Wildfires are a contributing factor to greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists estimate that wildfires emitted 8 billion tons of CO2 per year for the past 20 years. Wildfires have risks and benefits that humans are impacted by. In this storyline, students will learn about the risks and benefits of wildfires, the science behind how fire occurs and the conditions that make a fire catastrophic. Students will evaluate local/regional fires to determine how human activities contribute to wildfires. Students will research how forest management decisions are made to decrease the negative impacts of wildfires and to decrease the amount of CO2 that is emitted from those fires. 

As global consumers, how do we impact the environment, and communities around the world? Students will learn more about sustainable management practices and what certification on agricultural goods actually means.

Introduction to U.S. Agribusiness is an overview of the agriculture buisness in the U.S. including the meaning of agribusiness, the historical events that led to this profession, the different commodity types, and the various economic sectors within agribusiness. Title Image: Einböck Aerostar-Exact Hackstriegel tined weeder herse étrille 020.jpg Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0Introduction to U.S. Agribusiness by Anna (Nellie) McCollum is liscensed under CC BY 4.0

The potential of biotechnology to improve the condition of human life in developing countries is gaining credence. Robert Timmer, Ph.D. discusses how biotechnology could impact the economies of developing countries in terms of raising agricultural production while bringing benefits to healthcare, industry and environment. (28 minutes)

Economics is USDA’s Helping Science by the United States Department of Agriculture is in the Public Domain.Did you have an idea for improving this content? We’d love your input.

Learners will identify sources of air pollution, explain the greenhouse effect, and detail procedures for improving and maintaining air quality. This represents a portion of the Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) series in Nebraska middle and high school agricultural education.

This article, part of Biodiversity Counts, examines how to responsibly collect and keep specimens. The article discusses the reasons why collecting specimens is important and the behaviors and attitudes that define responsible collecting for both scientists and students.

This activity is designed to be used with the online text and graphics that are part of the Transformation of the Biosphere Wall in the Hall of Biodiversity. The one-page printable PDF includes two student activities: a general investigation of a threat to the world's biodiversity and a specific investigation of the concrete way in which one of these threats has affected the U.S. environment.

Title Image Berries Credit: Scott Bauer, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Services; Public DomainDid you have an idea for improving this content? We’d love your input.

Produced by the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, Life in the Leaf Litter is a guide to the diversity of soil organisms and the crucial role that invertebrates play in woodland ecosystems. The booklet was based, in part, on a leaf litter survey conducted by the CBC's Metro Program and the Museum's Division of Invertebrate Zoology in Central Park's woodlands, which led to the discovery of a new genus and species of centipede, Nannarrup hoffmani. The booklet may be downloaded as a pdf or ordered free of charge.

This fun Web site is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. Here, they travel along with museum scientists to investigate biodiversity in Australia, Madagascar, and the Bahamas. The site opens with a brief introduction that discusses the knowledge and insights that come from these scientists' fieldwork. In the Creatures of the Reefs, students travel to the Bahamas with a scientist who studies mollusks and get an up-close look at her work. In Magnificent Madagascar, they learn about the island's unique species and the efforts to save them from extinction. In Chasing Spiders Down Under, students gain insight into why Australia has such an unusual variety of spiders.

This fun Web site is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. Here, they take a close look at the interdependence of all living things in the Dzanga-Sangha. The site opens by introducing kids to BaAka, a young girl who will guide them through the site. In the Connect the Dots, an interactive game, kids learn how the people, animals, and plants depend on each other to thrive three in habitats: Forest, Bai, and River. In Visiting Dzanga-Sangha, kids get to meet six people who have visited the rainforest as part of their work: an ornithologist, artist, historian, video maker, anthropologist, and ethnomusicologist.

This unit, in which students prepare to observe arthropods in their field site's different microhabitats, helps set the stage for a discussion on the ramifications of habitat loss. It's designed to be completed in four or more sessions and has comprehensive curriculum materials for teachers, including activity tips and an overview of the microhabitats in a temperate forest. The unit is designed to answer the following two target questions. What microhabitats exist at our site? Do different arthropods occur in different microhabitats?

This list of 12 investigative questions is designed to help students observe how insects interact with plants in their habitat. The one-page printable PDF list includes questions about the insect behavior and the plant characteristics.

This diverse list of 13 multimedia resources can help you enhance the study of biodiversity in your classroom. For each resource, ordering information is provided. The list is divided into five categories: videos, magazines, posters, audio tapes, and other kits, units, and projects

This printable PDF map of the museum's Hall of Biodiversity identifies the eight key stops to hit during your visit, including a photograph of each.

This fun Web site is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. Here, they explore the Tree of Life cladogram. The site begins with a brief explanation of cladograms and how the Tree of Life shows the relationship of all living things on Earth. A cladogram of fruit is used to demonstrate on a small scale how scientists use this tool to understand how things are similar and different. A portion of the Tree of Life cladogram is included, showing true bacteria, arthropods, mammals, and 11 other important groups of species. Students can mouse over the branching points to see what the subsets have in common. The site also includes a pie chart view that compares the relative size of the most important groups of species. Students can click on each group to learn its characteristics, known species, size range, and other important details.

This fun Web site is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. The site opens by telling kids that people have learned to change the food we eat. The first comic strip looks at a farmer who works to produce a larger, redder, tastier tomato. The second comic strip tells kids about genetic modification and imagines a scientist putting the flounder's "anti-freeze" gene inside the DNA of a tomato. Food for Thought presents kids with two scenarios about genetically modified food, asking them if they think they're good ideas.

This introductory lesson presents an overview of the horse industry including classification, breeds, colors, tack, and history of horses used in the United States. This represents a portion of the Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) series in Nebraska middle and high school agricultural education.

This lesson offers learners the opportunity to understand the importance of nutrition in the livestock industry and the differences between species in terms of anatomy, physiology, and nutrient requirements and/or deficiencies. This represents a portion of the Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) series in Nebraska middle and high school agricultural education.