Middle School Environment Resources

Protect Our Landforms! Help Florida! Task Look out the window at the landscape of your area – what shapes do you see? Are there mountains? Flat land? Valleys or canyons? Every state has a unique shape. Did you know that the shape of the land around you will change over time? Wind, rain, or even human actions can cause the landforms around us to weather and erode. Sometimes, this is a natural part of the earth’s process. But other times, people can affect the earth by building, developing the land or pollution! Is this happening in your country? It’s up to you to find out how you can help your Florida home. You will be researching the Landforms in Florida, research how it has changed over the past 100 years, and what people are doing today that could hurt it. Then, you’ll create a Public Service Announcement to tell your family and friends how they can help to protect the Landforms in Florida.

In this lesson, students learn interesting facts about environmental science and the work of Rachel Carson as they complete several projects including a WebQuest (Internet Scavenger Hunt) to answer questions about the topic.    A complete answer key is provided for the WebQuest for easy grading, along with resources for both teachers and students.  The student questions are included in both a print version and a digital (editable) version to make it easy for students to complete the lesson digitally or on paper.  Also included with this lesson is a word search puzzle which is perfect for early finishers or as a part of the lesson. 

This lesson is intended to be an introduction to the topic and was designed for middle school (grades 6-8) but could be used in high school as well.  This lesson could be used in a science, history or technology class and is appropriate for Earth Day.  It is also a great lesson to leave for a substitute teacher!

This lesson is great for distance learning/remote learning. You can upload it to your school's learning management system (Google Classroom, Edmodo, Canvas, etc.) or share with students via Google Drive.

Files included:

· Teacher & Student Resources

· Environmental Science & The Work of Rachel Carson WebQuest Activity (print and editable digital files included)

· Environmental Science & The Work of Rachel Carson WebQuest Answer Key

· Word Search Puzzle – Environmental Science & The Work of Rachel Carson (includes answer key)

Approximate Lesson Duration:

· WebQuest - 1 (50 minute) class period

· Word Search Puzzle – 20-30 minutes

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This water log chart activity to designed to help students think about the question "how much water do I use?" and discover their weekly water use.

Students record how many times they participate in different water using activities. They then multiply this number by the average amount of water used to understand their weekly water consumption. These average use values are given to the student and already included in the chart.

Comes with a metric version (liters) and a standard version (gallons) as well as a teacher explanation.

Distance learning?

• No problem! This activity now includes Google Slides option! Ready to go, no prep needed from you!

Two Forms of Use Included

1. Printable PDF
2. Google Slides

Halloween Time! Bats are mysterious, fascinating and a bit scary. So, kids will love to learn more about them and to see how they live.

This packet of resources includes:

• Two-page Activity Set (Batty About Bats): with large crossword about characteristics of bats; idioms that relate to bats; second crossword about bat echolocation; fill-in puzzle about the benefits of bats; and true-false puzzle with bat facts.
• Word Search Puzzle – with 40 vocabulary words that reinforce words used in the Activity Set

FREE BONUSES

• Bat Life Cycle Poster – with original drawings and explanations
• Bat Ultrasound Poster – with graph and explanation of how bats "see" with sound
• Bat Flight Poster – with photos of Carlsbad Caverns, NM, and the amazing nightly bat flight
• Cavern and Bat Poster – with photos and original art (featuring Luray Caverns, VA)
• Famous Bats Poster – featuring the Vampire Bat and Golden-Crowned Flying Fox
• How Bats Help Humans Photo – intended for sharing on a screen (it is a very dark photo, so it might be difficult to print), this shows a bat pollinating a plant in the desert, a beautiful photo of nature

Fall is coming to an end. Winter is around the corner and people and animals get ready through a range of activities. This packet explores how families, pets and wild animals adapt to the changes that winter will bring.

This set includes:

• Getting Ready for Winter! Two-Page Activity Set – With themed crossword, maze, match-up, word search and match puzzle.
• Everyone’s Getting Ready for Winter! Word Search Puzzle – 50 words that reinforce the vocabulary used in the Activity Set.
• Things That Fall Puzzle – Explores the concept of gravity through a fun word search and “secret code” fill-in puzzle.
• Reading Log and Certificate Set – Themed set designed to encourage reading accomplishment.

