Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Find a guide to understanding our planet through the ways human impact has changed ecological patterns and processes. Choose from the six biomes for a broad overview of information, then dig deeper by selecting one of the subtopics within a biome to view facts as related to climate, population, and land use.

tag(s): biomes (110), earth (184), ecology (103), environment (252)

Learn about biomes around the world through interactive maps, charts, and images at this site provided for Marietta College environmental biology and ecology students. Begin with the interactive map to click on a highlighted area to visit a world biome. Information about each biome includes climate, world distribution, plant and animal species, and additional ecological notes. Scroll through the home page to find in-depth comparisons of the climate and biomes of Marietta College and Costa Rica.

tag(s): biomes (110), ecology (103), ecosystems (83), organisms (15), weather (160)

Learn about the top 5 ways humans are negatively impacting the environment in this 10 minute YouTube video. The speaker also outlines the importance of healthy ecosystems and how they work. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): conservation (102), ecology (103), environment (252), plants (146)

Twig Science Reporter provides high-quality videos and resources for teaching K-5 students science with real-world news through scientific inquiry and reasoning. Weekly content additions ensure fresh content for viewers. Scroll through the home page to view the most recent content. Each item includes information on the type of material within the link such as articles, video, or news update all correlated to NGSS standards. Also, all content includes learning points for discussion, curriculum keywords, and links to additional information. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.

tag(s): animals (294), endangered species (27), energy (133), environment (252), glaciers (17), human body (93), insects (68), oceans (149), weather (160)

Weather Lab is a browser-based app that allows you to take on the role of a meteorologist in North America. Interact with weather processes to predict spring weather and appropriate clothing for different regions of the United States. Follow the instructions to choose an ocean current and air mass, then make your prediction for preparing for the day's weather. Correct predictions initiate an animation showing the weather event, or click to see a satellite image of a similar event.

tag(s): air (101), oceans (149), temperature (34), weather (160)

Investigate and recreate wild weather with these simple experiments explained in short videos. Four five-minute videos demonstrate how to create avalanches, dust storms, floods, and tornadoes. Each video discusses the weather phenomenon and how it naturally occurs. After the explanation, videos include instructions for recreating the weather presented using items commonly found at home.

tag(s): floods (10), tornadoes (14), weather (160)

Follow National Park Rangers on a remarkable journey in these 360-degree videos. Guides take viewers into the most interesting, yet unknown, places in six different park locations. Choose a park to begin your journey, explore locations dragging the mouse or cursor around to view these sites from every angle.

tag(s): alaska (21), florida (12), hawaii (9), landforms (39), national parks (29), states (124), utah (2), video (266), virtual field trips (128)

SciJinks offers informative articles and games geared toward middle school students as they learn about weather, satellite meteorology, and Earth science. Use the list on the left side of the page to choose from topics, answers, find games and videos, and much more. Select the Topics section to find many ideas for use in science classrooms including content aligned to Next Generation Science Standards. The videos reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.

tag(s): atmosphere (22), careers (156), hurricanes (32), oceans (149), science fairs (20), scientific method (48), scientists (67), seasons (37), space (222), weather (160)

This CNN interactive takes an in-depth look at vanishing species around the globe along with the reasons for their disappearance. Scroll through to discover how humans are causing species to go extinct at a rate 100 times faster than normal. Watch videos as scientists describe physical changes occuring on the earth's surface, view interactives demonstrating animal habitat changes, and more.

tag(s): animals (294), conservation (102), earth (184), earth day (60), endangered species (27), habitats (92)

Discover science while enjoying the beach and the outdoors with Beach Chair Scientist's blog. Read the latest posts on the site's homepage featuring titles such as "Seven silly science sea words." To find specific topics, scroll down the page to find links to archives and categories including Citizen Science and Environmental Education.

tag(s): animal homes (57), birds (46), environment (252), fish (18), oceans (149), reptiles (12)

