This resource is about exploring how relationships are formed in an ecological system. Whether it be in a community, population, or even in a predator/prey situation. Energy flows through chains, webs, and pyramids in an ecological system. Understanding this energy flow helps us to see the diversity of the ecosystem and its inhabitants.

This activity is a field trip investigation where students gather stream flow, volume, depth & height (area) data on Ramsey County dams (Keller and Round lake), interpret their findings and make in-depth observations in order to assess the effectiveness of dams through the season and estimate the life-span of the dams in years.

In this unit, students explore the various roles of environmental engineers, including: environmental cleanup, water quality, groundwater resources, surface water and groundwater flow, water contamination, waste disposal and air pollution. Specifically, students learn about the factors that affect water quality and the conditions that enable different animals and plants to survive in their environments. Next, students learn about groundwater and how environmental engineers study groundwater to predict the distribution of surface pollution. Students also learn how water flows through the ground, what an aquifer is and what soil properties are used to predict groundwater flow. Additionally, students discover that the water they drink everyday comes from many different sources, including surface water and groundwater. They investigate possible scenarios of drinking water contamination and how contaminants can negatively affect the organisms that come in contact with them. Students learn about the three most common methods of waste disposal and how environmental engineers continue to develop technologies to dispose of trash. Lastly, students learn what causes air pollution and how to investigate the different pollutants that exist, such as toxic gases and particulate matter. Also, they investigate the technologies developed by engineers to reduce air pollution.

Students explore the impact of changing river volumes and different floodplain terrain in experimental trials with table top-sized riverbed models. The models are made using modeling clay in aluminum baking pans placed on a slight incline. Water added "upstream" at different flow rates and to different riverbed configurations simulates different potential flood conditions. Students study flood dynamics as they modify the riverbed with blockages or levees to simulate real-world scenarios.

This activity is a field investigation where students make observations, formulate a question, construct and collect data on that question on stream flow on the Crow River in Central Minnesota

In this activity, students will use a tutorial on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website to learn about how surface water is treated to make it safe to drink.

In this 7th grade science lesson, students identify desirable traits in plants and take cuttings from parent plants to facilitate asexual propagation and produce offspring with identical DNA.

In this 7th grade science lesson, students review the structures and processes that allow flowering plants to reproduce, and then pick a flower from the garden to dissect and diagram.

In this 8th grade science lesson, students review the six essential elements of life and discuss how they function in the garden.

In this 6th grade Science class, students learn how to build a compost pile, learn about organisms needed for decomposition, and begin to understand the purpose of compost in the garden.

In this 6th grade science class, students consider how they use water in their daily lives and learn that water is a nonrenewable resource in a closed system.

In this 7th grade science lesson, students are introduced to the food system and play an interactive game called The Wind Blows.

In this 6th grade science lesson, students are introduced to the garden as a classroom. They meet the garden staff, tour the garden, learn the basic systems and routines of the garden classroom and are introduced to the Edible Schoolyard life skills and values.

In this 7th grade science lesson, students learn about levers and use them to make-work easier.

In this 7th grade science lesson, students deepen their understanding of pollen and pollinators by practicing the use of microscopes to observe pollen and bee species from the garden.

In this 6th grade science class, students observe mushrooms growing wild in the garden, handle examples of common edible mushrooms and learn about the lifecycle of fungi.

In this sixth grade science lesson, students will learn the main components of soil and discuss how soil is created in nature as well as how we can conserve it in the garden.

In this 8th grade science lesson, students test the pH levels of soil from three different sites in the garden to determine the level of acidity in the garden soil.

In this 7th grade science lesson, students harvest, prepare and eat beets cooked in the wood-fired oven while reflecting on their second rotation in the garden.

Research shows that maintaining high retention rates in distance learning education is a challenge. There are various tools and resources available web-based tools that can help identify at-risk students and measure and boost opportunities for growth and success. Students can take advantage of these resources to prepare ahead of time to ensure a "SMART" start and successful completion of their online course work.

First we will review SmarterMeasure to identify attributes, skills and knowledge and assess competencies necessary for successful distance learning and help identify potential resources to help maximize efficiency in potentially deficient areas.

Then we will review SMARThinking that helps educational institutions offer students outstanding academic support through a network of professionally certified educators focused on increasing student achievement and enhance learning.