The text
describes how the yellowfaced bee population in
Hawaii has been decimated by
invasive species, habitat loss,
and climate change. The text
also describes an innovative
approach by researchers to
help bring these bees back
from the verge of extinction.
This lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric.Â
Based on various factors,
students will decide the best
types of grass (sod) to grow in
Florida and the advantages
and disadvantages of each.
This lesson is a hands-on, oneday lab that uses candies to
simulate biological
magnification. Students learn
about energy transfer and
DDT accumulation through
tropic levels in an aquatic
ecosystem.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
intended to support reading in
the content area. This article
explains how bioremediation
takes place via microorganism
digestion of toxic waste
generated by human activity.
Building a Home for the Future:
By-Products of Fracking:
Students will learn how this
process occurs naturally and
how this natural process has
been researched and is now
utililized to clean up spills of
certain hazardous substances.
This lesson includes a
vocabulary guide, a Cornell
Notes note-taking guide, text
dependent questions, and a
writing prompt, along with
answer keys and a writing
rubric.
During this lesson, students
will learn about green homes
and how they allow for a more
sustainable future. Students
will learn how an individual
family's carbon footprint can
be reduced by designing their
own green home. Students
also complete a cost analysis
of the expenses in
constructing a green home and
savings over time.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
that addresses accidental
wastewater spills in North
Dakota from the use of
fracking. The text describes
how fracking has caused
widespread water and soil
contamination. Researchers
have found high levels of
contaminants and salt in
surface waters. Soil at the spill
sites contain radium, and in
some places radium was found
to be present even 4 years
after a spill. Researchers
studied almost 4,000 spill sites
in North Dakota to connect
the soil and water
contamination directly to
fracking spills. This lesson
Camouflage in the Ocean:
Carbon Cycle:
Challenge: Melting Ice and Its Effect on Life:
Changing Ecosytems:
Clean Park - Environmental MEA:
plan is designed to support
reading in the content area; it
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric.
In this lesson, students will
complete two mini-labs to
explore how colors change as
you descend in an aquatic
environment. Based on their
observations they are
challenged to design a
camouflage pattern which
could be used below the
upper, sun-lit portions of the
ocean, AND defend their
design decisions in written
form.
This resource includes a 5E
lesson plan , a power point
presentation on the carbon
cycle, student worksheet and
links for engaging videos on
the carbon cycle.
In this activity, students
observe water movement
patterns formed by melting ice
cubes to make predictions
about the movement of ocean
water and the impacts on
populations of aquatic
organisms.
Students will explore how
climate change is already
causing large changes in
various ecosystems.
The environmental conditions
in parks can influence the
availability of food, light,
space, and water and hence
affect the growth and
development of animals. It
can become worse and lead to
endangerment and extinction
Cleaning Up Your Act:
Climate Change Calamity: The Arctic Ecosystem:
Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide:
of various species. The
following are areas in nature
that can be affected: lakes,
plants, animal life in and
outside of water and many
more.
Cleaning Up Your Act Model
Eliciting Activity (MEA)
provides students with a real
world engineering problem in
which they must work as a
team to design a procedure to
select the best material for
cleaning up an oil spill. The
main focus of this MEA is to
recognize the consequences of
a catastrophic event, and
understand the environmental
and economical impact based
on data analysis. Students will
conduct individual and team
investigations in order to
arrive at a scientifically sound
solution to the problem.
This resource includes a 5E
lesson plan, a PowerPoint
presentation on climate
change, an interactive game, a
student worksheet, and an
engaging video link on the
Arctic ecosystem.
In this lesson, students will
read and analyze an
informational text designed to
support reading in the content
area. This article describes the
rise of carbon dioxide in
Earth's atmosphere and its
likely effects on the planet,
including climate change and
ocean acidification. The
online version contains an
interactive graph that
supports the text.
Close Reading Exemplar: Living Like Weasels:
ComBATing Extinction:
Community Energy Wars:
The goal of this four-day
exemplar is to give students
the opportunity to use the
reading and writing habits
they've been practicing on a
regular basis to discover the
rich language and life lesson
embedded in Dillard's text. By
reading and rereading the
passage closely and focusing
their reading through a series
of questions and discussion
about the text, students will be
equipped to unpack Dillard's
essay. When combined with
writing about the passage,
students will learn to
appreciate how Dillard's
writing contains a deeper
message and derive
satisfaction from the struggle
to master complex text.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational
text intended to support
reading in the content area.
The article explains how
Caribbean bat species are
uniquely suited for studying
the consequences of
extinction. By reading this
article, students will get a
better understanding of
geographic isolation and
speciation, which are major
themes when discussing the
theory of evolution. In
addition, students will gain an
understanding of the
devastating effects human
impact can have on
populations of species.
Students will discuss the costs
and benefits of a variety of
energy projects in a local area.
Coral Reefs in Acid - What is Ocean Acidification?:
Coral Reefs Surviving Despite the Odds:
Dangerous Fog:
The goal of this lesson plan is
for students to be able to
conduct mini-experiments that
demonstrate what ocean
acidification is and how it
affects marine organisms.
Students will perform miniexperiments and observe
diagrams to help generate a
definition of what ocean
acidification is, why it is
occurring, and how humans
can reduce their impact.
This lesson uses an article
from the National Science
Foundation to inform the
reader about the surprising
results of a study done on
coral reefs in Palau. The
article discusses the effects
that ocean acidification
normally has on coral reefs
and then describes the unique
situation encountered in Palau.
Scientists discovered coral
reefs thriving in waters with a
lower pH than normal. The
article discusses how
scientists are unsure of why
these coral reefs are thriving,
but future studies could reveal
the answers. This lesson is
designed to support reading in
the content area. The lesson
plan includes a note-taking
guide, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
intended to support reading in
the content area. The text
discusses the presence of
monomethyl mercury in
California sea fog and how it
Describing Populations of Frogs and Salamanders:
Designing an Ecosystem:
Determining Relative Salinity of Estuaries:
is affecting nearby terrestrial
environments. The article
further explains the research
that was conducted and
discusses future studies. The
lesson plan includes a notetaking guide, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric.
Students use real world
examples of sampling frog
and salamander populations to
explore the different
characteristics of a population
and the process of observation
and inference. The lesson
includes individual and group
activities.
In this lesson students will
design a completely imaginary
ecosystem that is comprised of
producers, consumers,
secondary consumers, and
decomposers. Students will
design the ecosystem by
determining the location of the
ecosystem and the biotic and
abiotic factors in the
ecosystem. The students will
also include the number of
organisms at each trophic
level, and any adaptations the
organisms must have to live in
their ecosystem.
Students will help their
teacher figure out where her
water samples came from by
determining their relative
salinity. With this information
and a picture map of areas of
the Intercoastal Waterway,
they will locate
possible sources of the
samples.
Disentangling Food Webs:
Drama in the Deep:
Duck, Duck, Growth:
In this lesson, students create
a food web using information
about a group of non-existent
species. They will use the
food web to create food chains
and a population pyramid that
will show the flow of energy
through the food web. Finally,
they will explore how
changing the population size
of one species affects other
species, often with
unpredicted results.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational
text intended to support
reading in the content area.
The article describes the
interactions between three
different
microorganisms and the
implications on the food webs
found in the oceans near
Antarctica. Phytoplankton and
bacteria are competing for
food and resources in
previously unknown ways.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric. Numerous
options to extend the lesson
are also included.
In this lab students will have a
chance to explore the effects
of limiting factors on a pair of
ducks. Students will then
examine why the limiting
factors influences the carrying
capacity of a population.
Students will collect data and
analyze it before drawing a
conclusion about limiting
factors and carrying capacity.
Dynamics of Populations:
Ecosystems:
Energy Resources and Anthropogenic Effects on the
Environment:
Evolution and Natural Selection at the Top of the World :
This lesson addresses the
different factors responsible
for the size and dynamics of
populations. Growth and
decline in population numbers
are both addressed through
presentation, discussions and a
plant growth experiment
extension.
This lesson has been created
to help students show you the
pathway of energy transfer
through trophic levels by
reading assigned stories that
take place in ecosystems. Â It
begins with a detailed lecture
with embedded questions.
Then they will create a poster
in the end with a food web,
isolated food chain, and
energy pyramid.Â
The term "anthropogenic"
describes something that is
caused by human activity.
Today we will focus on how
our "throw-away" consumer
lifestyle has detrimentally
affected the environment, and
we will look at possible
solutions to preventing more
harm to the environment and
society.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
addressing two issues, climate
change and evolution. This
informational text (designed
to support reading in the
content area) describes how
the changing climate in the
Arctic is contributing to
evolutionary changing in
populations of animals that
live there. The lesson plan
includes text-dependent
Exploring Florida Ecosystems:
Exploring Relationships in an Ecosystem:
Fighting Marine Debris on the Alaskan Coast:
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric along with ideas for
extending the lesson.
Students explore the general
definition of an ecosystem and
reinforce the idea using
ephemeral wetlands as a
specific example. Students
apply and share knowledge
through presentations about
specific Florida ecosystems.
This lesson plan will enable
students to explore the types
of relationships that are found
in ecosystems. Students will
independently sort cards with
no guidance from the teacher.
As the lesson goes on, they
will reassess their card groups
in order to classify examples
of symbiotic and other
relationships. The lesson ends
with students explaining each
type of relationship and how
individuals are affected by
these interactions.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
designed to support reading in
the content area. The text is
the transcript of an interview
concerning the removal of
marine debris from the coast
of Alaska. The interview
subject explains how marine
debris needs to be researched,
removed, and prevented. The
lesson plan includes textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric. Ideas for
extending the lesson are also
included.
Fighting Poaching with Technology:
Finding the Light in a Jaguar Conservation Challenge:
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
from National Geographic
that discusses the design of an
artificial intelligence
technology called PAWS that
was designed to prevent
poaching. PAWS uses data
about previous poaching
activities and analyzes the
data to create smart and
efficient routes for wildlife
officers to use while looking
for poaching activity. This
lesson is designed to support
reading in the content area.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
that addresses an innovative
conservation method designed
to protect jaguars in
Colombia. This informational
text is designed to support
reading in the content area.
The text describes how
predation of domestic cattle
by jaguars in Colombia was
becoming increasingly
common due in part to
deforestation. A conservation
program was implemented to
create a corridor for jaguars to
pass through, keeping the
jaguars separated from the
farms and livestock and
allowing them a natural
pathway to cross through the
Andes Mountains to eastern
Colombia. The lesson plan
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
Flexing Their Mussels:
Florida Panthers and Wildlife Corridors:
Food chains and the organisms in them!:
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric.
