The unequal distribution of natural resources is the direct result of past geologic processes. Once a promising region is located, geologists use a variety of techniques to find the materials and energy that society consumes. Their tools can be as simple as a hand lens or as sophisticated as a satellite. Along the way, exploration geologists and…

The practice of obtaining, interpreting, and contextualizing data across scientific disciplines is crucial to understanding the natural world. The authors developed the Teal Spruce sampling activity to encourage students to explore the reality of scientific data collection while also providing hands-on experience in interpreting and sharing…

Teaching the children of today about nature is important as they become increasingly removed from the natural world. Children should be exposed to environmental issues so that they will become environmentally aware adults. This article describes a project in which high school biology students teach preschool students about a local environmental…

Data and data analysis are central to science and the complex world in which people live. Students need to practice working with data--addressed in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013)--starting with small, self-collected data sets and moving on to larger, remotely collected data assemblages. Small data sets…

For students in biology, chemistry, or environmental science, diatoms offer excellent insight into watershed health and human impact on the environment. Diatoms are found globally in virtually every habitat that has sunlight and moisture, including polar seas, tropical streams, and on moist soils and mosses. Studying diatoms as biological…

The proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border would significantly affect wildlife. Most animals cannot get past walls that are hundreds of miles long and many meters tall. Some species along parts of the border where a wall already exists, such as jaguars and ocelots, suffer from dwindling populations and difficulty finding mates. This column…

The curriculum module described in this article addresses the global issue of ocean acidification (OA) (Feely 2009; Figure 1). OA is a harmful consequence of excess carbon dioxide (CO[subscript 2]) in the atmosphere and poses a threat to marine life, both algae and animal. This module seeks to teach and help students master the cross-disciplinary…

Land ethics are the ways that humanity justifies their usage of the land. Today this topic is more important than ever as we balance our needs, such as food, water, and energy, with the systems of the natural world. The activity described in this article introduces students to the concept of land ethics using historical case studies of five common…

This article describes the benefits of high school science clubs, focusing on forging partnerships with local and regional organizations; the importance of a service-learning component; and how local science club activities bring students and community members together. The authors also address how educators can improve the work of the group to…

Nitrogen- or phosphorus-based fertilizers, used in agriculture, can run off into nearby waterways during periods of heavy rain or high flow and cause harmful blooms (Paerl et al. 2016), low oxygen (Joyce 2000), and decreased biodiversity (Sebens 1994). Studies of the effects wetlands can have on water and habitat quality (Verhoeven and Meuleman…

In this article, the author describes the "Be your own groundhog" project in her grades 9-12 Earth and environmental sciences courses, in which students use citizen science databases to research the physical changes that signal the arrival of spring. This project starts with a simple question, "When will spring spring?" This goes beyond the…

As solar energy becomes increasingly affordable, many schools are considering installing new solar power systems. In this article, the authors present Solarize Your School, an engineering project that gives students the opportunity to design and evaluate solar power solutions for their own schools. This STEM project requires students to learn and…

Materials science--the science of stuff--has made our lives better by making it possible for manufacturers to supply us with products. Students have misconceptions about materials use. Many may think using bottled water, for example, is harmless because they recycle the plastic empties, but they fail to consider the resources and energy used to…

On a spring morning in Maine, traps made of nets rise above vernal pools in a small wetland, ready to collect salamanders. The traps were designed by groups of rural and urban high school students from Maine and Massachusetts participating in the University of Maine Upward Bound Math Science Program (UBMS) at the university campus in Orono, Maine.…

The recreational fishing activity presented in this article provides a hands-on, problem-based experience for students; it unites biology, math, economics, environmental policy, and population dynamics concepts. In addition, the activity allows students to shape environmental policy in a realistic setting and evaluate their peers' work. By…