Janet B. Walton – författare

What if you could challenge your tenth graders to think about how innovation can make the world a better place for humans, while finding ways to sustain progress and conserve resources? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Rebuilding the Natural Environment outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, four-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students connect their existing knowledge about energy production and its effects on the natural environment to create innovations in renewable sources of energy based on research evidence. Working in teams, students will design an innovative way to meet society’s energy needs and develop a pitch to market their innovation, focusing on how the innovation will optimize human experiences while being mindful of the natural environment. To support this goal, students will do the following:

• Understand several forms of renewable, sustainable energy sources.

• Apply their understanding of how alternators are used to generate electricity in lab experiments, as well as explain how tools such as windmills and dams are used to operate them.

• Describe how electricity is generated in photovoltaic cells.

• Calculate the amount of electricity consumed by several household items and consider this consumption when determining the average monthly energy consumption of households around the world in comparison to U.S. households.

• Understand how fossil fuels have been used in the production of electricity and the impact they have had on the world’s economy, humans’ quality of life, and the earth.

• Identify several hindrances to the creation of new energy sources as well as ideas to counter them.

• List several factors that can be used to motivate people from all walks of life to use renewable and sustainable energies.

• Create a fictional company that uses renewable energies.

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Rebuilding the Natural Environment can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your eleventh graders to come up with a design solution for developing, managing, and utilizing mineral resources? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Mineral Resources outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, three-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students develop an in-depth understanding of mineral resources by researching the utility and impact of particular mineral resources on society. Working in teams, students will locate quantitative and qualitative data on mineral resources and discern the reliability of the information, then use their data to write an opinion article and develop a website to convince readers of the effectiveness of a particular design solution for developing, managing, and utilizing mineral resources. To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Mineral Resources can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your seventh graders to become informed citizens by analyzing real-world implications of GMOs? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Genetically Modified Organisms outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, five-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students investigate the opportunities and challenges of GMO production and consumption. Working in teams, students will create a documentary communicating the health, social, and economic aspects of GMO production and consumption. To support this goal, students will do the following:

• Use the Internet and other sources to build knowledge of an issue, and recognize and value stakeholders and their viewpoints in an issue.

• Explore the relationship among local, state, and federal legislation related to GMOs.

• Understand the role of cost-benefit analysis in making informed economic decisions.

• Develop skills to evaluate arguments, create and communicate individual understanding and perspectives.

• Gain a deeper understanding that structure and function are related by examining plants and how the environment and genetics influences structure.

• Gain a better understanding of what tools humans have developed to genetically alter organisms for human benefit.

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Genetically Modified Organisms can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your tenth graders to think about how innovation can make the world a better place for humans, while finding ways to sustain progress and conserve resources? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Rebuilding the Natural Environment outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, four-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students connect their existing knowledge about energy production and its effects on the natural environment to create innovations in renewable sources of energy based on research evidence. Working in teams, students will design an innovative way to meet society’s energy needs and develop a pitch to market their innovation, focusing on how the innovation will optimize human experiences while being mindful of the natural environment. To support this goal, students will do the following:

• Understand several forms of renewable, sustainable energy sources.

• Apply their understanding of how alternators are used to generate electricity in lab experiments, as well as explain how tools such as windmills and dams are used to operate them.

• Describe how electricity is generated in photovoltaic cells.

• Calculate the amount of electricity consumed by several household items and consider this consumption when determining the average monthly energy consumption of households around the world in comparison to U.S. households.

• Understand how fossil fuels have been used in the production of electricity and the impact they have had on the world’s economy, humans’ quality of life, and the earth.

• Identify several hindrances to the creation of new energy sources as well as ideas to counter them.

• List several factors that can be used to motivate people from all walks of life to use renewable and sustainable energies.

• Create a fictional company that uses renewable energies.

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Rebuilding the Natural Environment can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your eleventh graders to come up with a design solution for developing, managing, and utilizing mineral resources? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Mineral Resources outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, three-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students develop an in-depth understanding of mineral resources by researching the utility and impact of particular mineral resources on society. Working in teams, students will locate quantitative and qualitative data on mineral resources and discern the reliability of the information, then use their data to write an opinion article and develop a website to convince readers of the effectiveness of a particular design solution for developing, managing, and utilizing mineral resources. To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Mineral Resources can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your seventh graders to become informed citizens by analyzing real-world implications of GMOs? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Genetically Modified Organisms outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, five-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students investigate the opportunities and challenges of GMO production and consumption. Working in teams, students will create a documentary communicating the health, social, and economic aspects of GMO production and consumption. To support this goal, students will do the following:

• Use the Internet and other sources to build knowledge of an issue, and recognize and value stakeholders and their viewpoints in an issue.

