Environmental History Teacher Resources

The Nashua River serves as the focal point of an investigation of the treatment of and care for natural resources. A reading of A River Rand Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry, launches the study and class members consider...

Students examine the painting, Spring on the Missouri. They role-play and discuss floods and flood control from the views of an environmental lobbyist and a farmer.

Ninth graders explore the historical perspective of nature and the environment.  In this American History lesson, 9th graders examine materials in a variety of formats to understand the contexts of America's concern for the environment.

Learn about the study of paleoecology with a resource about Dr. Grace Bush and her contributions to the field. After reading a one-page passage, learners answer comprehension questions and explore their personal interests in different...

Students use M&M's to create a pie graph that expresses their understanding of the composition of air. They watch and conduct several simple experiments to develop an understanding of the properties of air (it has mass, it takes up...

Twelfth graders research the history of how a particular environmental issue moves through the Conservation Movement. They create timelines that show the progression of public sentiment and the legislation about the issue.

Eleventh graders research the acquisition of colonial outposts throughout the Pacific Ocean by the United States during the late-nineteenth century. They present their findings to the class and propose which countries or territories the...

Tenth graders study the role that places like the Joliet Arsenal played in how women were view in American society during and after World War II. They interview a person from the World War II era about the job they performed and how...

Seventh graders review and discuss architecture from South Asia. They then study images of various buildings from North Africa/Southwest Asia, and make comparisons

Young scholars identify a community environmental problem and possible solutions. They analyze the connection between the problem and the solutions and the importance of it to the local community. Students then draw a picture of an...

Students analyze graph showing global deforestation, view photograph of deforestation in Brazil's interior rain forest and examine three maps showing deforestation within the United States, describe political, economic, and social...

Students devise a plan that would be true to John Muir's spirit of stewardship toward Yosemite. They analyze a core map to determine the original plan and usage of the park and compare the original plan to a current park map.

Students describe key events in the life of Gandhi. They determine why knowledge of geography is necessary to understand the history of the people in a place or region. They write a summary of how the events in Gandhi's life,...

Third graders engage in a wide variety of cross-curricular activities designed to give them a thorough understanding of the history of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. There are a very nice set of activities included in this plan!

Students create a time line. They research major events and advancements in the development of the plow. They describe and date at least ten major events and advancements in the development of the plow from prehistoric to present day....

Students investigate an Native American tribal group. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The subject areas to focus on are religious life, history, social structures, economics, geography, and environment. Students...

Students examine the Great Lakes Basin and water conservation. In this Great Lakes and water lesson, students study the location of the lakes before reading the book, The River Ran Wild. They discuss the associated vocabulary and in...

Students explore inventions that have been created since the nineteenth century.

Middle schoolers discuss the ways in which an environment is used to provide the basic necessities of life. In groups, they compare and contrast how different hunter and gatherer groups have used the environment to their advantage. ...

Students role-play a trial regarding the taking of family property for a new water purification plant. Among the roles are the judge, attorneys, witnesses, plaintiff, mayor, and jury members. Once both sides present their case, the...

Students investigate the history of interactions with the environment in the 1800s. They conduct research looking for possible negative influences upon the environment. The information is used to conduct a class discussion about the...

Students work together to develop a chart showing the relationship between the settlement of the United States and environmental problems. Using this information, they identify the human activities responsible for damaging the...

Students identify and research various women and their roles in military history. They describe how modern political positions are affected by differences in ideologies and viewpoints that have developed over time. Finally, students...

Students determine the impact of gold mining operations in 1879 on the immediate environment and compare the early impacts to extraction methods and regulatory laws governing mining operations today in South Dakota.