Students learn how the process of soil solarization is used to pasteurize …
Students learn how the process of soil solarization is used to pasteurize agricultural fields before planting crops. Soil solarization is a pest control technique in agriculture that uses the sun’s radiation to heat the soil and eliminate unwanted pests that could harm the crops. The approach is compared to other pest control methods such as fumigation and herbicide application, highlighting the respective benefits and drawbacks. In preparation for the associated hands-on activity on soil biosolarization, students learn how changing the variables involved in the solarizing process (such as the tarp material, soil water content and addition of organic matter) impacts the technique’s effectiveness. A PowerPoint® presentation and pre/post-quiz is provided.
Dane County's abundant surface water resources are monitored and assessed primarily by …
Dane County's abundant surface water resources are monitored and assessed primarily by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). Major streams and lakes are classified into categories based on the aquatic organisms present. These classifications provide an indication of water quality and fishery conditions.
Agricultural and urban land uses contribute to nutrient rich runoff reaching surface waters. Impervious surfaces and removal of wetlands also increases the flow of stormwater to local waterways. Explore issues facing our surface water and see maps of degraded water resources.
Effective water quality planning depends on long-term assessment and monitoring. The Capital Area Regional Planning Commission uses long-term datasets to evaluate regional trends.
Learn about practices meant to protect the region's streams, shorelands, and lakes.
Dane County Land and Water Resources Viewer: An interactive county map showing watershed boundaries, thermally sensitive areas, cold water communities and more.
Meet the Data Decoders—a team of scientists at the Solís-Lemus Lab who …
Meet the Data Decoders—a team of scientists at the Solís-Lemus Lab who use math and computers to interpret huge amounts of data from biological experiments.
Resources available for learning about this lab include: • Interactive cards designed to introduce students to scientists in a more personal way • A video with a personal story that explains why the lab's research matters in real life • Questions to consider that will spark connection, reflection, and conversation • An interactive video experience where you can ask questions of scientists in the lab and learn about their research • An inquiry-based activity that focuses on doing science, using some of the same science practices that the lab uses • An educator guide with information about standards alignment, curriculum connections, and tips for using the media resources
These resources are part of Meet the Lab, a collection of educational resources for middle school science classrooms.
This resource is a lesson plan where students will role play and …
This resource is a lesson plan where students will role play and debate using a guided 5 sections script where students will explain their own opinion about deforestation and how the rainforests should be managed.
This lesson plan includes teacher instructions and student materials needed to explore …
This lesson plan includes teacher instructions and student materials needed to explore ocean zones and the various types of animals found in each zone.
Students discuss how they and other organisms adapt to survive in different …
Students discuss how they and other organisms adapt to survive in different environments. They discover the characteristics of deep sea extremophiles that help those organisms survive in several deep sea ecosystems.
In this life science-focused activity, students will pretend to have internships as …
In this life science-focused activity, students will pretend to have internships as environmental scientists as they research why exactly water is essential for life. They will collect and analyze data to help them calculate about how much water they use on a daily basis and consider where cuts can be made. Following the virtual experience, students will calculate approximately how much water each person would need per day to survive on Mars. They will consider how much of this water could be reused, and they will determine how much water the people on Mars need to survive until the shuttle returns from Earth. Student groups will ultimately develop a plan that maps out water use until the shuttle returns, and they will review each other’s ideas as they search for the most efficient and realistic plan.
In this video segment adapted from Navajo Technical College, meet a dendroclimatologist …
In this video segment adapted from Navajo Technical College, meet a dendroclimatologist who studies the relationship between precipitation and tree growth in the Navajo Nation.
In this visualization adapted from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, discover …
In this visualization adapted from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, discover the role that dengue viral proteins play in a human cell as the virus prepares to replicate.
Concluding a two-part lab activity, students use triple balance beams and graduated …
Concluding a two-part lab activity, students use triple balance beams and graduated cylinders to take measurements and calculate densities of several household liquids and compare them to the densities of irregularly shaped objects (as determined in Part 1). Then they create density columns with the three liquids and four solid items to test their calculations and predictions of the different densities. Once their density columns are complete, students determine the effect of adding detergent to the columns. After this activity, present the associated Density & Miscibility lesson for a discussion about why the column layers do not mix.
Middle School Students love these two things together--squeezing things that are squishy, …
Middle School Students love these two things together--squeezing things that are squishy, and eating candy!This is a lab using Playdough and Tootsie Rolls, in which students will measure the volume, mass, and the density of both substances. Students should gain a deeper meaning of what the physical property of density is after completing this lab. They should be able to explain WHY one substance is more dense or less dense than another.
Water supply is a problem of worldwide concern: more than 1 billion …
Water supply is a problem of worldwide concern: more than 1 billion people do not have reliable access to clean drinking water. Water is a particular problem for the developing world, but scarcity also impacts industrial societies. Water purification and desalination technology can be used to convert brackish ground water or seawater into drinking water. The challenge is to do so sustainably, with minimum cost and energy consumption, and with appropriately accessible technologies. This subject will survey the state-of-the-art in water purification by desalination and filtration. Fundamental thermodynamic and transport processes which govern the creation of fresh water from seawater and brackish ground water will be developed. The technologies of existing desalination systems will be discussed, and factors which limit the performance or the affordability of these systems will be highlighted. Energy efficiency will be a focus. Nanofiltration and emerging technologies for desalination will be considered. A student project in desalination will involve designing a well-water purification system for a village in Haiti.
This activity is a lab where students will design an experiment dealing …
This activity is a lab where students will design an experiment dealing with one of the five senses. Students will collect data outside of class, write a formal lab write up as well as a group presentation on their findings.
Students design and build model landfills using materials similar to those used …
Students design and build model landfills using materials similar to those used by engineers for full-scale landfills. Their completed small-size landfills are "rained" on and subjected to other erosion processes. The goal is to create landfills that hold the most garbage, minimize the cost to build and keep trash and contaminated water inside the landfill to prevent it from causing environmental damage. Teams create designs within given budgets, test the landfills' performance, and graph and compare designs for capacity, cost and performance.
Students will be engineers in this activity! They will have to take …
Students will be engineers in this activity! They will have to take into consideration the needs and lives of birds to design, test, and build their own bird feeders. They will then test the feeders and have to analyze why or why not the birds used the feeders they designed.
Students create a concept design of their very own net-zero energy classroom …
Students create a concept design of their very own net-zero energy classroom by pasting renewable energy and energy-efficiency items into and around a pretend classroom on a sheet of paper. They learn how these items (such as solar panels, efficient lights, computers, energy meters, etc.) interact to create a learning environment that produces as much energy as it uses.
Students brainstorm ideas for board game formats. Then student teams design, create …
Students brainstorm ideas for board game formats. Then student teams design, create and test games in which players must think of alternative uses (recycling) for used products.
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