Topics Covered: get ready for winter | winter | fall activities | autumn activities | leaves | gravity | Isaac Newton | math

Two fall gravity word puzzles and Sir Isaac Newton introduction: Things That Fall Puzzle page, which explores the concept of gravity through a fun word search and “secret code” fill-in puzzle.

SAVE – Buy our Getting Ready in the Fall for Winter Puzzle Pack for extra puzzles and resources!

Vocabulary Words Included:

acorns apples comets empires grades hail Humpty Dumpty leaves London Bridge meteors night olives parachutes peaches pears pecans people rain snowflakes stars sweat tears temperatures water balloons

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Contains 50 Vocabulary Definitions with Example Sentences, Graphics, Video links for each concept and student notes pages.

Power Point and Google Slides

Notes in Google Slides and PDF

Use as an introduction to each topic or as a word of the day/bell ringer for science.

Discover the essentials of plant growth with our engaging and informative teaching slides. "What Do Plants Need to Grow - The Science of Plant Growth: Editable Slides" is a comprehensive educational resource designed for teachers and educators. These 15 editable slides provide a detailed exploration of the key factors necessary for plant growth, including sunlight, water, nutrients, and soil.

Key Features:

• In-Depth Content: Each slide covers a different aspect of plant growth, ensuring a thorough understanding of the topic.
• Editable Slides: Customize the content to suit your teaching style and classroom needs.
• Visual Aids: Includes vivid images and diagrams to enhance learning and retention.
• Curriculum-Aligned: Perfectly aligns with science curricula, making it an ideal addition to your lesson plans.

Whether you’re teaching in a classroom or conducting an online lesson, these slides provide a flexible and effective way to explain the science of plant growth. Enhance your students’ learning experience and help them understand what plants need to thrive. Perfect for elementary and middle school science classes.

Empower your teaching with this essential resource on the science of plant growth. Download now and watch your students' knowledge grow!

Enhance your plant science curriculum with our comprehensive "Complete Plant Growth Bundle: Editable Slides & Lima Bean Growth Journal Kit." This bundle includes two essential educational resources designed to provide a thorough understanding of plant growth.

1. What Do Plants Need to Grow - The Science of Plant Growth: Editable Slides:

• • In-Depth Content: 15 detailed slides covering sunlight, water, nutrients, and soil.
  • Editable and Customizable: Tailor the content to fit your lesson plans.
  • Engaging Visuals: Includes vibrant images and diagrams to enhance learning.

2. Window Display Garden Kit: Lima Bean Growth Journey & Educational Journal:

• • Interactive Learning: Hands-on activities to observe the growth of lima beans.
  • Educational Journal: Track and document the growth journey with guided prompts.
  • Window Display: Create a visual classroom display to showcase the plant growth process.

Key Benefits:

• Comprehensive Coverage: Teach the complete plant growth cycle with theory and practical application.
• Engaging and Interactive: Keep students interested with hands-on activities and editable content.
• Curriculum-Aligned: Perfectly suited for elementary and middle school science classes.

Empower your teaching and inspire your students with this all-inclusive plant growth bundle. Ideal for both classroom and remote learning environments. Download now to bring the science of plant growth to life!

Hands On Activity:

Students will separate beans into separate populations and then respond to questions concerning populations and communities. This hands on activity allows meaningful understanding on how populations and communities work together within an ecosystem.

My students love to organize the beans in a variety of ways.

What's included:

• Instructions.
• Question worksheet.

How is this product useful:

• Hands on activity.
• Meaningful ecosystem work.

Interactive Review:

Students assemble a simple puzzle by matching vocabulary words to their definitions. Students get to manipulate the rectangles in order to create a square by matching these words and definitions.

Simple to prep and simple to check.

What's included:

• Instructions.
• Review puzzle via Google Slides.

How is this product useful:

• Engaging review.
• Hands on activity.
• Simple prep for teacher.

