Submitted by: Beckie Share

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8

In this Earth Awareness lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades 3-8, students choose an area of environmental interest that is relevant to them and use BrainPOP resources to explore the topic in-depth. Students will use internet resources to conduct their research and use PowerPoint to communicate what they learned.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:

  1. Understand the subject content of their chosen research topic
  2. Use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions
  3. Use PowerPoint to communicate information and ideas effectively

Materials:

  • BrainPOP access
  • PowerPoint access
  • Computers

Vocabulary:

slide, slideshow, edit, global warming, hybrid, energy

Preparation:

Have the computer lab computers ready for students to sign on to their personal accounts. Provide students with a BrainPOP link and the username and password, and prepare the project directions. This activity will take approximately 10 days of computer lab time for the 3rd graders and 5-7 days for older students.

Lesson Procedure:

  1. Discuss Earth Awareness. Create a KWL chart on ways to make our planet better and cleaner. You may want to use the downloadable chart from BrainPOP Educators.
  2. Invite students to choose a topic they would like to learn more about (air pollution, energy, global warming, humans and the environment, hybrid cars, population growth, recycling, water supply or wind energy). They should watch the corresponding video on BrainPOP or BrainPOP Jr. and explore the associated activities.
  3. After gathering the needed information, students should create a 6-slide PowerPoint presentation. Students should include a title page/slide and their top 5 reasons why awareness for their topic is important.
  4. After completing the PowerPoint, students may present their findings to their classmates or other classes/community members.