Numerous options to extend
the lesson are also included.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
examining scientists' studies
of freshwater mussels in an
attempt to develop methods
for saving threatened species.
Students will learn of the
researchers' hope to be able to
use other species that
cohabitate local ecosystems to
restore the threatened species.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric. Numerous
options to extend the lesson
are also included.
Students will learn about the
Florida Panther, threats to it's
survival and the role of
wildlife corridors as an
attempt to reduce roadway
fatalities. Students will
participate in a game
simulating panther crossings,
learn about panthers from a
guest speaker or teacher, and
participate in a mock town
hall meeting evaluating the
construction of wildlife
corridors.
This lesson plan will give the
students the opportunity to use
their prior knowledge about
food chains and food webs. It
will be student centered with
the teacher merely being a
facilitator the entire class.
There are 2 different activities
that the teacher has the option
Food Web:
Food Webs:
Food Webs and Energy Transfer:
Forests of the Living Dead:
Freshwater Humans:
to select from. Any of the
activities will definitely have
the students learning and
engaged the entire class.
Food web
Energy Pyramid
Producers
Consumers
In this lesson students will
show how energy flows
through the ecosystem by
constructing a food web,
identifying, consumers,
producers and decomposers,
and the different trophic levels
within it.
Students will learn about
trophic levels, energy
relationships, and how
producers, consumers, and
decomposers interact.
In this lesson, students will
read a National Science
Foundation article that
discusses a 200-year study
into the mortality of forests.
The process of decomposition
and the importance of
decaying wood in a forest
are explained in great detail.
 The research described has
altered and changed the
management plans for forest
ecosystems worldwide.
This lesson is designed to
support reading in the content
area. It includes a note-taking
guide, a vocabulary guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric.Â
This lesson plan teaches
students about the importance
of freshwater, human impact
Genetically Modified Foods:
Going Green:
Got water?:
Helpful Herbivores:
on freshwater systems, and
encourages students to modify
their personal behavior based
on information they learn in
discussions and through
individual research.
Using short videos, articles
and a scavenger hunt, students
will learn the process of
genetically modifying crops
and understand the benefits
and drawbacks of genetically
modified foods.
This lesson will build student
awareness of renewable and
non-renewable resources
using a combination of
discussion, a group simulation
activity, and a group research
project and presentation.
Students will be learning
about natural resources and
the human impact on them.
Specifically, students will
discover where local water
sources are and how much
water is available within the
community using research
skills. Students will also
design experiments to collect
data and discover how
residents of the community
are using the water and how
much they are using. Lastly,
they will take the information
they discover and the data
they collect to hypothesize
what the local human impact
will be on the water source.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
that explains how a smaller
species of organisms are
filling a niche of larger
organisms that have been
reduced due to overfishing
and disease. These smaller
organisms have been shown to
reduce algal communities that
can lead to the destruction of
crucial coral reefs. This
discovery may have large,
beneficial impacts on
endangered coral communities
around the world. This lesson
is designed to support reading
in the content area. The lesson
plan includes use of a seed
discussion organizer, a
vocabulary handout, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, sample answer keys,
and a writing rubric.Â
In this lesson, students will
analyze an article that
discusses the problem of
declining honey bee
populations in the United
States and lists the possible
factors involved. The text then
describes the study on African
honey bees to determine if
there are genetic or
physiological causes in their
positive response to the
Helping the Honey Bee!:
Varroa parasite. Researchers
are hoping the data they
gather will help them improve
breeding programs or
management practices in U.S.
bee populations. This lesson
plan is designed to support
reading in the content area.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric.Â
This lesson plan is intended to
Homestead Farming: Saving Money and Forests in Bangladesh: support reading in the content
area. In this lesson, students
How does human impact affect natural ecosystems at your
school?:
How to Cook a Penguin:
will read an informational text
that describes how people in
Bangladesh are using
homestead farming to provide
for their families, while
simultaneously contributing to
preserving local forests. With
the help of USAID, farmers
are using higher-yielding
seeds and cultivating crops
using organic fertilizers and
composting. The demand for
food grown without pesticides
and nourished by compost
helps the homestead farmers
to make enough money to
improve their standard of
living, while helping the
environment at the same time.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric.Â
Students will design their own
experiment to discover the
human impact on ecosystems
around their school
environment.
This lesson addresses the
importance and role the
environment plays in the
distribution and abundance of
organisms in a particular area.
Specifically it looks at the real
world example of Galapagos
penguins and their distribution
on the Galapagos Islands, and
archipelago located on the
equator. Students will
investigate how a penguin
species can survive in a
predominantly tropical climate
while maintaining the basic
biological characteristics that
most penguins require, such as
Humans: The Leading Cause of Extinction:
Impact of Technology on the Environment:
Invasive Lionfish Histogram:
colder temperatures. The
lesson addresses the
importance that ocean currents
play in affecting the
distribution and abundance of
this species.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
selected to support reading in
the content area. The article
describes how wildlife is
impacted by natural events
and by humans, focusing on
scientific data gathered in the
Caribbean (specifically Abaco
Island). It explains how
humans impact the
populations of species in
ecosystems and why it is
important for people to
understand these interactions.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric. Numerous
options to extend the lesson
are also included.
Students conduct research to
identify and explore
environmental technologies in
their area and to describe how
these technologies are being
used to shape the
world around them.
In this lesson, students will
explore longitudinal data of
the invasive lionfish and the
usefulness of histograms to
help visualize the changes in
lionfish age groups over time.
Students will base their
information on random
samples conducted each year
for 5 years.
Invasive or Not?:
Invasive Species:
Invasive Species - Air Potato Round Up:
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational
text that discusses new
evidence regarding the status
of the Arctic ground squirrel.
 The species was previously
thought to be an invasive
species on Chirikof Island
off the coast of Alaska, but
new evidence calls this belief
into question. Â The lesson
plan includes a vocabulary
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric.
Â
This resource provides a
lesson plan, a student
assignment, and a power point
presentation on invasive
species with examples.
Students will be introduced to
invasive species in the
beginning of the lesson via
YouTube video and guiding
questions. The students will
use digital and print media to
explore (identify, describe and
predict) the loss of
biodiversity in several
ecosystems due to the
introduction of invasive exotic
species.
The teacher/students will
continue to identify and
describe invasive species in a
second YouTube video and a
graphic organizer. The teacher
will supervise students in
small groups during this phase
of the lesson.
The final product for students
will be to complete a poster
advertising a future "Air
Potato Round Up" event
sponsored by the local US
Army Corp of Engineers.
Investigating Rulers of the Reef: Coral Reef Parasites :
Is my school environmentally friendly?:
Students will be guided by a
rubric and have supplemental
resources to access
information for the poster
project.
This lesson uses an NSF
article to inform the reader
about the influence of
parasites on damselfish, a
coral reef species. The author
explains how his team
determined the reason for the
consistent behavior of
damselfish leaving their
aggressively guarded territory
each morning to go to a
cleaning station. He also
explains how more questions
arose throughout his
investigation, questions like
"Do these parasites carry other
parasites that infect fishes?"
and "Do these gnathiid
parasites infect other species
of fish?" This first-person
account creates an interesting
view of how marine research
is done, including field work,
lab work, and collaborating
with other scientists. This
lesson is designed to support
reading in the content area.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric.
Students will learn about
certain how individuals can
It’s Not Waste—It’s Matter!:
Killer Prairie Dogs:
Let's Pollinate Biodiversity:
create threats to the
environment, as well as ways
to limit these threats. Students
will evaluate their own school
and its environmental impact
as well as ways to reduce
negative impact.
It's Not Waste—It's Matter is
an MEA that gives students an
opportunity to review matter,
their physical properties, and
mixtures. The MEA provides
students to work in teams to
resolve a real-life scenario
creating a design method by
which recyclable products are
separated in order to further
process.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational
text intended to support
reading in the content area.
 The National
Geographic article profiles
the scientists who
discovered that the whitetailed prairie dog is killing
ground squirrels in order to
eliminate its competition for
food. The article further
highlights how the squirrel
killings benefit the prairie
dogs' offspring. Â The lesson
plan includes a note-taking
guide, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric.Â
Â
This is lesson introduces realworld examples of the
consequences of the losses of
biodiversity through a TED
Lionfish: Invasive Predators!:
Looking for the Loris:
Loss of Sea Ice Leaves Polar Bears in the Cold:
talk, detailed discussion, and
group work.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational
text intended to support
reading in the content area.
The text concerns lionfish,
an invasive species in the
Atlantic, and the
environmental and economic
damage the species threatens.
The lesson plan includes textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric. Ideas for
extending the lesson are also
included.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational
text intended to support
reading in the content area.
The article discusses the
research and efforts by
scientists to save the slow
loris from extinction. It
discusses the complexity of
conservation today and details
how there are many different
layers that need to be
addressed on this issue. Â The
lesson plan includes a notetaking guide, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric.Â
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational
text intended to support
reading in the content
area. The article showcases
recent research into the
declining Arctic sea ice and its
effect on polar bear
populations. The lesson
plan includes a note-taking
Major Meltdown: Colorado High Peaks Losing Glaciers:
Man vs. Volcano: Who Let the Carbon Out?:
guide, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric. Numerous options to
extend the lesson are also
included.Â
This lesson plan is designed to
support reading in the content
area. In this lesson, students
will read a text that describes
the results of a long-term
study of the changes in the
crysophere on
Niwot Ridge, which lies at
the top of the Continental
Divide in the Rocky
Mountains. The text describes
the ways in which the
cryosphere has changed due
to climate change, and it also
describes some of the impacts
on the ecosystem and explains
how the researchers gathered
their data. The lesson plan
includes text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
sample answers, and a writing
rubric.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
intended to support reading in
the content area. The article
compares carbon emissions
from human activities to those
from natural volcanic
processes. The authors outline
the methods, data collection,
and findings of carbon
emissions, closing the debate
on what releases the most
carbon. The lesson plan
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric.
Many Thrive if the Wolf Survives:
Marvel Rainforest:
Measuring Biodiversity :
Numerous options to extend
the lesson are also included.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
intended to support reading in
the content area. The article
discusses the interactions of
many different species of
organisms in Yellowstone
National Park. Specifically,
the text focuses on the
importance of not only the
interactions that wolves have
with the ecosystem, but how
important beavers are to the
stability of the whole
ecosystem.This lesson
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric.
Students will examine how to
manage a rainforest while
maintaining the living
standards of a community.
