This AP Environmental Science class is intended to meet the same objectives as a first-year college-based course.
However, the method of instruction for this course is unique compared to similar courses because we have adopted
a project-based learning (PBL) approach. Although PBL may take many forms, our approach involves student
investigations and simulations that require students to think like scientists, policymakers, farmers, and other adults
in real-world settings. Teachers engage students in collaborative problem solving, argumentation, and deep
exploration of the concepts and principles of the discipline. The goal for student learning is understanding rather
than relying on rote memory to create meaningful learning and knowledge that is actionable, adaptive, and
transferable.

This article highlights resources related to water from the American Museum of Natural History and at-home activities on ice and water.

The purpose of this resource is to quantitatively evaluate the accuracy of a classification system. Students sort birds into three possible classes based on each bird's beak: carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. Students compare their answers with a given set of validation data.

Join us on a special trip up to Bathurst Island to record birdsongs, and learn about how you can use bird observations to create scientific inquiry in your classroom using ebird.org and birds.cornell.edu/birdsleuth.

Submitted as part of the California Learning Resource Network (CLRN) Phase 3 Digital Textbook Initiative (CA DTI3), CK-12 Foundation's high school Biology FlexBook covers cell biology, genetics, evolution, ecology, botany, zoology, and physiology. This digital textbook was reviewed for its alignment with California content standards.

CK-12's Life Science delivers a full course of study in the life sciences for the middle school student, relating an understanding of the history, disciplines, tools, and modern techniques of science to the exploration of cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, evolution, prokaryotes, protists,fungi, plants, animals, invertebrates, vertebrates, human biology, and ecology. This digital textbook was reviewed for its alignment with California content standards.

CK-12's Life Science delivers a full course of study in the life sciences for the middle school student, relating an understanding of the history, disciplines, tools, and modern techniques of science to the exploration of cell biology, genetics, evolution, prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, the animal kingdom, the human body, and ecology. This digital textbook was reviewed for its alignment with California content standards.

This article features children's literature about weather, climate, and climate change. What’s the difference between weather and climate? How do scientists observe, measure, and predict weather phenomena? How is Earth’s climate changing, and why? This month’s bookshelf will help students develop a solid grasp of weather-related concepts. It will also introduce students to global warming and climate change and inspire them to do what they can to combat the problem.

This article assembles free resources from the Climate Change and the Polar Regions issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine into a unit outline based on the 5E learning cycle framework. Outlines are provided for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5.

This online book evaluates the current understanding of the linkages among climate, ecosystems, and infectious disease. It outlines the research needed to improve the understanding of these linkages and examines the potential for using climate forecasts and ecological observations to help predict infectious disease outbreaks. The entire book may be read online in HTML or PDF formats, and hard copies may be ordered from the site.

Some bird species appear to respond to extreme weather changes in their native habitat by moving to more hospitable environments. This article discusses the role of NASA satellites, along with field and citizen scientists, in studying that movement. The article also includes an activity on constructing a bird feeder. The Climate Kids website is a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.

These animated stories follow the adventures of a polar bear and a fish. In the two episodes here, one just over four minutes, the other just over five, the duo come face to face with worldwide environmental changes. This lesson is part of the Climate Kids website, a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.

The brief introduction to El Niño presented in this article also offers insights into its role during the quiet 2009 hurricane season. This article is part of the Climate Kids website, a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.

This series of 7 captioned images depict sources, causes and results of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions. This lesson is part of the Climate Kids website, a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.

This series of 12 captioned images depict some of the issues facing Earth’s fresh water supply, such as pollution, drought, and glacial retreat. The Climate Kids website is a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.

This series of 16 captioned images depict representative plant and animal species threatened by climate change. In contrast, images of healthy plants are also shown to emphasize their role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Climate Kids website is a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.

This series of 18 captioned images depict several weather and climate-related events such as flooding, drought, glacial retreat and wind erosion. The Climate Kids website is a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.

This question is addressed through a series of questions and answers, each providing related introductory information such as how climate change is studied, the history of Earth’s climate, and the effects of climate change on Earth’s geology and biology. The Climate Kids website is a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.

The effects of climate change on marmots in Colorado and sheep in Scotland are presented and compared. The Climate Kids website is a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.

This article provides a brief introduction to solar energy, explains its benefits, and culminates in a description of the work being done by a group of volunteers, (the "Sun power people") who help install solar panels on homes in California. The Climate Kids website is a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.