Children are naturally curious about the world in which they live. To focus this sense of wonder, have your students investigate their local habitat as it changes over the year. This multiseason study will build connections and add relevance to the habitats that children learn about. This series of activities for grades 4-6 explores the changing…

Discusses themes and ideas for social studies teachers to use in teaching about energy. Addresses energy transitions, the rate of technology change, energy and economic growth, and comparing and developing new energy sources. Concludes that students need a historical and social context for understanding the environmental and economic problems that…

Students can study the Arctic by creating Arctic clubs, using modems to communicate with students nationwide who are following International Arctic Project (IAP) explorers. The article describes the IAP, explains how to form a club, and discusses issues that clubs can tackle, for example, pollution, Arctic animals, natural resources, and the…

Identifies metaphor as a powerful tool when utilized to facilitate concept formation pertaining to global ecological systems and universal concerns. Provides an illustration of how an instructional metaphor, spaceship earth, can be used in the classroom to help students create new meanings for abstract and complex ideas. (MCO)