Purpose: To compare the
species diversity of an area
with high human impact vs.
less human impact.
Students will complete an
investigation which will allow
them to use the Simpson's
diversity index formula to
evaluate and compare
biodiversity around their
school campus. Students will
draw conclusions based on
their data set.
This activity can has many
applicable extensions based
on student needs and interests.
It also can be easily modified
to fit certain time constraints,
or physical limitations on
varying school campuses.
Mercury Levels are Rising!:
Methods of Protecting Coral Reefs:
Resource includes lab sheet
which provides instructions
for students to complete the
investigation, worked example
of the Simpson's Index
formula, space for students to
record their findings at the
various investigation sites, as
well as apply their data to the
formula. Students will also
draw conclusions based on
their data set.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
that addresses a new method
for measuring the amount of
mercury in the environment
that is formed as a
byproduct of human
activities. The text describes
how scientists were able to
develop a method for
measuring mercury by using
data about phosphate and
carbon dioxide levels. This
lesson is designed to support
reading in the content area.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric. Â
This lesson is designed to
support reading in the content
area. Students will read a short
but complex article that
describes the expansion of the
Pacific Remote Islands
Marine National Monument (a
type of marine protected area)
and the benefits of MPAs. The
article identifies threats to
coral reefs and how creating
an MPA can help the coral
reefs within this protected area
and reefs in adjoining areas as
well. The text provides some
background information on
how similar programs have
helped other protected reefs
near the Philippines, and both
local and global threats to
coral reef ecosystems are
referenced. The lesson plan
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric.
In this lesson, students will
read an article from the
National Science Foundation
that discusses how extended
droughts have affected salt
marsh ecosystems found in the
Southeastern part of the
United States. The article then
describes the mutualistic
relationship that was
discovered between ribbed
Mutualistic Mussels:
mussels and salt marsh grasses
and how this relationship is
helping the marshes survive
and recover from the
droughts. This lesson is
designed to support reading in
the content area. The lesson
plan includes a note-taking
guide, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric.Â
This informational text
resource is intended to support
reading in the content area. In
Not-So-Friendly Spider Venom May Be Used as Earth-Friendly this lesson, students will
Pest Control:
analyze a text that addresses
the environmental problems
caused by insecticides and
explains how compounds
Ocean Camouflage Colors:
Oil Spill: An Ecology Lesson:
(toxins) in spider venom may
be used to selectively
eliminate crop-destroying
insects while leaving other
insects, vertebrates, and the
environment unharmed.
Ocean Camouflage Colors
explores the concept of lightwave absorption by ocean
water and how it alters color
perception and consequently
the appropriate choice for
protective coloration in the
ocean. After exploring the
students' prior knowledge of
concepts like color perception,
absorption and reflection, the
class watches a video clip of a
diver who takes a red apple (
and some colorful plastic)
diving in the Caribbean. After
some further discussion and
the creation of a set of notes,
students are given a more
formal reading activity with 5
questions to complete
independently (in most cases).
This reading activity can be
used in class or possibly as a
homework exercise if time is
short. Ocean Camouflage
Colors was intended as an
extension activity to support
the 2 mini-labs in Ocean
Camouflage. The reading
portion can be used alone to
bring students who were
absent the day of the mini-labs
"up to speed" OR it can be
used as a review exercise prior
to a test OR a homework
activity for further practice.
This ecology lesson will allow
students to explore the
relationship between energy
use and carbon dioxide,
Overfishing Kills Reef Systems!:
Part 1: Pond Life:
Penguins in Peril:
discover what is meant by
carbon footprint, and decide
on methods to reduce the
carbon footprint.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
that addresses the effects of
overfishing on coral reef
systems. The text explains
how scientists have found that
overfishing removes many
of the algae-eating fish, and
this causes an increase in
algae growth, which leads to a
microbial increase, and finally
leads to coral mortality. This
lesson is designed to support
reading in the content area.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric.Â
Â
This lesson is designed for
students to investigate familiar
and unfamiliar ecosystems
using Internet resources, to
explore how various
organisms satisfy their needs
within their environments, and
to study the kinds of
relationships that exist
between organisms within an
environment.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
from National Geographic
designed to support reading in
the content area. The article
discusses research conducted
on the status of the Adelie
Penguin population in
Antarctica and what might
Phosphorus: Fertilizer of the Sea:
Physics of Water:
happen to this species by the
end of the century. Using
statistical models, researchers
looked at past and current data
and used future climate
projections to determine the
fate of the Adelie's habitat.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
intended to support reading in
the content area. The text
explains how scientists
worked with the National
Science Foundation (NSF) to
try and better understand the
phosphorus cycle in marine
ecosystems. The author points
out that although the
phosphorus cycle has been
studied in the past, the work
chronicled in the article has
greatly expanded that
understanding. The lesson
plan includes a note-taking
guide, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric. Numerous options to
extend the lesson are also
included.
The purpose of this lesson is
for students to conduct miniexperiments, demonstrating
the physical properties of
water. Students will collect
data, diagram results, and
generate a well-developed
paragraph describing the
various effects of water
pressure and temperature.
Plants versus Pollutants Model Eliciting Activity:
Population Dynamics:
Population Prediction:
The Plants versus Pollutants
MEA provides students with
an open-ended problem in
which they must work as a
team to design a procedure to
select the best plants to clean
up certain toxins. This MEA
requires students to formulate
a phytoremediation-based
solution to a problem
involving cleaning of a
contaminated land site.
Students are provided the
context of the problem, a
request letter from a client
asking them to provide a
recommendation, and data
relevant to the situation.
Students utilize the data to
create a defensible model
solution to present to the
client.
This 7E lesson plan is broken
down into 3 lessons used to
teach high school students in
grades 9-12 about the
characteristics used to
describe populations. There
are inquiry based and project
based inquiry activities
incorporated within the lesson.
Students will also learn the
difference between
exponential and logistic
growth by doing hands -on
activities. A Power Point is
used to guide the activities,
and learning.
In this lesson, students will
gather data from individual
countries in order to calculate
population density and create
an age structure diagram for
that country. They will use
their age structure diagrams
and information to predict
Populations and Population Density Distributions:
Precision Agriculture Eliminates Over-Fertilizing:
Preserving Our Marine Ecosystems:
how the population may
change in the future.
This an introductory
population density and
distribution lesson for one
class period.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
intended to support reading in
the content area. The article
addresses an innovative way
to determine the age of the
nitrogen in corn and soybean
fields. Determining nitrogen's
age could help make
agriculture more precise,
because when farmers overfertilize their fields, the excess
can leak into water supplies.
Research scientists from the
University of Illinois believe
they can use this new
technology to identify areas
that are specifically deficient
in nitrogen and therefore
eliminate the need to apply it
uniformly. This would benefit
agriculture and the
environment. The lesson plan
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric.
Numerous options to extend
the lesson are also included.
The focus of this MEA is oil
spills and their effect on the
environment. In this activity,
students from a fictitious class
are studying about the effects
of an oil spill on marine
ecosystems and have
performed an experiment in
which they were asked to try
to rid a teaspoon of corn oil
from a baking pan filled with
two liters of water as
thoroughly as possible in a
limited timeframe and with
limited resources. By
examining, analyzing, and
evaluating experimental data
related to resource usage,
disposal, and labor costs,
students must face the
tradeoffs that are involved in
trying to preserve an
ecosystem when time, money,
and resources are limited.
In this lesson, students use
different metrics to quantify
plant biodiversity at locations
on their school grounds. After
calculating these metrics,
which require using
mathematical formulas and
graphing data, students will
hypothesize about their
observed trends in
Quadrat Quest: Quantifying Biodiversity of Plant Communities:
biodiversity. Finally, students
will apply these methods to an
online data set to assess the
diversity of plant communities
around the world, compare the
diversity measures of different
locations, and create
hypotheses that explain
observed patterns of
biodiversity.
This lesson deals with
understanding how non
renewable resources are being
depleted. It emphasizes the
urgent need to discuss and
Renewable Resources are the answer!:
implement the use of
renewable resources since its
much cheaper. A total
appreciation of what the earth
supply us with.
Sampling Lionfish:
Save Our Dunes:
In this lesson, students will
develop a sampling method to
make inferences about the
invasive lionfish in the
Atlantic Ocean. Students will
carry out their investigation,
create histograms, and
calculate quantitative data like
standard deviation to help
make conjectures about the
lionfish. Students will then
analyze their sampling
methodology by repeating the
procedure with the population
data. This investigation allows
students the opportunity not
only to simulate and improve
their own methodologies but
provides a current and real-life
scientific issue to be
examined.
Save Our Dunes is a
literature-based research
project suitable for 9-12
marine science or
environmental science
students. The lesson requires
approximately 160 min. as
well as computers/ internet
access/ a printer. Students are
guided through a series of
brainstorming activities about
the types of natural events and
human activities that could
affect dune ecosystems.
Students discuss the
importance of dunes and what
might happen if some dune
organisms disappeared.
Students then research
background texts and use the
research to create and defend
a unique dune management
plan.
The students will create a
book containing information
about the cause and effect of
global warming. The book
will include possible solutions
Save Our Planet Now!:
to reduce pollution to help
Save Our Planet Now! The
students will research and
record information regarding
the impact of fossil fuels on
the environment.
The changing climate is an
important topic for both
scientific analysis and worldly
knowledge. This lesson uses
data collected by the National
Snow and Ice Data Center to
create and use statistical
Sea Ice Analysis:
analysis as a tool to evaluate
the sea ice loss. Students will
use technology to quickly
generate graphs for each
month looking for trends,
patterns or deviations over
time.
The changing climate is an
important topic for both
scientific analysis and worldly
knowledge. This lesson uses
data collected by the National
Snow and Ice Data Center to
create and use statistical
Sea Ice Analysis Algebra:
analysis as a tool to evaluate
the sea ice loss. Students will
use technology to quickly
generate graphs for each
month looking for trends,
patterns, or deviations over
time.
Students explore the world of
population biology using the
Sea Otter Spotter - A Population Growth Curve Using Southern sea otter as a case study. The
Sea Otter Census Data:
lesson involves reading
technical reports from the US
Fish and Wildlife Service as
Sea Turtle Sex and Climate Change:
Seeking the Zika Virus:
well as reading information
about the sea otter from nongovernmental organizations.
Students are introduced to a
specialized wildlife capture
technique and monitoring of
the endangered population
through annual census data.
Using that data students
explore the limiting factors
affecting sea otter growth and
apply mathematical
knowledge to analyze
population growth curves.
Students also produce an
argument on whether the sea
otter has met criteria and
should be removed from the
endangered species list.