• Explore the relationship among local, state, and federal legislation related to GMOs.

• Understand the role of cost-benefit analysis in making informed economic decisions.

• Develop skills to evaluate arguments, create and communicate individual understanding and perspectives.

• Gain a deeper understanding that structure and function are related by examining plants and how the environment and genetics influences structure.

• Gain a better understanding of what tools humans have developed to genetically alter organisms for human benefit.

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Genetically Modified Organisms can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your kindergartners to come up with a way to reduce human impact on the environment? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Our Changing Environment outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, three-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students investigate the environment around them, with a focus on ways that humans can impact the environment. Working in teams, students will investigate various types of human impact on the environment (including pollution, littering, and habitat destruction), will participate in a classroom recycling program, and will explore the engineering design process as they devise ways to repurpose waste materials. To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Our Changing Environment can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your ninth graders to use geologic theory and standards of measurement to explore different epochs and time periods of the Earth’s formation? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Formation of the Earth outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, three-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students investigate how Earth science professionals gather information and develop theories about the formation of the Earth and the processes taking place since the proliferation of humans. Working in teams, students will work to identify, define and describe the attributes scientists use to delineate Earth’s eras, periods, and epochs, in order to determine the appropriate boundary event to define the Anthropocene Epoch, and will develop a publication-ready textbook entry for an Earth science textbook. To support this goal, students will do the following:

• Identify, define, and describe attributes of eras, periods, and epochs which have marked geologic time in Earth’s history.

• Evaluate various possible index layers and boundary events that mark the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch to determine which is most appropriate when labeling the current epoch in Earth’s history.

• Design and present a multimedia presentation to share with textbook publishers regarding information on the Anthropocene Epoch, to include in a secondary-level Earth science textbook.

• Create a publication-ready textbook entry describing the Anthropocene Epoch.

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Formation of the Earth can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your kindergartners to come up with a way to reduce human impact on the environment? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Our Changing Environment outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, three-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students investigate the environment around them, with a focus on ways that humans can impact the environment. Working in teams, students will investigate various types of human impact on the environment (including pollution, littering, and habitat destruction), will participate in a classroom recycling program, and will explore the engineering design process as they devise ways to repurpose waste materials. To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Our Changing Environment can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your ninth graders to use geologic theory and standards of measurement to explore different epochs and time periods of the Earth’s formation? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Formation of the Earth outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, three-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students investigate how Earth science professionals gather information and develop theories about the formation of the Earth and the processes taking place since the proliferation of humans. Working in teams, students will work to identify, define and describe the attributes scientists use to delineate Earth’s eras, periods, and epochs, in order to determine the appropriate boundary event to define the Anthropocene Epoch, and will develop a publication-ready textbook entry for an Earth science textbook. To support this goal, students will do the following:

• Identify, define, and describe attributes of eras, periods, and epochs which have marked geologic time in Earth’s history.

• Evaluate various possible index layers and boundary events that mark the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch to determine which is most appropriate when labeling the current epoch in Earth’s history.

• Design and present a multimedia presentation to share with textbook publishers regarding information on the Anthropocene Epoch, to include in a secondary-level Earth science textbook.

• Create a publication-ready textbook entry describing the Anthropocene Epoch.

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Formation of the Earth can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your twelfth-grade students to explore energy consumption and climate change in their own communities, and connect that information with other communities around the world? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Creating Global Bonds outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, three-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students create an action plan to address issues of energy consumption and climate change, exploring the topic at both local and global levels. Students will gather data on energy consumption and climate change in their communities, partnering with international students to undertake problem-solving activities that examine issues that are both common and unique to each community.

To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Creating Global Bonds can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your eighth graders to design a racing vehicle with minimum environmental impact, while exploring the role of renewable and non-renewable energy sources? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

The Speed of Green outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, eight-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students explore the potential role of renewable and non-renewable energy sources in transportation, with an emphasis on the auto industry. Using their understanding of the engineering design process (EDP), scientific concepts, and environmental conservation considerations, student teams will develop a plan for a competitive automobile racing team to fuel its vehicle with minimal environmental impact. To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, The Speed of Green can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your twelfth-grade students to explore energy consumption and climate change in their own communities, and connect that information with other communities around the world? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Creating Global Bonds outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, three-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students create an action plan to address issues of energy consumption and climate change, exploring the topic at both local and global levels. Students will gather data on energy consumption and climate change in their communities, partnering with international students to undertake problem-solving activities that examine issues that are both common and unique to each community.

