Big Idea 4: Science and Society

Students attempt to save towns from damage prior to the arrival of several different natural disasters. Students will learn the importance of early prevention and actions to protect others, themselves and their property when faced with a natural disaster. Certain disasters are more appropriate for particular grade levels. Each scenario takes between 20 and 45 minutes to play, depending on the disaster for which your students are trying to prepare. There are five scenarios available, hurricane, tsunami, flood, earthquake, and wildfire. Each scenario can be played on easy, medium or hard difficulty levels. As with life, there are no "perfect solutions" to each scenario and no "perfect score", so students can play multiple times and the scenarios will still be slightly different.These simulation are part of a larger website that provides multiple links for natural disasters.

Type: Educational Game

Students will predict the challenges for humans living on Mars in the future by considering the differences between Mars and Earth. In light of these potential challenges, students will consider how the rule of law could influence a new Martian society founded under the principles of the U.S. constitutional republic in this integrated lesson plan. This lesson is Part 1 of 2.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use their understanding of the habitability challenges on Mars (developed during Part 1) to create a Martian Bill of Rights that will guarantee civil rights and liberties of future Martian citizens in this integrated lesson plan.  This lesson is Part 2 of 2.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will be able to: 

• Describe how social and economic needs for water affects the water in the Everglades ecosystem
• Explain 3 ways that the Everglades are necessary for our daily lives
• List 3 ways to conserve water
• Quantify the percentages of water usage by different South Florida user groups
• Create a mathematical model using a pie chart to illustrate water usage by user group in South Florida
• Create an informational brochure about the importance of water to the Everglades and the need for water conservation

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will be able to:

• Describe three ecosystem services provided by the Everglades
• Explain how these three ecosystem services contribute to the social and economic quality of life for people living in South Florida 
• Describe five specific threats to the ecological health of the Everglades incorporating relevant evidence of the impacts of each of these threats 
• Present findings on threats to the Everglades based on information derived from various texts/websites

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will be able to:

• Describe how different social and economic decisions impact the Everglades
• Analyze and select actions related to water dilemmas associated with the Everglades
• Write an explanatory essay about how decisions made on a daily basis have the potential to impact the Everglades

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will participate in collecting trash either on campus or another location. They will compare the distance traveled and the weight of the trash bag collected. Students will explore the use of mean and median in finding the ratios of the data set. They will discuss the use of mean and median in finding the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Students will examine their scatter plot and determine if any patterns of association exist. They will compare their data to a coastal cleanup report. Finally, students will use the data to help determine interventions at the local, state and national level regarding environmental issues.

Type: Lesson Plan

The changing climate is an important topic for both scientific analysis and worldly knowledge. This lesson uses data collected by the National Snow and Ice Data Center to create and use mathematical models as a predictive tool and do critical analysis of sea ice loss.

Type: Lesson Plan

So many fish in the sea? How does our changing climate bear on marine life and the carbon balance on our planet? Students will examine applications of the Laws of Conservation of Mass and Energy and determine how all the pieces fit together. Students will learn about attempted solutions to the problem of increased carbon dioxide and evaluate effectiveness.

Type: Lesson Plan

Climate change is already affecting us in many ways.  Students will be asked to read from several sources to determine the most effective plan to address its effects and reduce carbon pollution.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will work in teams to conduct research and compare Mars and Earth.  They will develop a procedure and explain their reasoning to rank different rover models to determine which one could be the best to deploy as a part of Mars Exploration Project.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

This MEA will give students the opportunity to analyze and organize data about tablet devices that their school is looking to purchase for daily use in the classroom.