In this lesson students will
examine how changes in an
ecosystem result from
environmental factors
specifically demonstrating the
consequences of climate
change on sea turtles. The
lesson is in four parts: 1) a
fact finding/research
component; 2) a group
discussion and student
presentation; 3) a multi-media
component; and 4) a
laboratory activity.
In this lesson, students will
read an informational text
from the National Science
Foundation. The text describes
current research into the
mosquitoes that carry the Zika
virus, with the ultimate goal of
using the research to predict
and possibly prevent future
outbreaks. Scientists are
studying three towns in
Ecuador by collecting data to
help them discover the
Small Pond Testing:
State of Emergency: Climate Change in Florida:
socioeconomic and
environmental factors that put
people most at risk for
diseases carried by the Aedes
aegypti mosquito, including
the Zika virus. The scientists
are also examining how virus
transmission by these
mosquitoes may be affected
by climate change. This lesson
is designed to support reading
in the content area. The lesson
plan includes text-dependent
questions with an answer key,
a writing prompt with a
sample response, and a
writing rubric.
This project provides students
a hands on experience testing
water samples for water
quality. The goal is to increase
student awareness of local
water pollution problems and
the human activity that
impacts pond ecosystems.
This project consists of pre
quiz, a lab activity, and a
research project.
The governor of Florida has
declared a state of emergency
and is asking all of the
residents to calculate their
carbon footprint. Students
need to submit a reference
letter back to the governor
explaining what their carbon
footprint is as well as the steps
they will take to reduce their
carbon footprint. Students will
then present their findings and
evidence to reduce their
carbon footprint at a city
council meeting. This is an
imaginary scenario and
students will be graded on
their written letters and
Submarines of Jelly: The Remarkable Siphonophore:
SuperMan(groves):
SUSHI MANIA:
Sustainability and Tourism Location MEA:
speeches that are presented to
the class.
This lesson uses
an informational text
resource intended to support
reading in the content area.
The text informs readers about
siphonophores, a relatively
little-studied organism related
to jellyfish and corals. It can
grow as long as 160 ft. (49 m)
and can move through the
water column in a coordinated
fashion, and knowledge of its
locomotion may help humans
propel themselves efficiently
underwater. The lesson plan
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric.
Numerous options to extend
the lesson are also included.
Students will study the effects
of seasonal variations in
climate (and corresponding
events) on mangrove
ecosystems and examine the
ways that natural systems
protect plant and animal
populations.
This MEA is designed to
educate students about the
biomagnification of mercury
in aquatic ecosystems.
This MEA gives the students
an opportunity to learn about
sustainability and then apply
that knowledge to help
EcoAthletica determine the
location for their next
sustainable tourism resort. The
students will use a variety of
criteria and the definition of
sustainability and sustainable
Testing water for drinking purposes:
The Cycling of Water:
The Dynamic Carbon Cycle:
tourism to create a model for
choosing locations.
The importance of knowing
what drinking water contains.
How to know what properties
are present in different bottled
water. Knowing the elements
present in water that is
advantageous to growth and
development of many things
in the body. To know what to
be alert for in water and to
understand the importance of
water in general.
During this active-learning
lesson plan, students explore
the water cycle through
games, videos, and class
discussion. For the final
assessment, students will
follow a drop of water as it
travels through a Florida
ecosystem.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational
text intended to support
reading in the content area.
 The article explains the
dynamic carbon cycle and
how human activity
contributes to global warming.
 A second related text
builds on that knowledge to
discuss the importance of
Everglades mangroves as
carbon "sinks." Â By reading
and synthesizing both articles,
students will learn not only
about the specifics of the
carbon cycle, but how it
applies to Florida and the rest
of the world. Â This lesson
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
The Effect of Seasonal Variation, Due to Climate Change, on
Grasslands:
The Game of Population Changes:
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric. Â Â
In this lesson, students will
examine how ecosystems
change due to seasonal
variations as they analyze an
informational text explaining
the process scientists used to
collect data on daily changes
in grasslands. Students will
learn of the usefulness of this
data in creating a model that
allowed the scientists to
predict how seasonal variation
will change the grassland
ecosystem. The lesson plan
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric.
Numerous options to extend
the lesson are also included.
This lesson plan
uses multicolor paper dots to
model how events change a
bird population over time.Â
"You are a scientist observing
a community of birds in the
forest. Periodically, different
events occur and have an
effect on the populations of
different birds. As a dedicated
scientist and observer, you
record all of these changes
and watch how the community
changes over time."
Â
The High Cost of Living:
Â
The relationship between
oceans and climate change has
been debated. The cost of
ocean and marine life
The Impact of Melting Tropical Glaciers:
The Importance of a Baboon's Birthday:
conservation can be
high. Students will create an
ecological budget to decide
whether the preservation of
marine ecosystems is worth
the cost.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
that explains how climate
change is leading to the
melting of tropical glaciers in
Peru and how this is
negatively impacting the
residents there. Students will
examine how the United
States Agency for
International Development
(USAID) is assisting the
Peruvians in developing
strategies to deal with the
impact. The lesson plan
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric.
Numerous options to extend
the lesson are also included.
In this lesson, students will
read an article from the
National Science Foundation
that discusses how a drought
affected the savannas of
southern Kenya during 2009.
It further addresses how
baboons are affected later in
life based on when they are
born and the social status they
are born into. Based on the
research on baboons, the
implications on human health
are also discussed in the latter
portion of the article. This
lesson is designed to support
reading in the content area.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, text-
The Jaguar in America: Hunting and Conservation:
The Stinging Truth about Jellyfish:
dependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric.Â
Jaguars lived throughout
North America during the last
Ice Age and were among
some of the most common
predators of the time period,
with a range as far north west
as Washington state and as far
northeast as southern
Pennsylvania. In modern
times, jaguars ranged as far
north as the South eastern
United States, but the animals
were considered dangerous
and were hunted to extinction
in America. Jaguar
populations in the United
States have recently been
expanding and jaguars have
been seen in places where
they have been absent for over
40 years.
Students will learn how
human interaction with the
environment through
hunting/over-hunting,
legislation, and protected
lands can affect species in
North America.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
intended to support reading in
the content area. The article
addresses the fluctuations of
the jellyfish population in the
Bering Sea and describes how
a new study explains the
increase and decrease of
jellyfish in that ecosystem.
The study focuses on whether
or not rising water
temperature (due to climate
change) is the driving factor in
The Ups and Downs of Populations:
To Spray Pesticides or Not: That is the Question :
To The Limit:
jellyfish population growth.
The lesson plan includes a
note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric. Numerous
options to extend the lesson
are also included.
Students will analyze
population graphs, collect
data to generate their own
population graph, and
experience limiting factors
and their impact on
carrying capacity in a
small deer population.
Students will be able to
identify, explain, and
evaluate the impact that
different limiting factors
have on the population of
organisms including food,
water, shelter, predation,
human interference,
changes in birth and death
rate, changes in
immigration and
emigration, disease, and
reproduction.
This lesson is designed to help
students understand the
impact of pesticide use on
human health and the
environment.
"To The Limit" MEA has
students identify several
factors that can affect a
population’s growth.
Students will examine photos
to list limiting factors and
discuss their impact on
populations. As a group they
will develop a solution to
minimize the impact of
pollution on fish population.
Too Much of a Good Thing: Human Activities Overload
Ecosystems with Nitrogen:
Transport of Invasive Species:
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
intended to support reading in
the content area. The article
briefly summarizes the
nitrogen cycle, then explains
how human activities have
impacted ecosystems through
the increased release of
nitrogen and explores
potential solutions to alleviate
the issues caused by excess
nitrogen. A video is also
presented which explores why
Florida had a large-scale
eutrophication event in 2016
and presents solutions and
economic implications of the
event. By reading, viewing,
and synthesizing information
from the article and video,
students learn how excess
nitrogen impacts aquatic
ecosystems and the economy.
Further, they will be able to
provide suggestions to lessen
our impact on these systems.
This lesson includes a notetaking guide, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
intended to support reading in
the content area. The article
describes the effects the
Panama Canal expansion may
have on the number of
invasive species introduced to
the East Coast and Gulf Coast
of the United States. The
article explains how ballast
USGS Science for an El Niño Winter:
Welcome to the Dead Zone:
What happens to available energy as it moves through an
ecosystem?:
water and wet surface areas
are the two ways the invasive
species can travel from port to
port. The lesson plan includes
a note-taking guide, textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
on the work the USGS
(United States Geological
Survey) is doing to monitor
the effects of the 2015-2016
winter season as it is impacted
by El Niño. The lesson plan
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric. Options
to extend the lesson are also
included.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
that describes the results of a
recent study that has found a
link between past ocean
warming and the onset of
"dead zones" in the Pacific
Ocean off Oregon and
Washington. This
informational text is designed
to support reading in the
content area. The lesson
plan includes text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
sample answers, and a writing
rubric.
This activity is a lab exercise
where students look at the
passing of water in cups and
compare it to the loss of
available energy as it moves
through an ecosystem.
Students will collect data,
What Lies Beneath: Coastal Blue Carbon :
What's that Smell? Avoiding Peers with Parasites:
calculate efficiency, graph the
data and respond to reflection
questions to connect the data
to what happens in an
ecosystem. The end of the
activity includes a connection
to the 10% rule where only
10% of energy from one
trophic level is available at the
next level.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
that addresses the issue of
releasing carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere from carbon
sink sites located in coastal
habitats. This informational
text is designed to support
reading in the content area.
The text describes how carbon
that has been stored for
potentially thousands of years
is getting released into the
atmosphere due to coastal
habitat destruction of
mangrove forests, salt
marshes, and sea grass beds.
The lesson plan includes textdependent questions, a writing
prompt, answer keys, and a
writing rubric.
Â
In this lesson, students will
analyze two informational
texts intended to support
reading in the content area.
The primary article discusses
social behavior in mandrills
that helps them know when to
avoid certain individuals in
their community in order to
prevent becoming infected
with parasites. A second
related text discusses
adaptations in Atlantic
Where Did All the Cod Go?:
Where in the World?!:
White Ibis: A Feathered Cujo:
killifish that allow them to
survive in water polluted by
high levels of toxins. By
reading and synthesizing both
texts, students will learn about
adaptations that enable
survival of species. This
lesson plan includes a notetaking guide, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric.
In this lesson plan, students
will analyze an informational
text intended to support
reading in the content area.
The article describes the
effects of climate change on
the Gulf of Maine and the
cod population found there.