I used this resource with one of my guided reading groups. They completed the packet as they read the story "I Survived: The Japanese Tsunami, 2011" by Lauren Tarshis. If they finished they could choose from the extra activities. Answer key is included!

Lexile: 650L

Guided Reading Level: R

AR Level: 4.6

AR Quiz Number: 162034

Thanks for looking! Please rate and leave a comment.

This set of 3 Hurricanes Reading Comprehension Passages with Multiple Choice Questions is about the powerful forces of hurricanes, how they develop, and the importance of preparation.

This resource is ideal for students in grades 2, 3, 4, and 5 to learn about the nature of hurricanes, how to stay safe during one, and some of the most notable hurricanes in history.

The passages include:

• What is a Hurricane? – This passage explains what hurricanes (typhoons or tropical cyclones) are, how they form, and the conditions that create these intense storms, making it easier for students to understand their structure and power.

• Hurricane Safety and Preparation – This passage teaches students how to prepare for a hurricane, what safety steps to take before, during, and after the storm, and how hurricanes are measured in strength.

• Notable Hurricanes in History – This passage introduces students to some of the most well-known hurricanes, including Katrina and Harvey, and explains why these storms left a lasting impact.

Each passage is followed by 10 multiple-choice questions that test the student’s understanding of the passage. Answer keys are also included. It can be used as a whole-class activity, a small group discussion, or an independent assignment.

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Do you want to make learning about Earth Day engaging? Do you want your students to improve their research skills? Then download this Earth Day Activity WebQuest! This comprehensive research project allows students to explore a variety of topics such as climate change, biodiversity, endangered animals, pollution, and more.

This research activity is perfect for small group instruction, substitute plans, homework, and more! When you purchase this scavenger hunt resource, you'll receive the activity in both print and digital formats. The research questions provided allow for scaffolded instruction that can be completed individually, in pairs, or in small groups. You can even use this lesson as a fun team-building or gamified activity. Your students are guaranteed to learn more about Earth Day with this high-quality, no-prep resource!

➟ Ways to Use This Resource:

• Full Class Activity
• Small Group Instruction
• Homework
• Extra Credit
• Substitute Plan
• ... and more!

➟ This Resource Includes:

• Multi-step Question WebQuest (Print + Digital Formats)
• Reflection Questions
• Answer Key
• Live links are provided on the last page of the resource
• Instructions
• Terms of Use

✈️ Click here to follow A World to Explore Store and be the first to know about brand-new games and activities!

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Wildfires WebQuest

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Nuclear Energy, Global Warming and Climate Change WebQuests BUNDLE

Need some notes that you can do whole group AND have the "you do" portion incorporated? This is great for doing notes with the class, discussing energy pyramid, trophic levels, practicing the 10% rule and more! The students won't have time to be unengaged and it is great practice AND study guide!

As time passes, many great Americans who have shaped the arts, sciences, sports, and history of our nation and culture get lost in time. The Great Americans Series of Biographies and Worksheets is an easy-to-read 200-word Biography of just the highlights of each subject's life designed to keep young readers engaged. The Questions page ensures student reading comprehension and grasp of key points. The Vocabulary page introduces and explains new words, phrases, and/or institutions students may not have been familiar with. The Quotes page challenges students to write what a famous quote by the subject means to them. The Great Americans Series is available individually or in bundles, making great bell work. An Answer Key is provided with each worksheet.

This NO PREP video-based lesson teaches about ecology and carbon footprint, as well as teaching the language and grammar associated with the topic of carbon emissions. It's specifically designed for teens / adults at the B1 / B2 level.

It's based on the CLIL approach (Content and Language Integrated Learning) - teaching second language through content.

The YouTube video used in this product - The Carbon Footprint Of A Sandwich (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRQEi-C5GDg).

It includes pre-watching, while-watching and post-watching activities which focus on listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, as well as teaching about ecology and our impact on the world.

What is included:

• worksheet
• key
• detailed lesson plan

If you loved this product, please be sure to come back to my store and leave feedback. By leaving feedback, you can earn credit towards your future purchases!

