After a whole-class discussion of water reservoirs, ten liters of water are given to each lab group to represent Earth's total amount of water. They divide the water into smaller containers, each representing one of those reservoirs. The...

Questions that can be used in a lesson on Earth's radiation balance are suggested in this resource. It is not a lesson plan, per se, but it is a list of questions for stations within a "Gallery Walk" lesson. The link to how Gallery Walks...

In this Earth worksheet, middle schoolers investigate the interactions between the four major parts of the earth-the atmosphere, the geosphere, the biosphere and the hydrosphere. Students discuss their findings as a class.

Students research pertinent solar system formation and Earth development events and work together to determine which events occurred first, second, third, and so on. Students arrange themselves as a human timeline across the room. ...

Students perform experiments designed to grow plants and bacteria in a controlled environment.  In this ecosystems lesson students investigate varying conditions for growing plants and bacteria. 

Sixth graders study the earth and show some examples of the way it maintains a life-friendly environment.  In this biosphere lesson students complete a lab activity and create their own biosphere. 

Students examine the carbon cycle while identifying its sources, sinks, and release agents. Using magazines and newspapers, groups of students design collages illustrating the carbon cycle. Finally, they write responses to several...

Students play The Fishing Game as a manager in the national fish and wildlife service charged with the responsibility of making policy suggestions regarding the management of a fishery surrounding national borders.

Learners investigate the Stella Smolts Migration Model and its use in previous simulation models to help managers deal with the many factors contributing smolts decline. They participate in an interactive exercise in the role of fishery...

Students use a JAVA interface to explore the Daisy World model to illustrate a mechanism through which - according to the Gaian hypothesis - biota might optimize their abiotic environment by means of negative feedback.

A webpage giving an overview of ecology. Learn about the biotic and abiotic factors that make up an ecosystem as well as the different levels of ecology.

Designed by the Open University and the BBC, this website from Open2.net explores ecosystems. Included is a lengthy discussion on closed ecosystems and their importance to research, as well as a virtual ecosystem, an interactive showcase...