Although quotas have been
instituted to preserve
the cod population, they
have not been effective
because of the unanticipated
effects of global warming.
The article explores possible
solutions. The lesson plan
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric. Options
to extend the lesson are also
included.
This lesson is intended to
teach students regarding
similarities and differences
that are found within and
between terrestrial and aquatic
biomes. Students will become
familiar with major terrestrial
biomes and major aquatic
biomes.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
Who's in My Burrow?:
Will We See More White Nose Syndrome in Bats?:
that describes the impact that
local ibises have on their
environment and the impact
that humans have on the birds.
The study examines how
humans are changing the
lifestyles of white ibises,
which in turn causes the
interactions between birds and
humans to lead to a greater
spread of disease. The author
analyzes the positive and
negative effects of interactions
between organisms in an
ecosystem. The lesson plan
includes a text coding
strategy, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
sample answer keys, and a
writing rubric. Numerous
options to extend the lesson
are also included.
Students will be introduced to
the sandhills ecosystem, the
commensalism of gopher
tortoise burrows, and various
other relationships between
organisms. Class discussion,
independent research, and
presentations will then allow
further development of the
concepts of parasitism,
competition, mutualism,
commensalism, and predation.
In this lesson, students will
read an informational text that
discusses the spread of White
Nose Syndrome in North
American bats and how bat
colonies are being affected in
both size and number. The
article also provides a
comparison between European
and North American bat
colonies suffering with this
disease. This lesson is
Winter Ecologists Explore Effects of Climate Change:
Wiping Out Invasive Predators in New Zealand:
designed to support reading in
the content area. The lesson
plan includes a note-taking
guide, text-dependent
questions, and answer keys.
In this lesson, students will
analyze an informational text
that addresses the
consequences of climate
change on living organisms in
snow ecosystems, particularly
those who live in the
subnivium beneath the
snow's surface. The text
describes a new field of
researchers called winter
ecologists and their findings
that show how climate change
is causing lighter snows in
some areas, diminishing the
amount of insulation in the
subnivium that many living
organisms need to survive the
winter. This lesson is designed
to support reading in the
content area. The lesson plan
includes a note-taking guide,
text-dependent questions, a
writing prompt, answer keys,
and a writing rubric.Â
In this lesson, students will
read an article from National
Geographic that discusses
the plan of the
New Zealand government
to eliminate invasive predators
from the country by 2050. The
article further goes on to
discuss the effects the
predators have had on the
native wildlife. This lesson is
designed to support reading in
the content area. The lesson
plan includes a vocabulary
handout, text-dependent
questions, a writing prompt,
answer keys, and a writing
rubric.Â
Â
Original Tutorial
Name
Description
Learn how individual and societal
choices affect sustainability and
A Study in Sustainability:
explore ways that you can reduce your
impact on the environment.
Explore living and nonliving factors
affecting populations of ants in Kenya
Ant Populations in the Kenyan Savannah:
and learn a bit about the importance of
the acacia tree in this savannah
ecosystem.
Explore how environmental changes
Changing with the Times: Variation within Ecosystems: at different time scales affect living
organisms within ecosystems.
Learn how to identify explicit
evidence and understand implicit
Diving the Depths of Underwater Life:
meaning in a text, such as light,
temperature, and salinity, affect the
distribution of aquatic life.
Explore examples of mutualism,
Interactions among Organisms: Kenya:
competition, and predation in the
Kenyan savannah ecosystem.
Explore the impact of
Methylmercury in the Everglades:
methylmercury pollution in the
Everglades wetland ecosystem.
Examine migration and factors
affecting both population sizes and
Migration in the Kenyan Savannah:
distributions of key species in the
Kenyan savannah.
Explore species interdependence
Periphyton in the Everglades:
focusing on roles played by periphyton
within the Everglades ecosystem.
By the end of this tutorial you should
be able to explain population
interactions and how those interactions
Population Interactions:
can affect population size. After
learning what a population is, we will
explore the different types of
Sustainability:
Untangling Food Webs:
interactions. We will look at
competition, predation and symbiosis.
By the end of this tutorial you should
be able to define sustainability and
understand how our throw away
consumer lifestyle has affected the
environment in a negative way. Also,
we will look at possible solutions to
prevent further harm to the
environment.
Learn how living organisms can be
organized into food webs and how
energy is transferred through a food
web from producers to consumers to
decomposers. This online tutorial also
includes interactive knowledge checks.
Video/Audio/Animation
Name
Alaskan Gold Mine:
Birds of Paradise: Competition among birds:
Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vents Support Life:
Endangered: Giant Catfish :
Energy 101: Biofuels :
Description
Pebble Gold Mine is a proposed mining
site suspected of being rich with gold and
potential job opportunities. The proposed
mining operation is drawing criticism for
its potentially devastating environmental
impact. In this video, watch as participants
from both sides of the discussion
contribute their knowledge to the debate.
This video shows mating displays and
courtship behavior of Birds of Paradise.
These birds display bright colors and
visually stunning behaviors during
courtship.
This video highlights hydrothermal vents
deep underwater and provides insight into
how they support life in an extreme
environment.
This video chronicles the efforts of a
researcher dedicated to rescuing the giant
catfish of the Mekong River.
This video provides an introduction to
biofuels and a few ways biomass can be
converted into biofuel.
This video, produced by the National
Academy of Science, highlights America's
role in energy sources and consumption.
This video describes the struggle to
survive experienced by both giant
Honeybees vs Giant Hornets: Survival of the Fittest:
Japanese hornets and two species of
honeybees.
This video documents the rise of invasive
Invasive Bullfrogs in Arizona:
bullfrog populations in Arizona as they
threaten the existence of native species.
In this NSF video and reading selection
evolutionary biologist and ecologist John
Bishop documents the return of living
things to Mount St. Helens after the
Mount St. Helens: Rising From the Ashes :
largest landslide in recorded history. This
is a rare opportunity for scientists to get to
study a devastated area and how it comes
back from scratch in such detail.
This video highlights human impact on
Oil Spill Impacts: Birds in the Gulf of Mexico:
bird populations via oil spills in the Gulf
of Mexico.
This video shows how harnessing solar
Solar Energy: Lightbulbs in the Desert:
energy can transform remote, energy-poor
regions into energy-independent regions.
All of the water you see around you is the
same water that has been around since
Earth's beginnings. This water is one of
the primary reasons Earth is able to sustain
Sustainability:Water- The Water Cycle:
life. This interesting video covers the
different stages of the water cycle. Experts
use real life examples to explore the flow
of water through the environment.
This video showcases threats posed to
The Albatross and Human Threats:
albatross populations via commercial
fishing.
Energy Video - National Academy of Science:
The Mosquito Life Cycle:
This video presentation will help you to
visualize the life cycle of mosquito. It will
also help in recognizing that in order to
prevent mosquitoes from spreading
diseases, its essential to understand their
life cycle.
Wind Turbine Energy:
This video highlights how wind turbines
are used to generate electricity for
consumer use.
Teaching Idea
Name
Description
Students will design
an investigation that
compares a
characteristic of two
populations of the
An Ecological Field Study with Statistical Analysis of Two Populations:
same species. Students
will collect data in the
field and analyze the
data using descriptive
statistics.
The student will
describe various
adaptations and how
Design an Ecosystem-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:
they enable the
organism to survive in
its habitat.
Students will be able
to use a world map or
globe to locate the
distribution of at least
10 endangered species
Endangered Species Worldwide:
and describe the
current threats and
conservation efforts
concerning one
endangered species of
animal or plant.
Given a current
environmental
situation, the student
will be able to gather
information, organize,
Fur Seal Survey-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:
analyze, and present
data. They will
participate in a
decision-making
process.
Lagoon Debate-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:
Line Up for Recycling-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:
Manatees on the 'Net-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:
Manatees on the Move-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:
Given a common
environmental
situation, students will
research available
literature or other
resources for more
information, and
logically argue a
viewpoint. They will
be able to demonstrate
a real-life decisionmaking process and
evaluate its outcome.
Students will be able
to describe the sources
of discarded
monofilament fishing
line and its hazard to
wildlife. Students will
plan a clean-up
campaign in their
area. As an option,
students can carry out
the campaign. During
the campaign, students
will document the
procedure, record the
amount of line
collected and write a
"planning book" to
become a resource for
others to use.
Students will use the
Internet to determine
the population status
of the Florida manatee
and will use the
information to debate
the extinction or
recovery of the
manatee.
Students will be able
to show four or more
West Indian manatee
habitats on a map and
Polar Opposites-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:
Raptor Detectives-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:
Raptor Population Ecology-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:
Survival Factors - SeaWorld Classroom Activity:
Write Proposed Legislation-SeaWorld Classroom Activity:
describe and/or
illustrate yearly
movements of
manatees along the
Florida coastline.
Students will be able
to describe the top
three threats to
manatees and create
an educational
campaign to target the
causes of the threats.
Students will be able
to understand the
effects of introducing
geographically nonnative species to a
new environment.
Students will identify
threats to raptor
populations and
conceptually model
situations related to
population dynamics.
Students will calculate
population size,
carrying capacity,
annual change in
population size, and
maximum rate of
population increase of
different raptor
species.
In this activity, the
students will analyze
the impact of humans
on the coral reef
ecosystem as a result
of human social,
political, and
economic activities.
Students will identify
the steps of how a bill
becomes a law.
Students will
demonstrate
presentation and
debating skills during
a mock session of
congress. Students
will identify causes as
to why animals
become threatened or
endangered.
Perspectives Video: Expert
Name
Ant Populations in the Kenyan Savannah:
Bioaccumulation of Methylmercury in the
Everglades:
Bycatch and the Impact on Biodiversity:
Causes of Ocean Currents:
Coral Research Driving Florida Reef Restoration
Policy:
Coral Varieties and their Place in Aquatic Systems:
Deep Sea Ecosystems:
Energy Transfer through Model Food Web
Communities:
Environmental Restoration Techniques:
Description
Patrick Milligan discusses biotic and
abiotic factors that affect populations of
ants in the Kenyan savannah.
Dr. Melodie Naja describes the link
between agricultural pollutants and
the bioaccumulation of methylmercury in
the fresh surface waters of the
Everglades.
Dean Grubbs of Florida State
Universisty, discusses the
impact bycatch has on ocean life.
Don't get stuck in a loop on ocean
currents. Let this oceanography student
explain.
Dr. Erinn Muller explains how coral
health research at Mote Marine
Laboratory is driving policy decisions
regarding coral reef restoration in
Florida.
Learn all the information about coral and
corral that knowledge!
