Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum/Geology of National Parks module. Students estimate the net volume of pollutants flowing into the Houchin's Narrows entrance of Mammoth Cave using actual air-flow and air-quality data from the park.

The lcture is an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the causes and remedies of the racial achievement gap.

SSAC Physical Volcanology module. Students build a spreadsheet to estimate the volume of volcanic deposits using map, thickness and high-water mark data from the 2005 Panabaj debris flow (Guatemala).

Students calculate the opportunity cost of attending one class. The exercise reinforces learning about implicit, explicit and total opportunity costs.

This lesson from Illuminations helps students to begin to develop an understanding of area by using a Java applet on the computer. Learners use 12" × 12" paper squares to measure the area of a door and determine whether area increases or decreases as the length or width of their door changes. The lesson includes discussion questions, extensions, and other teacher support. It is supported by the applet IGD: Areas in Geometry (cataloged separately).

Students complete a self-guided exercise in worksheet format combined with Google Earth that helps them explore practical and observable differences between different projection and coordinate systems. The activity improves their skills in using various Google Earth features.

This exercise uses the Think-Pair-Share technique to initiate the problem-solving process. It focuses on a common first step in economic problem solving: identifying relevant and irrelevant information.

Students learn about coordinate systems in general by considering questions concerning what it is that the systems are expected do, and who decided how they look. They attempt to make their own coordinate systems using a common area across all groups and compete to see who can make the best one. Then they analyze why it is that some systems work better than others and consider what those observations mean for evaluating and choosing geographic coordinate systems commonly available today.

Students carry out a field experiment in order to test the hypothesis that able bodied individuals receive less help than those perceived to have an injury. Students collect and analyze data and write an APA style research report.

In this video segment adapted from United Tribes Technical College, listen as six Native American students share their concerns, hopes, and knowledge about climate change.

In this video segment adapted from United Tribes Technical College, listen as six Native American students share their concerns, hopes, and knowledge about climate change.

This Starting Point Teaching Collection page describes the Yellowstone Fires module created for NASA's Classroom of the Future. Emphasizing an integrated approach to environmental earth science through problem-based learning, the module asks students to assume the role of environmental biologist, and help several government agencies resolve the debate surrounding "let it burn" policies in national parks. The government agencies would like to know whether or not to allow naturally occurring fires in Yellowstone National Park to burn to their natural conclusion. The agencies are particularly interested in student recommendations based on an Earth System Science analysis of a fire's impact on the air, land, water, and living things. Many of the pages within the module site provide hyperlinked background resources to investigate wildland fire issues in more detail. A glossary, references, related links, and a general description of the problem-based learning model compliment the site. On this page, teachers can find learning goals, teaching notes and tips, teaching materials, assessment hints and references and resources dealing with this exercise. It also describes the context in which the module is best used.