In this MEA, students compare different tablet devices. They will be given empirical evidence and must organize this data to allow for interpreting key factors to determine which device is best suited for the client. Basically, students are given data and must use this information to make a recommendation to the principal about which tablet or device should be purchased with the school's funds. They will have to provide evidence to support their recommendation. This MEA is designed to help students with data that is collected from an investigation or a lab. In the past, students were able to generate data, but in this MEA they are given the data and asked to make it relevant.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

You'll explore how science does and does not influence decision-making about climate change, sea turtles, and human health, in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Explore the interconnected world of science, society, economy, and politics and how they all influence one another with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how math models can show why social distancing during a epidemic or pandemic is important in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how science can help us make informed decisions that improve our lives as you complete this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Dr. Melodie Naja of The Everglades Foundation describes research and modeling programs designed to better understand origins and localized levels of phosphorous pollution in the Everglades.

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Expert

Mariana Fuentes discusses the important aspects of communicating science and her research with sea turtles. 

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds and manages the U.S. Antarctic Program, which coordinates almost all U.S. science on the continent, including research carried out by other federal agencies. Read about research projects conducted by scientists who come to the pole from nations around the globe and the history of three research stations.

Type: Resource Collection

Students will be able to describe the sources of discarded monofilament fishing line and its hazard to wildlife. Students will plan a clean-up campaign in their area. As an option, students can carry out the campaign. During the campaign, students will document the procedure, record the amount of line collected and write a "planning book" to become a resource for others to use.

Type: Teaching Idea

A lesson from Nova/PBS that describes the landing of the Phoenix Mars Lander, its purpose, function, and initial findings. The lesson plan provides two ways for students to investigate how the lander would collect data from the surface and the benefits and limitations of different types of space probes to do before watching the video. It provides a 12 minute video to show the Phoenix Mars Lander. Lesson also provides ideas for what students can do after they view the video. Extensions to lesson include pictures of surface of Mars, interview with a scientist and a commentary from Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Type: Teaching Idea

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. This article describes some of the research on fire being done by a variety of scientists. This research is leading to a greater understanding of how things burn and the effects of fire on humans and the environment. For example, fire research can be applied to maintaining ecosystems, human health and safety, and controlling or preventing large wildfires.

Type: Text Resource

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. Part of the Cool Jobs series, this article features examples of STEM careers. The text highlights research into super-repellent chemicals. Teams of scientists inspired by nature are working on solving problems that would enhance society. These innovations include ultra-repellent fabric, mesh to clean up oil spills, de-fogging surfaces, and coatings that reduce drag on ships.

Type: Text Resource

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. This article reports on the "lucky streak" Florida has had in hurricane seasons since 2005 and explains why the trend cannot last forever. The author also focuses on storm surge damage and explains the new computer programs that use interactive real-time maps to predict storm surges and the need for evacuations.

Type: Text Resource

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. This article discusses how global warming could leave New Zealand's tuatara (a reptile species) dangerously short on females. When the temperature rises as little as one degree, far more males than females are born. One island habitat is now 75% males, with fewer, frailer females. Without intervention, the tuatara could become extinct. The article offers some possible solutions, including having the colonies relocated to cooler islands.

Type: Text Resource

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. This interactive, online text explains how a hurricane forms, what storm surge is, when hurricane season starts and ends, how hurricanes are named, and more. It has animations of storm surge and a link to a storm tracking map. The article also includes a glossary and fantastic tables and diagrams.

Type: Text Resource

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. In this text, scientists conduct experiments to determine the decomposition rate of plastic bags.

Type: Text Resource

The 2012 Report of the Kennedy Space Center includes significant events, engineering achievements, partnerships, environmental work, education work, and outreach. In addition, the final section includes the economic impact and work force diversity.

Type: Text Resource

This Frequently Asked Question page can be used by educators and students as a scientific resource to answer the question, "Why isn't Pluto a planet?". From the International Astronomical Union, the definitive answer from the governing body that classified Pluto as a dwarf planet.

Type: Text Resource

Click "View Site" to open a full-screen version. This tutorial is designed to help secondary science teachers learn how to integrate literacy skills within their curriculum. This tutorial focuses on identifying and evaluating the different text structures authors use to organize information in informative texts. The focus on literacy across content areas is designed to help students independently build knowledge in different disciplines through reading and writing.

Type: Tutorial