Math Awareness Month, Grades 6-8
2013 Theme: Mathematics of Sustainability
Curriculum resources, including lesson plans, background reading, printables and video, for grades 6-8 address the 2013 Math Awareness Month theme: Mathematics of Sustainability.
Lesson Plans
Ocean Market
K-12 students identify consumer goods that come from the ocean, identify their origin, and calculate their cost.
Down the Drain
4-8 students collect data on water usage around the world, compare it to their own, and devise a plan to use less.
Measuring the Weather (
PDF, 207 KB, 3 pgs.)
Students in grades 4-8 make simple instruments to measure and record weather data.
Exploring Global Climate Change from 1900 to 2010
Students in grades 6-8 learn about the temperature change of Earth over the last century and examine data to look for trends, calculate slopes and rates of change, and use this information to predict climate change for the year 2050.
Pollution Prevention
Students in grades 7-12 estimate the amount of household hazardous waste in their community.
Lesson 4 Life-Cycle Costs: Learning to Consider The Hidden Costs Of Technology ( PDF, 6.1 MB, 45 pgs.)
Students in 8th grade examine the costs of ethanol.
Lesson Sets
Closing the Loop: Exploring Integrated Waste Management and Resource Conservation
A cross-curricular program of 50 lessons to help K-6 students discover and nurture an environmental ethic and stewardship for natural resources. Activities focus on solid waste and environmental awareness.
K-12 Exemplary Lessons Developed for TerraCycle
Mathematics of Planet Earth
K-12 and higher curriculum materials.
Weather Scope: An Investigative Study of Weather and Climate
Students in grades 5-10 use hands-on activities and real-time data investigations to study factors that affect weather and climate. Lessons, activities, teacher guide, and resources.
The Gulf Stream Voyage
Students in grades 6-12 use real time data in various scientific applications in order to discover the mysteries of the Gulf Stream. Lessons, activities, teacher guide, and resources.
Garbage: Classroom
Lesson plans and additional materials for grades 6-12.
Activities
Ollie’s World
K-8 interactive sustainability resources.
Ecological Footprint Quiz
Answers to 27 easy questions provide an estimate of land and ocean area required to sustain a student’s annual consumption and waste output. Students in grades 4-12 can compare their Ecological Footprints to others’ and learn how to reduce their impact.
The Cloud Institute - EfS Reality Check
Are you educating for sustainability? This professional development tool will help school administrators and faculty assess their efforts.
Background Resources
EPA Students
K-12 games, quizzes, homework resources, and teacher resources.
Related Resources
The official website for Math Awareness Month. It includes theme essays, reports, curriculum materials, K-16 links, and games.
Energy Hog
This website has separate areas for adults and for students. In the kids’ section, teachers will find two guides, one for them and one for students, scavenger hunt, coloring book, posters, and light switch covers. Hogbusters Training Camp for kids provides a handbook, training games, bonus game, and more. Grades 4-6.
DEPweb Learning Modules
Social, economic, and environmental modules for grades 6-12.
Professional Development
Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future
Four modules provide professional development for student teachers, teachers, curriculum developers, education policy makers, and authors of educational materials.
Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network
A resource for teachers on how to teach climate and energy literacy. Professional Development.
Climate Change Resource Center
Includes video courses on carbon emissions, carbon storage, and climate. Professional Development.
The Communicating and Learning About Global Climate Change ( PDF, 3.5 MB, 32 pgs.)
An abbreviated guide for teaching climate change. Professional Development.
The Green Changemakers
Training manuals and education resources on sustainability. Professional Development.
Games & Interactives
Games, Quizzes and Other Cool Stuff!
Some resources are off the EPA website.
Kids Are Green
Games, coloring book, fact sheets.
Exploring the Environment
“Twenty-five online modules put students in problem-based learning scenarios. In one module, students predict the impact of increased carbon dioxide on the wheat yield in Kansas. In another, they predict weather 48 hours in advance. Topics include coral reefs, climate change, the Everglades, mountain gorillas, rainforests, volcanoes, water quality, and ozone depletion. (A NASA-sponsored project.)”
Activities about Climate Change
Climate change, carbon dioxide, food choices, case studies, and food stories for students in grades 4-6.
Play the Fish Game Online
Play online or in the classroom. 4-12.
Florida Solar Energy Center Curricula
Curriculum materials for K-12 on alternative energy.
Solar Energy Module
Grades 3-6 go on a race using only solar panels and batteries in the Solar Powered Race activity.
Energyville
Players in grades 6-12 control the energy mix of a virtual city of 5.9 million and discover the economic, environmental, and security impacts of their decisions.
Garbage Dreams
Students in grades 6-12 have 8 months to build a recycling empire and get Cairo’s total recycling as they as they can.
Teachers can print an information packet with game rules. ( PDF, 3.5 MB, 6 pgs.)
RIZK
Players manage the threats to the survival of a plant.
Precipice
Precipice is a simulation of some future global warming scenarios in which players can affect outcomes by interacting with characters. The simulation, available for PCs and Macs, requires a large download, approximately 300 MB. Best for grades 6-12.
Printables
Video
AAAS Climate Change Movie (12:07)
Can be viewed online or downloaded
The Story of Stuff Project
8 videos
last updated: April 1, 2013
COMMENTS:
mark | 2012/05/04
mark | 2012/05/04