Sandra Brooke, from FSU Marine Lab,
talks about undersea canyon ecosystems.
Dr. Tom Miller explains the major roles
in food web communities and describes a
model system for exploring energy
transfer between organisms.
Scientists can be superheroes when it
comes to saving rivers! Watch this video
to find out more.
Pick up the pace and learn how snails fit
into the Florida food web!
Dr. Andrea Larsen describes interactions
Fish and Bacteria Symbiosis:
between bacteria and fish that allow both
to thrive.
Dr. Andrea Larsen explains how
Fish Microbiota, Dysbiosis, and Disease Prevention: fish microbiota are connected to fish
health for aquaculture applications.
Watch as Dr. Stephen E. Davis, III
Habitat Changes in Related to Phosphorous Pollution
explains how excess phosphorous
in the Everglades:
pollution is impacting the Everglades.
NOAA Fishery management relies on
Histograms Show Trends in Fisheries Data Over
histograms to show patterns and trends
Time:
over time of fishery data.
Sink into science as a biologist floats a
few thoughts about physiological
How do Fish Stay in their Zone?:
adaptations marine animals use to stay at
the right depth.
Patrick Milligan shares his research on
Invasive Ants and Competition in the Kenyan
invasive ant species in the Kenyan
Savannah:
savannah.
Dr. Bill McShea from the Smithsonian
Institution discusses population
characteristics related to large animal
species.
Large Animal Population Characteristics:
This video was created in collaboration
with the Okaloosa County SCIENCE
Partnership, including the Smithsonian
Institution and Harvard University.
Dr. Erinn Muller describes limiting
Limiting Factors Affecting Coral Health Populations:
factors affecting coral health.
Invasive lionfish are taking a bite out of
the ecosystem of Biscayne Bay.
Managing Lionfish Populations:
Biologists are looking for new ways to
remove them, including encouraging
recreational divers to bite back!
The tide is high! How can we
statistically prove there is a relationship
Mathematically Exploring the Wakulla Caves:
between the tides on the Gulf Coast and
in a fresh water spring 20 miles from
each other?
Everglades Invertebrate Biodiversity:
Humans impact the environment in a
number of ways. Learn more about how
we interact with nature!
Statistical analysis played an essential
role in using microgravity sensors to
MicroGravity Sensors & Statistics:
determine location of caves in Wakulla
County.
Patrick Milligan discusses the impetus
Migration in the Kenyan Savannah:
for organisms to migrate in the
Kenyan savannah.
Don't cry over spilled oil. Take action
instead! Learn how students can help
Monitoring Oil Spill Impacts through Community
scientists who are studying what happens
Involvement :
to spilled oil and over time how it affects
the environment.
Learn how the Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution experts track
oil-soaked sand patties on the Gulf Coast
Negative Impacts of Oil Spills:
to monitor possible negative
environmental impacts from the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
This teaching activity rocks! Learn about
Observing Invertebrate Biodiversity with Live Rock: aquatic ecosystems and hands-on
learning!
Dr. Nico Wienders from the Department
of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric
Ocean Currents:
Science at Florida State University
discusses factors related to currents and
energy transfer in the ocean.
Too many ideas about ocean currents
Ocean Currents and Aquatic Life:
swirling around in your head? Get into
the flow of things with this video.
Do you think you know oil there is to
Oil Spills and Biodiversity:
know about human impact on the
environment? Let this biologist explain.
An oil scientist explains how crude oil is
On the Origin of Crude Oil:
formed and how it behaves in the
environment.
Periphyton plays several vital roles in the
Periphyton in the Everglades:
Everglades. Watch now to find out more!
This biologist will brighten your day
Physical Adaptation to Low Light Aquatic
with a discussion on colorful (or not)
Environments:
ways that marine organisms have
adapted to ocean lighting.
Measuring Biodiversity to Evaluate Human Impact:
Protect our Fisheries from Invasive Species:
Protecting Biodiversity in At-Risk Ecosystems:
Lionfish and other species are roaring
past our native populations. Learn more.
Dr. Bill McShea from the Smithsonian
Institution discusses how he works to
ameliorate negative human impacts on
the enviroment to maintain healthy
biodiversity.
This video was created in collaboration
with the Okaloosa County SCIENCE
Partnership, including the Smithsonian
Institution and Harvard University.
Roads are a great resource for humans,
Protecting Wetland Habitats from the Negative
but what do they mean for fragile
Impacts of Roadways:
ecosystems? Find out in this video.
Dr. Mahmood Shivji explains how rapid
genetic testing of shark tissue samples is
Rapid Genetic Identification of Sharks:
used to address societal pressures on
marine environments.
Patrick Milligan discusses the
Relationships of Organisms in the Kenyan Savannah: relationship of organisms in the
Kenyan savannah.
Dr. Melodie Naja of The Everglades
Foundation describes research and
Research Methods to Understand Phosphorous in the modeling programs designed to better
Everglades:
understand origins and localized levels
of phosphorous pollution in the
Everglades.
Watch as this scientist shines a light on a
Sea Turtle Conservation:
type of pollution that affects sea turtles.
Enric Cortes discuses shark population
Shark Population Analysis and Policy:
data collected and the use of data to
influence policy decisions.
Fish Ecologist, Dean Grubbs, discusses
Statistical Sampling Results in setting Legal Catch
how using statistical sampling can help
Rate :
determine legal catch rates for fish that
may be endangered.
Agriculture takes teamwork! Watch now
Symbiotic Plant-Bacteria Interactions:
to learn more about how plants, bacteria,
and viruses interact.
What lurks beneath the water's surface?
The Role of Mangroves in Coastal Ecosystems:
Lots of creatures, big and small! Learn
how mangroves grow in an unusual
environment and support many other
organisms both in and out of the water.
Dean Grubbs explains how different
types of trash, like plastics, ends up in
the ocean and how they become a
detriment to marine life.
Why did we throw it away?:
Unit/Lesson Sequence
Name
Biogeochemical cycles:
Description
This unit/ lesson sequence describes the biogeochemical cycles
of carbon and nitrogen. It includes descriptions of class room
inquiry-based activities including worksheets and assessment
items.
Perspectives Video: Teaching Idea
Name
Description
It's all connected. Check out this food web
Building Model Food Webs in the Classroom:
lesson idea.
Technology and web design can help
Building Websites about Endangered Species:
students communicate information about
an endangered species.
In this video, Molly Jameson explains
Composting with Worms:
how worm composting can work for the
classroom.
Learn about wetlands and how they meet
the needs of various inhabitants. Learn
Ephemeral Wetlands Teaching Resources:
more about how to learn more at Remote
Footprints.
Sometimes science means going outside.
Exploring Bay Biodiversty:
Get going!
Listen in as this teacher explains how
students can do their own research to can
Invasive Species Research Projects:
help them understand invasive species and
the dangers they pose to an ecosystem.
Wade into science with students by
Oil Spill Cleanup Kits:
cleaning up model oil spills!
Take a hike! This teacher presents an idea
Outdoor Exploration to Observe Nature:
for students to learn about nature by
collecting and categorizing specimens.
Dr. Jeff Holmes from the Harvard
Teaching Food Webs with the Encyclopedia of Life:
University Museum of Comparative
Zoology discusses the Encyclopedia of
Life as a teaching resource for concepts
regarding food webs.
The Importance of Sea Grass Beds:
This video was created in collaboration
with the Okaloosa County SCIENCE
Partnership including the Smithsonian
Institution and Harvard University.
Alicia Brown describes the role of sea
grass beds in the environment.
Tutorial
Name
Description
This is a great tutorial on carbon cycle
Carbon Cycle:
which gives data from NOAA's ESRL
project.
How do coral reef conservationists
balance the environmental needs of the
reefs with locals who need the reefs to
survive? Joshua Drew draws on the
Conserving Our Spectacular, Vulnerable Coral Reefs :
islands of Fiji and their exemplary
system of protection, called
"connectivity", which also keep the
needs of fishermen in mind.
When you picture the lowest levels of
the food chain, you might imagine
herbivores happily munching on lush,
living green plants. But this idyllic
image leaves out a huge (and slightly
Dead Stuff: The Secret Ingredient in Our Food Chain: less appetizing) source of nourishment:
dead stuff. John C. Moore details the
"brown food chain," explaining how
such unlikely delicacies as pond scum
and animal feces contribute enormous
amounts of energy to our ecosystems.
This lab simulation will allow you to
explore how carbon circulates through
the environment. Through data
collection and analysis, you will
Interactive Carbon Lab:
experiment with the impact that humans
are having on the cycling of carbon and
make data based predictions on how
these impacts may change
environmental outcomes to the year
2100.
Malaria: Human Host:
Population Demographic Lab:
Population Ecology:
Survive Within a Niche:
The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees:
The Secret Life of Plankton:
When a malaria-carrying mosquito bites
a human host, the malaria parasite enters
the bloodstream, multiplies in the liver
cells, and is then released back into the
bloodstream, where it infects and
destroys red blood cells. This animation
will help you to understand the process
of malarial infection.
This lab simulation allows you to use
real demographic data, collected by the
US Census Bureau, to analyze and make
predictions centered around
demographic trends. You will explore
factors that impact the birth, death and
immigration rate of a population and
learn how the population transitions
having taken place globally.
In this interactive, explore one of the
most well-understood mass seedings—
that of oak-tree acorn crops—and its
widespread effects on various animals in
the ecosystem as well as on nearby
human populations.
This tutorial will help the learners to
understand how animals survive in their
habitat. In order to survive, the
organisms must have adaptations that
make them successful in the area where
they live.
In the past decade, the US honeybee
population has been decreasing at an
alarming and unprecedented rate. While
this is obviously bad news for honeypots
everywhere, bees also help feed us in a
bigger way -- by pollinating our nation's
crops. Emma Bryce investigates
potential causes for this widespread
colony collapse disorder.
This short video opens up the oceans'
microscopic ecosystem,
revealing its beauty and complexity.
Footage from the Plankton Chronicles
Underwater Evidence:
Words in the Wild: Vocabulary Strategies:
Project is used to create a
video designed to ignite wonder and
curiosity about this hidden world that
underpins our own food chain.
Click "View Site" to open a fullscreen version. This tutorial is designed
to help secondary science teachers learn
how to integrate literacy skills within
their science curriculum. This tutorial
focuses on using specific textual
evidence to support students’ responses
as they analyze science texts. The focus
on literacy across content areas is
designed to help students independently
build knowledge in different disciplines
through reading and writing.