Your challenge at the Wind Energy Virtual Lab is to build a high efficiency, low-cost turbine supplying energy to 400 homes. Follow the steps to choose the appropriate location, design, and material for your turbine and view the results. When finished, the lab displays up to three design attempts for comparison of outputs. Be sure to download the Teacher's Guide including explanations of the different lab components and ideas for classroom use.

tag(s): conservation (102), energy (133), weather (160)

Compare and contrast two images with JuxtaposeJS photo slider, no registration required. Begin with links to your two images, JuxtaposeJS recommends using two pictures of the same size. Add labels and photo credits and choose from personalization options. Once uploaded, use the slider bar to adjust the viewing portions of the two images. Embed your finished image using the code provided after publication.

tag(s): history day (39), images (263), local history (14), photography (130)

2 Minute Geology is a YouTube playlist featuring short, informative videos discussing geological features from around the world. Topics include petrified wood, the Seattle earthquake fault, and more. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): earthquakes (46), floods (10), geology (62), rocks (35), volcanoes (55)

This blog entry from the Solar Centre discusses how the sun influences animals in every environment. Several infographics demonstrate the sun's effect on marine life, daylight movement of animals, and nocturnal adaptations of many animals. Be sure to check out other blog entries from the Solar Centre including 20 Ways the Sun Benefits Our Health. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.

tag(s): adaptations (16), animals (294), solar energy (34), sun (71)

iExloreSTEM is a volunteer community dedicated to bringing STEM activities and festivals to local communities in and near Iowa; the ideas and resources can apply to any state. The site includes information and resources for planning STEM festivals and creating safe activities. Scroll down the page to find several sample activities listed by discipline including architecture, engineering, and more. Other useful resources include links to STEM career information and STEM links to specific states.

tag(s): animals (294), architecture (75), engineering (129), environment (252), plants (146), STEM (297)

Explore the many different kinds of geology available for viewing at the United States National Parks with this online tour. Choose from various categories to find links to parks with that geologic theme. Some also include a short description of geologic features. Although this site looks quite simple, there is an abundance of information available for learning about geographic features around the United States.

tag(s): caves (7), fossils (41), geology (62), glaciers (17), mountains (10), national parks (29), plate tectonics (22), rivers (16), rocks (35), soil (16), volcanoes (55)

Brains On! is a science podcast for kids. Hosted by different kid hosts, podcasts explore a variety of topics such as animals, space, and volcanoes. Most podcasts run in length from approximately 15 to 30 minutes. Click the "extras" link to find many supplemental materials including scientist interviews, music, experiments, and mystery sounds.

tag(s): animals (294), earth (184), plants (146), podcasts (108), space (222), tides (6), volcanoes (55), waves (14), weather (160)

Discover and learn about changes to forests from around the world with this interactive tool. Explore the data from three different perspectives - countries, ecosystems, and hotspots. The Global Forest Change Explorer also includes a downloadable curriculum and a four-page questionnaire for students to guide them around the site and test knowledge.

tag(s): conservation (102), forests (30), maps (220)

bioGraphic is a stunning multimedia magazine showcasing nature and solutions to sustaining life on earth. Scroll down the home page to browse through the latest articles and be prepared to be drawn in through the beautiful imagery included! Browse by specific topics such as wildlife, places, or people, or use the keyword search. Be sure to click on the three dots next to the search icon that enables you to choose from specific types of content such as videos, photos, or immersive experiences.

tag(s): animal homes (57), animals (294), deserts (16), habitats (92), multimedia (53), natural resources (37), oceans (149), rainforests (18)

Design Challenge Learning offers several lesson plans correlated to Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards based on STEM concepts. Begin your search by choosing For Educators from the top menu. From there, find a menu on the left that has links to Lessons and Activities, Field Trips, Virtual Student Programming, and more. From Lessons and Activities you can browse content by subject and topic. Each lesson includes questioning prompts, vocabulary, standards, and information on core concepts.

tag(s): agriculture (49), architecture (75), commoncore (73), density (17), energy (133), forces (37), friction (9), gravity (43), heart (27), human body (93), magnetism (36), matter (45), motion (47), plants (146), simple machines (19), sound (72)