Curriculum Resources

Students will compare various transportation methods for getting to and from school, and research transportation systems used in their community.

Democratic systems depend on the involvement of citizens in policy making and decision making. This activity will help students learn about the roles and responsibilities of citizens’ groups in environmental policies and decision-making, and about how young people can become involved in the process.

Energy seems easy to use, but obtaining it is often not easy on the environment. When we reduce the amount of energy we use, we decrease the pollution that results from producing that energy. In this activity, your students conduct an audit of the energy they use in their own homes and create an action plan to reduce energy use.

This activity gives students the opportunity to explore a variety of natural resources and products that people depend on every day. They learn about product life cycles, using a pencil as an example, and then research a specific product to find out the sources of its various components.

Using data collected from Mauna Loa, students will graph changes in atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) over a 46-year period, and identify possible reasons for those changes. They will also learn about the relationship between CO2 and the Earth’s climate, and explore ways to reduce the amount of CO2 they generate.