Click "View Site" to open a fullscreen version. This tutorial is designed
to help secondary science teachers learn
how to integrate literacy skills into their
science curriculum. This tutorial will
demonstrate a number of strategies
teachers can impart to students to help
them use context clues to determine the
meaning of unfamiliar words within
science texts. It will also help them
teach students how to select the
appropriate definition from reference
materials. The focus on literacy across
content areas is intended to help foster
students’ reading, writing, and thinking
skills in multiple disciplines.
Professional Development
Name
Description
This tutorial is designed to help secondary science teachers
learn how to incorporate literacy skills into their science
curriculum. This tutorial will demonstrate how to help
students identify an author’s purpose and point of view as
Climate Change: Just the Facts: well as the question the author seeks to address. The focus on
literacy across content areas is intended to help foster
students’ reading, writing, and thinking skills in multiple
disciplines.
Click "View Site" to open a full-screen version.
This tutorial is designed to help secondary science teachers
learn how to incorporate literacy skills into their science
curriculum. This tutorial will demonstrate how to help
students identify an author’s purpose in a text and identify
Rising Tide: Crisis in the Pacific: any unresolved important issues. The focus on literacy across
content areas is intended to help foster students’ reading,
writing, and thinking skills in multiple disciplines.
Volcano Power:
Yosemite Burning:
Click "View Site" to open a full-screen version.
This tutorial is designed to help secondary science teachers
learn how to integrate literacy skills within their curriculum.
This tutorial focuses on teaching students how to integrate
and evaluate multiple sources of information in different
media. The focus on literacy across content areas is designed
to help students independently build knowledge in different
disciplines through reading and writing.
This tutorial is designed to help secondary science teachers
learn how to integrate literacy skills within their curriculum.
This tutorial focuses on evaluating the reasoning and
evidence of an argumentative claim. The focus on literacy
across content areas is designed to help students
independently build knowledge in different disciplines
through reading and writing.
Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast
Name
Composting and Decomposers:
Conserving Resources with an Electric Car:
Determining Remote Locations with Math:
Fishery Independent vs Dependent Sampling Methods for
Fishery Management:
Description
In this video, Mark Tancig
explains how decomposers
are vital to the process of
composting.
Charles Carpenter gives an
overview of what it is like to
own an electric car.
Ecologist, Rebecca Means,
describes the process of
determining remote locations
in the USA and developing
quantitative questions that
are appropriate.
NOAA Scientist Doug
Devries discusses the
differences between fishery
Graphs Help Identify Cost-Effective Sea Turtle Conservation
Strategies:
Interaction of the Spheres:
Longleaf Pine Forests and Renewable Resources:
Mathematically Modeling Eddy Shedding :
Salvaging Timber from Riverbeds :
Waste Reduction from Glass Art Fabrication:
independent surveys and
fishery independent
surveys. Discussion includes
trap sampling as well as
camera sampling.
Using graphs to show
changes in population of red
snapper.
This marine biologist
discusses her use of
graphical representations to
help determine the most
cost-effective management
strategies for sea turtle
conservation.
Jeff Dutrow discusses how
the interactions of spheres
impacts fish behaviors
including tides, currents, and
seasons.
Coleman Mackie discusses
longleaf pine forests as
renewable resources.
COAPS oceanographer
Dmitry Dukhovskoy
describes the process used to
mathematically model eddy
shedding in the Gulf of
Mexico.
Coleman Mackie discusses
the process of how he
salvages pre-cut
timbers from the bottom of
river beds, the importance of
ring density, buoyancy and
the uses of the recovered
logs.
Glass artist
Russel Scaturro explains
how fine control of gas flow
aids efforts to minimize his
carbon footprint toward a
larger goal of
environmentally-conscious
fabrication methodology.
Lesson Study Resource Kit
Name
Description
This lesson
study
resource kit
is designed
to support
lesson study
teams in
developing a
Exploring Diversity and Evolution: A Lesson Study Resource Kit for grades 9-12:
unit of
instruction
for students
in grades 912 on the
topic of
diversity and
evolution.
Project
Name
Description
Students will create
a management plan
Imperiled Species Management Plan:
to conserve an
imperiled species in
the state of Florida.
This resource is a
student-led project
surrounding human
impact on the
Project Based Learning Assignment: Human Impact on the Environment.:
environment in the
context of the nature
of science (problem
solving).
Virtual Manipulative
Name
Malaria- The Parasite Game:
Description
This interesting game will help the students learn about the
malarial parasite. Students will learn, how is the parasite
transmitted to humans, how does the parasite act inside the
human body, where in the body does the parasite multiply and
what can kill the parasites in the blood. Students will be able
to take control of the parasite, try to find its way inside a
human being, and multiply as fast as possible!!
In this investigation, students conduct an experiment and grow
two species of the protozoan Paramecium, alone and together.
Then they compare growth curves of the population of each
species, alone and then together. Objectives:
Virtual Lab Population Biology:


Winn Bee Foraging Activity:
Demonstrate how competition for natural resources in
the environment can affect population growth.
Explain how availability of resources such as food can
be limiting for a population.
In this software simulation, students take on the role of bees
and experiment with different foraging patterns in a field of
flowers to maximize net energy input. Students generate
quantitative data that can be analyzed and graphed.
Image/Photograph
Name
Oil Slick Satellite Image:
Description
NASA Aqua Satellite image, captured on April 25, 2010, of an
oil slick caused by the April 20, 2010 explosion and sinking of
the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico off
the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida.
Resource Collection
Name
Description
This website's interactive content highlights three
imperiled south Florida ecosystems: the Everglades,
Florida Bay, and Florida Keys. Provides introduction,
definition, and image of each habitat type within the
ecosystems; outlines threats to ecosystems and
South Florida Aquatic Environments:
conservation issues. Other features include: introduced
species and their impacts; biological profiles for marine
and freshwater fishes from the Florida Museum's
ichthyology collection; and Florida-related word search
and crossword puzzles.
Model Eliciting Activity (MEA) STEM Lesson
Name
Description
In this MEA lesson, students will come
up with a strategy to choose among
proposals for managing wolf populations
in the state of Wyoming. They will make
The Price of Success: Wolf Population Management:
an evidence-based recommendation to the
state based on the costs and benefits of
maintaining a healthy wolf population
outside of Yellowstone National Park.
Educational Software / Tool
Name
Description
This site offers an abundance of information on Earth's
biomes (rainforest, tundra, taiga, desert, temperate, and
grasslands), as well as marine and freshwater ecosystems.
The site features relevant facts, pictures, maps, indigenous
What Is It Like Where You Live?: plants and animals, additional links, and much more.
This resource is a wonderful reference, not a lesson plan.
Teachers will need to provide an objective and structure for
student interaction with the website.
Student Resources
Title
A Study in Sustainability:
Alaskan Gold Mine:
Description
Learn how individual
and societal choices
affect sustainability and
explore ways that you
can reduce your impact
on the environment.
Pebble Gold Mine is a
proposed mining site
suspected of being rich
with gold and potential
job opportunities. The
proposed mining
operation is drawing
criticism for its
potentially devastating
environmental impact. In
this video, watch as
participants from both
Ant Populations in the Kenyan Savannah:
Birds of Paradise: Competition among birds:
Carbon Cycle- Ocean Acidification:
Changing with the Times: Variation within Ecosystems:
Conserving Our Spectacular, Vulnerable Coral Reefs :
sides of the discussion
contribute their
knowledge to the
debate.
Explore living and
nonliving factors
affecting populations of
ants in Kenya and learn
a bit about the
importance of the acacia
tree in this savannah
ecosystem.
This video shows mating
displays and courtship
behavior of Birds of
Paradise. These birds
display bright colors and
visually stunning
behaviors during
courtship.
This website contains
units focused on Earth’s
systems and cycles,
which illustrate a
sequence for learning the
concepts through
reading, data analysis
activities, satellite
imagery, computer
visualizations, and
hands-on experiments.
This unit focuses on the
ocean carbon cycle.
Explore how
environmental changes
at different time scales
affect living organisms
within ecosystems.
How do coral reef
conservationists balance
the environmental needs
of the reefs with locals
who need the reefs to
survive? Joshua Drew
draws on the islands of
Coral Varieties and their Place in Aquatic Systems:
Dead Stuff: The Secret Ingredient in Our Food Chain:
Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vents Support Life:
Diving the Depths of Underwater Life:
Endangered: Giant Catfish :
Fiji and their exemplary
system of protection,
called "connectivity",
which also keep the
needs of fishermen in
mind.
Learn all the information
about coral and corral
that knowledge!
When you picture the
lowest levels of the food
chain, you might
imagine herbivores
happily munching on
lush, living green plants.
But this idyllic image
leaves out a huge (and
slightly less appetizing)
source of nourishment:
dead stuff. John C.
Moore details the
"brown food chain,"
explaining how such
unlikely delicacies as
pond scum and animal
feces contribute
enormous amounts of
energy to our
ecosystems.
This video highlights
hydrothermal vents deep
underwater and provides
insight into how they
support life in an
extreme environment.
Learn how to identify
explicit evidence and
understand implicit
meaning in a text, such
as light, temperature,
and salinity, affect the
distribution of aquatic
life.
This video chronicles the
efforts of a researcher
Energy 101: Biofuels :
Energy Video - National Academy of Science:
Environmental Restoration Techniques:
Everglades Invertebrate Biodiversity:
Honeybees vs Giant Hornets: Survival of the Fittest:
How do Fish Stay in their Zone?:
Interaction of the Spheres:
Interactions among Organisms: Kenya:
dedicated to rescuing the
giant catfish of the
Mekong River.
This video provides an
introduction to biofuels
and a few ways biomass
can be converted into
biofuel.
This video, produced by
the National Academy of
Science, highlights
America's role in energy
sources and
consumption.
Scientists can be
superheroes when it
comes to saving rivers!
Watch this video to find
out more.
Pick up the pace and
learn how snails fit into
the Florida food web!
This video describes the
struggle to survive
experienced by both
giant Japanese hornets
and two species of
honeybees.
Sink into science as a
biologist floats a few
thoughts about
physiological
adaptations marine
animals use to stay at the
right depth.
Jeff Dutrow discusses
how the interactions of
spheres impacts fish
behaviors including
tides, currents, and
seasons.
Explore examples of
mutualism, competition,
and predation in the
Interactive Carbon Lab:
Invasive Bullfrogs in Arizona:
Malaria- The Parasite Game:
Malaria: Human Host:
Kenyan savannah
ecosystem.
This lab simulation will
allow you to explore
how carbon circulates
through the
environment. Through
data collection and
analysis, you will
experiment with the
impact that humans are
having on the cycling of
carbon and make data
based predictions on
how these impacts may
change environmental
outcomes to the year
2100.
