Screenshot of video lesson plan "For the Common Good" showing beads representing fish populations
Students estimate a fish population (using goldfish crackers on a flat surface) by sampling.
Screenshot of video lesson plan "Who Polluted the Potomac?" showing interactive activity
Watch the video to see Pop Ed staff walk you through the lesson. “Who Polluted the Potomac?”...
Screenshot of video lesson plan "Timber!" showing role-play in deforestation demand and supply simulation
In this role-playing simulation, students discover what happens to a forest when the demand for wood is...
In a short demonstration using water and measuring cups, students observe how populations grow when the birth...
Screenshot of video lesson plan "Population Circle" where students simulate the Earth's exponential population growth explosion
Students experience the changing pace of population growth by actively simulating the Earth’s population growth over the...
Screenshot of video lesson plan "Panther Hunt" showing the represented prey animals in an ecosystem that can support a panther diet
Students gain an understanding of carrying capacity when they act as predatory animals in a finite area...
Screenshot of video lesson plan "Oh How We've Grown" where students create a timeline of the global population doubling
Students experience the changing pace of population growth by actively simulating the Earth’s population growth over a...
Screenshot of video lesson plan "Mining for Chocolate" showing chocolate chip cookies as an analogy to mining regions
After matching everyday products to their rock or mineral sources, students “mine” chocolate chip cookies to discover...
Screenshot of video lesson plan "Earth: The Apple of Our Eye" using an apple to demonstrate the limited farmland available on Earth
A visual demonstration of the limited farmland available on Earth (instructor cuts an apple to model available...

PopEd Impact

64,000 educators trained
325 college
campuses
32,000 workshops conducted

"The activities not only bring out important content, but they also provide real-world context for environmental, population and sustainability issues. They engage participants in very thought-provoking and critical-thinking discussions.”

Helen de la Maza, Environmental Educator, Irvine, CA