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Gunpowder Plot / Guy Fawkes Video-Based EFL/ESL Lesson

30 black and white Earth Day themed coloring sheets for elementary grades.

Includes:

Animals

Children

Energy (solar/wind)

Recycling

Plants

Wildlife

and more...

Great for introducing and reinforcing Earth Day and/or conservation topics with emergent learners.

Visit Educator Helper's Earth Day products at www.bethhammett.blogspot.com and get FREE weekly activities.

15 critical thinking group or individual Earth Day debates, discussions, and writing prompts. Includes visually stimulating graphics and thought provoking prompts, such as:

Earth's changes over the years

Alternative energy

Barren neighborhoods

Create a timeline

Compare and Contrast

Global Warming

Environmental Pollution

Invitation for Earth Day Celebration

Newspaper Advertisement writing for Earth Advocate

Water conservation

and more...

Excellent for assessment purposes or stimulating debates and discussions on Earth Day issues.

WOMEN in SCIENCE: Rachel Carson, a Biography!

A Biologist and marine zoologist, Carson’s books shared her love of nature, especially the ocean and its inhabitants. Her book, Silent Spring, sparked concern in how chemical pesticides were harming our environment. Carson helped to start the environmental movement in our country, which led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This Reader's Theater Script could be used as a STEM biography any time of year or especially during the time of Earth Day.

Other plays in the Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show Series: Dr. Seuss, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Bessie Coleman Sacagawea, George Washington Carver, Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King, Sequoia, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Tuskegee Airmen, Susan B. Anthony, Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, an interview with a groundhog, an interview with a leprechaun, an interview with Simon, victim of the Black Death, An Interview with Agent 355, a female agent in the Culper Spy Ring(Revolutionary War), Interview with a 49er from the California Gold Rush and more.

Check out my website for teachers/kids:Gail Hennessey's Website for Teachers/Kids My website for teachers/kids has lots of geography activities, short reads, factoids on different topics, news, career surveys, bell ringers and more.

Check out these additional resources on the topic of the environment

1. Studying the ocean? Looking for a resource for Earth Day or World Ocean Day? Introduce your students to Jacques Cousteau with this informative Reader's Theater Script. Oceanographer, photographer, scientist, inventor, writer and filmmaker, Cousteau spent his life studying the oceans and the marine life that lived in the oceans. His books and films on his studies sparked much interest in our oceans and created an awareness about the need for marine conservation. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series where Jacques Cousteau is a guest on her talk show and answers questions of her studio audience. There are 10 audience questioners, a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions, a teacher section with extension activities, links and the key: Jacques Cousteau: A Reader's Theater Script

2. Exploring the Ocean Blue: A Web quest, will introduce students to our oceans. There are nine informative web questions. Fun Facts, comprehension questions,extension activities and links are also provided as is the key. Can be used as part of a unit on oceans, for Earth Day, World Ocean Day or as an activity for a Friday, before a vacation break or as an end of the year activity. This can be a one day class resource or used for a couple of days depending on whether the activities(creative writing/art work/online simulation games, etc.) are used with the students: Exploring the Ocean Blue: A Webquest

3. Learn about Earth Day and our planet Earth, with this informative web quest! In 2017, the theme for Earth Day is “Environmental and Climate Literacy” Although this resource could be used for Earth Day, it really could be used throughout the year. Learn about the history of Earth Day and, our planet, EARTH, with this informative web quest. There are 15 web questions as well as comprehension questions and a Did You Know? fun fact section. The teacher page includes extension activities, the key, and additional links. Do you know the largest desert in the world? Do you know the longest river in the World? Who organized the first Earth Day? How long does it take for a styrofoam cup to decompose? What does extinct mean? These topic and more are included in the web quest: Earth Day: A Webquest

4. In 1923, English mountaineer George Mallory was asked,”Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest?” His response, “Because it’s there.” Thousands have been trying to summit the world’s highest mountain peak since this time. Learn about Mt. Everest, Nepal and the Yeti with this webquest! May 29th,2013(60th anniversary of the first successful climb)Lots of extension activities,interesting facts and comprehension questions are included. Mt. Everest: A Webquest

5. WOMEN in SCIENCE: Share biographies of women who have made contributions in science: Marie Curie, biography.

A Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Reader's Theater Script.

