Energy Efficiency at Home
If you understand heat transfer, you can make lots of little changes at home to help the environment and your household’s bank account!
Resources on the Environment
Image of a river running through a Boreal forest in Quebec (Onfokus, iStockphoto)
Image of a river running through a Boreal forest in Quebec (Onfokus, iStockphoto)
How does this align with my curriculum?
Curriculum Alignment
NS
7
Science Grade 7 (2020)
Learners will analyse the interconnectiveness of living things and the environment, in relation to the concept of Netukulimk.
ON
11
Environmental Science, Grade 11, Workplace (SVN3E)
Strand E: Natural Resource science and Management
AB
10
Knowledge and Employability Science 10-4 (2006)
Unit D: Investigating Matter and Energy in Environmental Systems
AB
10
Science 14 (2003, Updated 2014)
Unit D: Investigating Matter and Energy in Environmental Systems
BC
11
Environmental Science 11 (June 2018)
Big Idea: Changing ecosystems are maintained by natural processes.
NU
10
Knowledge and Employability Science 10-4 (2006)
Unit D: Investigating Matter and Energy in Environmental Systems
NU
10
Science 14 (2003, Updated 2014)
Unit D: Investigating Matter and Energy in Environmental Systems
YT
11
Environmental Science 11 (British Columbia, June 2018)
Big Idea: Changing ecosystems are maintained by natural processes.
NT
10
Knowledge and Employability Science 10-4 (Alberta, 2006)
Unit D: Investigating Matter and Energy in Environmental Systems
NT
10
Science 14 (Alberta, 2003, Updated 2014)
Unit D: Investigating Matter and Energy in Environmental Systems
AB
6
Science 6 (2023)
Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions.
AB
8
Knowledge and Employability Science 8, 9 (revised 2009)
Unit E: Freshwater and Saltwater Systems
BC
11
Science for Citizens 11 (June 2018)
Big Idea: Scientific understanding enables humans to respond and adapt to changes locally and globally.
BC
12
Environmental Science 12 (June 2018)
Big Idea: Human actions affect the quality of water and its ability to sustain life.
NS
7
Science Grade 7 (2020)
Learners will analyse particle theory in relation to substances in environments
NU
8
Knowledge and Employability Science 8 (Alberta, Revised 2009)
Unit E: Freshwater and Saltwater Systems
ON
11
Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College (SVN3M)
Strand C: Human Health and the environment
YT
12
Environmental Science 12 (British Columbia, June 2018)
Big Idea: Human actions affect the quality of water and its ability to sustain life.
YT
11
Science for Citizens 11 (British Columbia, June 2018)
Big Idea: Scientific understanding enables humans to respond and adapt to changes locally and globally.
NT
8
Knowledge and Employability Science 8 (Alberta, Revised 2009)
Unit E: Freshwater and Saltwater Systems
ON
11
Environmental Science, Grade 11, University/College (SVN3M)
Strand B: Scientific solutions to Contemporary environmental Challenges
Resource page including articles and career profiles related to the environment.
Protecting the environment involves maintaining conditions so that living beings can thrive. To protect ecosystems, we first need to understand the complex web of interactions that occur both between living beings and between living beings and non-living elements. Research by biologists and environmental scientists allows us to gain new comprehension of this every day.
To minimize human impacts, we also need to understand how human actions affect ecosystems. Research in many scientific domains help us measure human impacts through environmental surveys of the living beings, chemical testing of water systems, the physical aspects of soils and rocks, weather patterns and much more.
As you can see, protecting the environment is a team effort that involves collaboration of scientists across many disciplines. Creating solutions to the environmental problems requires even wider knowledge, including engineering and design.
Protecting the environment concerns us all and it all starts by being aware of what is happening. Here are some Let’s Talk Science resources to help you learn more about environmental sciences.
Articles, Backgrounders and Hands-on Activities
Cows, Methane, and Climate Change
How do beef and dairy cows contribute to climate change? Livestock agriculture is a source of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
What is the Greenhouse Effect?
Explore the greenhouse effect and learn about the impacts it can have on the environment.
Eutrophication: Why you should care about pond scum
When fertilizers from agriculture get into lakes and rivers, big problems can result for aquatic ecosystems, food chains & webs!
Using Mussels to Monitor the Environment
Mussels are a kind of invertebrate that filter food out of the water they live in. This makes them a great tool for monitoring environmental water quality and tracking bioaccumulation in aquatic food webs.
What are Carbon Offsets?
Can carbon offsets help you reduce your environmental footprint, practice sustainable living and fight climate change?
Green Chemistry 101
Green chemistry is a field that looks at the sustainability of products and processes designed by people.
How Do Introduced Species Affect Ecosystems and the Economy?
When a species ends up outside of its natural zone, the consequences on other species, ecosystems and human industries can be severe. Climate change and human activities can introduce species into new zones.
The Environmental Impact of Wasted Food
One-third of all food produced is wasted. Learn about the environmental consequences of food waste, and what you can do about it.
How are the World's Bee Populations Doing?
Bees are important for agriculture. But bee populations face threats. This resource looks at Colony Collapse Disorder, herbicides & pesticides, and more.
Design and Build a Bee House
Students will learn about the human impacts on bee populations as they design, test, build and observe a structure for solitary bees.
What is the best way to clean up an oil spill?
Learn about the properties of materials and the challenges of cleaning up an oil spill in this activity.
Careers
Learning about the professionals involved is ideal to establish relations between STEM studies and skills, and the real world. Below are some suggested career profiles to show the variety of people working in environmental sciences.
Teaching Resources
- When you hear the word environment, what does that make you think of?
- What type of science can be involved in environmental sciences?
- Protecting the environment is everyone's responsibility. How can individuals help? Scientists? Companies? The government?
- How can you choose a career that you love but also to work towards a more sustainable future?
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You can use the KWL: What I Know, What I Want to Know, and What I Learned Learning Strategy to introduce the topic.
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Initial discussion
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Using the questions above, discuss the topics with students. This can be done in the classroom or online, you can also have an asynchronous discussion by using a collaborative platform in which students can share their thoughts and opinions on the different questions. This option gives more space for introvert expression.
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Articles
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Teaching suggestions for can be found at the bottom of each of the articles. Learning strategies can also be used with the suggested videos.
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Questions for Discussion with Students
- When you hear the word environment, what does that make you think of?
- What type of science can be involved in environmental sciences?
- Protecting the environment is everyone's responsibility. How can individuals help? Scientists? Companies? The government?
- How can you choose a career that you love but also to work towards a more sustainable future?
Teaching Suggestions
-
You can use the KWL: What I Know, What I Want to Know, and What I Learned Learning Strategy to introduce the topic.
-
Initial discussion
-
Using the questions above, discuss the topics with students. This can be done in the classroom or online, you can also have an asynchronous discussion by using a collaborative platform in which students can share their thoughts and opinions on the different questions. This option gives more space for introvert expression.
-
-
Articles
-
Teaching suggestions for can be found at the bottom of each of the articles. Learning strategies can also be used with the suggested videos.
-