To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Creating Global Bonds can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your eighth graders to design a racing vehicle with minimum environmental impact, while exploring the role of renewable and non-renewable energy sources? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

The Speed of Green outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, eight-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students explore the potential role of renewable and non-renewable energy sources in transportation, with an emphasis on the auto industry. Using their understanding of the engineering design process (EDP), scientific concepts, and environmental conservation considerations, student teams will develop a plan for a competitive automobile racing team to fuel its vehicle with minimal environmental impact. To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, The Speed of Green can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your fifth-grade students to investigate the role of composting in solid waste management? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can! Composting outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, four-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students use the engineering design process (EDP) to design and create prototypes of compost systems and build a full-scale composting system for school use. Students will synthesize their learning about biotic and abiotic factors, decomposition, and engineering design as they learn about various types of compost systems, create their own portable compost bins, and create materials for a composting publicity campaign at their school.

To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Composting can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your fifth-grade students to investigate the role of composting in solid waste management? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can! Composting outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, four-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students use the engineering design process (EDP) to design and create prototypes of compost systems and build a full-scale composting system for school use. Students will synthesize their learning about biotic and abiotic factors, decomposition, and engineering design as they learn about various types of compost systems, create their own portable compost bins, and create materials for a composting publicity campaign at their school.

To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Composting can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your seventh-grade students to explore mathematical principles as well as global population issues as they consider population density? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Global Population Issues outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, four-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students to devise a model for counting populations of a given species on Earth and develop a formal presentation of their models for consideration by a panel of experts. Students will examine species’ ecosystems, explore global populations with an economic and geographical lens, take on the role of an urban planner to develop a megacity that incorporates what they have researched and learned about the consequences of population density and overpopulation, and share literature relevant to their applied species model.

To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Global Population Issues can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your seventh-grade students to explore mathematical principles as well as global population issues as they consider population density? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can!

Global Population Issues outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, four-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students to devise a model for counting populations of a given species on Earth and develop a formal presentation of their models for consideration by a panel of experts. Students will examine species’ ecosystems, explore global populations with an economic and geographical lens, take on the role of an urban planner to develop a megacity that incorporates what they have researched and learned about the consequences of population density and overpopulation, and share literature relevant to their applied species model.

To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Global Population Issues can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your kindergarten students to compare their local habitats with other habitats in the United States? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can! Habitats in the United States outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, three-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students look at their own neighborhood, city, state, and beyond to learn about the geography and habitats of various regions of the United States. Students will gather information on habitats and their similarities and differences based on weather, climate, and the animals, plants, and people residing there, to develop a reference manual for local zoo officials reorganizing their animal displays.

To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Habitats in the United States can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your kindergarten students to compare their local habitats with other habitats in the United States? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can! Habitats in the United States outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, three-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students look at their own neighborhood, city, state, and beyond to learn about the geography and habitats of various regions of the United States. Students will gather information on habitats and their similarities and differences based on weather, climate, and the animals, plants, and people residing there, to develop a reference manual for local zoo officials reorganizing their animal displays.

To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Habitats in the United States can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your first graders to imagine saving an endangered species, learning about different global habitats along the way? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can! Habitats Local and Far Away outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, four-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students develop an action plan to encourage preservation of an endangered species. Students will work in teams to describe the habitat characteristics of a species outside their home region, explain why the species is endangered, and offer solutions about how humans might be able to support this species’ survival. In developing their plan, they will act as explorers of species locally and around the world, learning about climate, plant and animal inhabitants, and key factors affecting habitat vitality or decline.

To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Habitats Local and Far Away can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.

What if you could challenge your first graders to imagine saving an endangered species, learning about different global habitats along the way? With this volume in the STEM Road Map Curriculum Series, you can! Habitats Local and Far Away outlines a journey that will steer your students toward authentic problem solving while grounding them in integrated STEM disciplines. Like the other volumes in the series, this book is designed to meet the growing need to infuse real-world learning into K–12 classrooms.

This interdisciplinary, four-lesson module uses project- and problem-based learning to help students develop an action plan to encourage preservation of an endangered species. Students will work in teams to describe the habitat characteristics of a species outside their home region, explain why the species is endangered, and offer solutions about how humans might be able to support this species’ survival. In developing their plan, they will act as explorers of species locally and around the world, learning about climate, plant and animal inhabitants, and key factors affecting habitat vitality or decline.

To support this goal, students will do the following:

The STEM Road Map Curriculum Series is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, the Common Core State Standards, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. In-depth and flexible, Habitats Local and Far Away can be used as a whole unit or in part to meet the needs of districts, schools, and teachers who are charting a course toward an integrated STEM approach.