Use this informational and fun script for students to learn about Marie Curie, the Polish scientists who was a pioneer in the area of radioactivity.

*Students will find some of the uses of radioactive materials in the 1920s most interesting(as did I). Radium was placed in toothpaste to make teeth whiter, it was placed in shampoo, face creams, even chocolate! Even Marie and Pierre kept a glass jar with radium salt on their night stand because they were fascinated by its glow. People didn't realize the harmfulness of radioactivity.

A "studio" audience asks questions of Ms. Bie Ografee's guest, Marie Curie. There are comprehension questions, a Did You Know? section, a Teacher Page with extension activities, key and additional links:Marie Curie, A Reader's Theater Script

6. Learn about Katherine Johnson, a physicist, space scientist and mathematician, who played a very important role with NASA’s early space missions. The movie Hidden Figures highlights the role of NASA's "computers" such as Katherine Johnson and their contributions. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series of Reader's Theater Scripts, there are comprehension questions, a Did You Know? section,a Teacher page with extensions/links and key. A great STEM biography!Katherine Johnson, Reader's Theater Script

7. An English primatologist, Jane Goodall, has helped to change the attitudes people had toward animals, specifically the chimpanzee. Her method of studying chimpanzees involved living amongst them, for over 55 years. She is also known as an anthropologist, humanitarian and writer. She has worked for better treatment of animals in zoos and protection of the habitat of animals in the wild. https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Jane-Goodall-A-Readers-Theater-Script-4836410

Mrs. Bie Ografee Talk Show Reading Theater Scripts:

Vikings

Ferdinand Magellan

Marco Polo

Christopher Columbus

Leonardo da Vinci

Michelangelo

Visit with a Crusader

Visit with a Victim of the Black Death

Martin Luther King Jr.

Rosa Parks

Harriet Tubman

George Washington Carver

Katherine Johnson

Tuskegee Airmen

Marian Anderson

Marie Curie

Galileo Galilei

Sir Isaac Newton

Albert Einstein

Jane Goodall

Moon Landing: Interview with first astronauts to walk on the moon

Rachel Carson

Jacques Cousteau

Thomas Edison

Visit with a Pilgrim

Revolutionary War Female Spies

Revolutionary War Tory

Thomas Jefferson

James Madison, Father of the Constitution

Pioneer Woman, Narcissa Whitman

Civil War Women Soldiers

Sacagaewa

Sequoyah

Lewis and Clark

Abraham Lincoln

California Gold Rush: Visit with a ‘49er

Wright Brothers

A Road trip Across the USA for Women’s Suffrage

WW 2: Women Pilots

Elizabeth Blackwell

Susan B. Anthony

Sonia Sotomayor

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Louisa May Alcott

Edgar Allen Poe

William Shakespeare

Charles Dickens

Johnny Appleseed

Visit with a Leprechaun

Visit with a Groundhog

To Tell the Truth Plays:

Hans Christian Andersen

Elizabeth Blackwell

Amelia Earhart

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt

Elizabeth Blackwell

First Lady Edith Wilson

First Lady Florence Harding

King Tut

First Lady Hillary Clinton

First Lady Michelle Obama

First Lady Abigail Adams

First Lady Martha Washington

First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln

First Lady Dolly Madison

First Lady Lady Bird Johnson

My website for teachers/kids has lots of geography activities, short reads, factoids on different topics, news, career surveys, bell ringers and more.

* I also have web quests on elephants, giraffes, polar bears, rhinos and leopards.

NOTE: Photograph of Rachel Carson is from the Rachel Carson Collection, Chatham University Archives & Special Collections, Chatham University

Clipart of wave from openclipart.org

Eagle from wpclipart.com

Key words: STEM, Science, Women in Science, biographies, trees, environment, pesticides