This video documents
the rise of invasive
bullfrog populations in
Arizona as they threaten
the existence of native
species.
This interesting game
will help the students
learn about the malarial
parasite. Students will
learn, how is the parasite
transmitted to humans,
how does the parasite act
inside the human body,
where in the body does
the parasite multiply and
what can kill the
parasites in the blood.
Students will be able to
take control of the
parasite, try to find its
way inside a human
being, and multiply as
fast as possible!!
When a malaria-carrying
Managing Lionfish Populations:
Mathematically Exploring the Wakulla Caves:
Measuring Biodiversity to Evaluate Human Impact:
Methylmercury in the Everglades:
MicroGravity Sensors & Statistics:
mosquito bites a human
host, the malaria parasite
enters the bloodstream,
multiplies in the liver
cells, and is then
released back into the
bloodstream, where it
infects and destroys red
blood cells. This
animation will help you
to understand the
process of malarial
infection.
Invasive lionfish are
taking a bite out of the
ecosystem of Biscayne
Bay. Biologists are
looking for new ways to
remove them, including
encouraging recreational
divers to bite back!
The tide is high! How
can we statistically
prove there is a
relationship between the
tides on the Gulf Coast
and in a fresh
water spring 20 miles
from each other?
Humans impact the
environment in a number
of ways. Learn more
about how we interact
with nature!
Explore the impact of
methylmercury pollution
in the Everglades
wetland ecosystem.
Statistical analysis
played an essential role
in using microgravity
sensors to determine
location of caves in
Wakulla County.
Migration in the Kenyan Savannah:
Monitoring Oil Spill Impacts through Community Involvement :
Mount St. Helens: Rising From the Ashes :
Negative Impacts of Oil Spills:
Observing Invertebrate Biodiversity with Live Rock:
Ocean Currents and Aquatic Life:
Examine migration and
factors affecting both
population sizes and
distributions of key
species in the Kenyan
savannah.
Don't cry over spilled
oil. Take action instead!
Learn how students can
help scientists who are
studying what happens
to spilled oil and over
time how it affects the
environment.
In this NSF video and
reading selection
evolutionary biologist
and ecologist John
Bishop documents the
return of living things to
Mount St. Helens after
the largest landslide in
recorded history. This is
a rare opportunity for
scientists to get to study
a devastated area and
how it comes back from
scratch in such detail.
Learn how the Woods
Hole Oceanographic
Institution experts track
oil-soaked sand patties
on the Gulf Coast to
monitor possible
negative environmental
impacts from the
Deepwater Horizon oil
spill.
This teaching activity
rocks! Learn about
aquatic ecosystems and
hands-on learning!
Too many ideas about
ocean currents swirling
around in your head?
Oil Spill Impacts: Birds in the Gulf of Mexico:
Oil Spills and Biodiversity:
On the Origin of Crude Oil:
Periphyton in the Everglades:
Physical Adaptation to Low Light Aquatic Environments:
Population Demographic Lab:
Population Interactions:
Get into the flow of
things with this video.
This video highlights
human impact on bird
populations via oil spills
in the Gulf of Mexico.
Do you think you know
oil there is to know
about human impact on
the environment? Let
this biologist explain.
An oil scientist explains
how crude oil is formed
and how it behaves in
the environment.
Explore species
interdependence
focusing on roles played
by periphyton within the
Everglades ecosystem.
This biologist will
brighten your day with a
discussion on colorful
(or not) ways that marine
organisms have adapted
to ocean lighting.
This lab simulation
allows you to use real
demographic data,
collected by the US
Census Bureau, to
analyze and make
predictions centered
around demographic
trends. You will explore
factors that impact the
birth, death and
immigration rate of a
population and learn
how the population
transitions having taken
place globally.
By the end of this
tutorial you should be
able to explain
population interactions
and how those
interactions can affect
population size. After
learning what a
population is, we will
explore the different
types of interactions. We
will look at competition,
predation and symbiosis.
Lionfish and other
species are roaring past
Protect our Fisheries from Invasive Species:
our native populations.
Learn more.
Roads are a great
resource for humans, but
Protecting Wetland Habitats from the Negative Impacts of Roadways: what do they mean for
fragile ecosystems? Find
out in this video.
An online passage which
addresses the Health and
Risks of Genetic Engineering:
Environmental risks of
genetic engineering.
Watch as this scientist
shines a light on a type
Sea Turtle Conservation:
of pollution that affects
sea turtles.
This video shows how
harnessing solar energy
can transform remote,
Solar Energy: Lightbulbs in the Desert:
energy-poor regions into
energy-independent
regions.
This tutorial will help
the learners to
understand how animals
survive in their habitat.
Survive Within a Niche:
In order to survive, the
organisms must have
adaptations that make
them successful in the
area where they live.
By the end of this
Sustainability:
tutorial you should be
able to define
Sustainability:Water- The Water Cycle:
The Albatross and Human Threats:
The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees:
sustainability and
understand how our
throw away consumer
lifestyle has affected the
environment in a
negative way. Also, we
will look at possible
solutions to prevent
further harm to the
environment.
All of the water you see
around you is the same
water that has been
around since Earth's
beginnings. This water is
one of the primary
reasons Earth is able to
sustain life. This
interesting video covers
the different stages of
the water cycle. Experts
use real life examples to
explore the flow of water
through the
environment.
This video showcases
threats posed to albatross
populations via
commercial fishing.
In the past decade, the
US honeybee population
has been decreasing at
an alarming and
unprecedented rate.
While this is obviously
bad news for honeypots
everywhere, bees also
help feed us in a bigger
way -- by pollinating our
nation's crops. Emma
Bryce investigates
potential causes for this
widespread colony
collapse disorder.
The Mosquito Life Cycle:
The Role of Mangroves in Coastal Ecosystems:
The Secret Life of Plankton:
Untangling Food Webs:
This video presentation
will help you to visualize
the life cycle of
mosquito. It will also
help in recognizing that
in order to prevent
mosquitoes from
spreading diseases, its
essential to understand
their life cycle.
What lurks beneath the
water's surface? Lots of
creatures, big and small!
Learn how mangroves
grow in an unusual
environment and support
many other organisms
both in and out of the
water.
This short video opens
up the oceans'
microscopic ecosystem,
revealing its beauty and
complexity. Footage
from the Plankton
Chronicles Project is
used to create a
video designed to ignite
wonder and curiosity
about this hidden world
that underpins our own
food chain.
Learn how living
organisms can be
organized into food
webs and how energy is
transferred through a
food web from
producers to consumers
to decomposers. This
online tutorial also
includes interactive
knowledge checks.
What you Need to Know about Energy:
Wind Turbine Energy:
This site from the
National Academy of
Sciences presents uses,
sources, costs, and
efficiency of energy.
This video highlights
how wind turbines are
used to generate
electricity for consumer
use.
Parent Resources
Title
Coral Varieties and their Place in Aquatic Systems:
Energy Video - National Academy of Science:
Environmental Restoration Techniques:
Everglades Invertebrate Biodiversity:
How do Fish Stay in their Zone?:
Malaria- The Parasite Game:
Description
Learn all the information
about coral and corral
that knowledge!
This video, produced by
the National Academy of
Science, highlights
America's role in energy
sources and
consumption.
Scientists can be
superheroes when it
comes to saving rivers!
Watch this video to find
out more.
Pick up the pace and
learn how snails fit into
the Florida food web!
Sink into science as a
biologist floats a few
thoughts about
physiological
adaptations marine
animals use to stay at the
right depth.
This interesting game
will help the students
learn about the malarial
parasite. Students will
Managing Lionfish Populations:
Measuring Biodiversity to Evaluate Human Impact:
Monitoring Oil Spill Impacts through Community Involvement :
Negative Impacts of Oil Spills:
learn, how is the parasite
transmitted to humans,
how does the parasite act
inside the human body,
where in the body does
the parasite multiply and
what can kill the
parasites in the blood.
Students will be able to
take control of the
parasite, try to find its
way inside a human
being, and multiply as
fast as possible!!
Invasive lionfish are
taking a bite out of the
ecosystem of Biscayne
Bay. Biologists are
looking for new ways to
remove them, including
encouraging recreational
divers to bite back!
Humans impact the
environment in a number
of ways. Learn more
about how we interact
with nature!
Don't cry over spilled
oil. Take action instead!
Learn how students can
help scientists who are
studying what happens
to spilled oil and over
time how it affects the
environment.
Learn how the Woods
Hole Oceanographic
Institution experts track
oil-soaked sand patties
on the Gulf Coast to
monitor possible
negative environmental
impacts from the
Deepwater Horizon oil
spill.
Observing Invertebrate Biodiversity with Live Rock:
Ocean Currents and Aquatic Life:
Oil Spill Cleanup Kits:
Oil Spills and Biodiversity:
On the Origin of Crude Oil:
Outdoor Exploration to Observe Nature:
Part 1: Pond Life:
Physical Adaptation to Low Light Aquatic Environments:
This teaching activity
rocks! Learn about
aquatic ecosystems and
hands-on learning!
Too many ideas about
ocean currents swirling
around in your head?
Get into the flow of
things with this video.
Wade into science with
students by cleaning up
model oil spills!
Do you think you know
oil there is to know
about human impact on
the environment? Let
this biologist explain.
An oil scientist explains
how crude oil is formed
and how it behaves in
the environment.
Take a hike! This
teacher presents an idea
for students to learn
about nature by
collecting and
categorizing specimens.
This lesson is designed
for students to
investigate familiar and
unfamiliar ecosystems
using Internet resources,
to explore how various
organisms satisfy their
needs within their
environments, and to
study the kinds of
relationships that exist
between organisms
within an environment.
This biologist will
brighten your day with a
discussion on colorful
(or not) ways that marine
organisms have adapted
to ocean lighting.
Lionfish and other
species are roaring past
Protect our Fisheries from Invasive Species:
our native populations.
Learn more.
Roads are a great
resource for humans, but
Protecting Wetland Habitats from the Negative Impacts of Roadways: what do they mean for
fragile ecosystems? Find
out in this video.
Watch as this scientist
shines a light on a type
Sea Turtle Conservation:
of pollution that affects
sea turtles.
What lurks beneath the
water's surface? Lots of
creatures, big and small!
Learn how mangroves
The Role of Mangroves in Coastal Ecosystems:
grow in an unusual
environment and support
many other organisms
both in and out of the
water.
This site from the
National Academy of
What you Need to Know about Energy:
Sciences presents uses,
sources, costs, and
efficiency of energy.