Interactive Activities
PLEASE NOTE: EPA-RTP’s Community Engagement & STEM Education Program is not taking requests for events after April 30, 2025. If you have an event after this date, please check back on this page in May. It is our intent to host EPA’s 15th annual Summer Science Institute for High School Students, and application information and dates will be posted here when available.
Requests for speakers and activities can be made 90 days in advance. If your request is for a date more than 90 days out, please wait to make your request.
Please limit requests to two presentations per semester.
TOPIC AREAS
| Activity | Description | Duration | Audience | Max. Class Size | Presenters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use a board game to learn about costs & benefits of different types of fuel for electricity. Requires computer with PowerPoint/Excel and projector. | 60-90 minutes | Grades 6-12, Adults | 25 | Request a presenter for GENERATE: The Game of Energy Choices | |
| Model combustion of fossil fuels to show how air pollution is created and climate impacted. | 20-45 minutes | Grades 3-10, Booth | 30 | Request a presenter for Air Chemistry with Legos | |
| Assemble and test a PM sensor with an Arduino circuit board, LED lights, PM sensor, and wiring. | 30-45 minutes | Grades 6-10, Booth | 20 | Request a presenter for Building a Particulate Matter (PM) Sensor | |
|
Air Quality Overview: Sources of Air Pollution and Health Impacts |
Interactive presentation with a range of hands-on activities including: matching particles with their sources, measuring lung capacity, and visualizing C02 levels using a colorful flower sensor |
45-60 minutes | Grades 3-12, Adults, Booth | 30 | Request a presenter for Air Quality Overview: Sources of Air Pollution and Health Impacts |
| Activity | Description | Duration | Audience | Max. Class Size | Presenters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate Change Impacts | Collaborate in small groups to learn about the impacts of climate change on human health and explore approaches to science communication | 45 minutes | 8th grade-Adult | 30 | Request a presenter for Climate Change Impacts |
| Use a board game to learn about costs & benefits of different types of fuel for electricity. Requires computer with PowerPoint/Excel and projector. | 60-90 minutes | Grades 6-12, Adults | 25 | Request a presenter for GENERATE: The Game of Energy Choices | |
| Imagine Our Community 2100 |
This discussion-based activity encourages participants to imagine their community 80 years into the future using the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. |
45-60 minutes | Grade 8 - Adult | 30 | Request a presenter for Imagine Our Community 2100 |
|
Use a card game to learn about costs & benefits of different types of transportation modes. Requires computer with PowerPoint and projector. |
60-90 minutes | Grades 6-12, Adults | 25 | Request a presenter for Mobility: The Game of Transportation Choices | |
| Urban Heat Islands | Measure surface and ambient temperatures in outdoor locations to learn how urban changes to the environment can affect temperature & human health. | 30-45 minutes | Grades 5-12, Adults | 20 | Request a presenter for Urban Heat Islands |
| Watts Up with Energy | Measure electricity consumption with Watts Meters. Older students can use math to calculate annual costs. | 15-45 minutes | Grades 3-12, Adults, Booth | 20 | Request a presenter for Watts Up with Energy |
| Activity | Description | Duration | Audience |
Max. Class Size |
Presenters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bat Chats | Learn about the world's most underrated pollinators and pest controllers and how they can protect human health with this interactive activity. | 30-45 minutes | Grades K-5 | 30 | Request a presenter for Bat Chats |
| Benefits of Trees | Learn to use iNaturalist for identification and assess the annual economic value of a tree. | 30-45 minutes | Grades 5-12, Adults | 30 | Request a presenter for Benefits of Trees |
| Building a Greenway: A Case Study | Engage in real-world decision-making using maps and data to balance stakeholder interests with the goals of the local community. | 60 minutes | Grade 8 - Adult | 30 | Request a presenter for Building a Greenway: A Case Study |
| Connecting Ecosystems & Human Health | Use a group activity to understand the services that ecosystems provide and how these services provide health benefits to humans. | 30-45 minutes | Grades 3 - College |
Grades 3-8: 20 participants Grades 9-College: 30 participants |
Request a presenter for Connecting Ecosystems & Human Health |
| Ecosystem Bingo | Introduce the concept of ecosystem services through this interactive bingo game. | 30-45 minutes | Grades 8-12 | 30 | Request a presenter for Ecosystem Bingo |
| Nature's Benefits Game |
Explore how people benefit from nature, how our actions impact the benefits we receive, and how working together can sustain benefits for everyone. |
45-60 minutes | Grades 9-12 | 30 | Request a presenter for Nature's Benefits Game |
| Activity | Description | Duration | Audience | Max. Class Size | Presenters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Using an inflatable globe, this active game models Earth’s size and estimates the percentage covered by water with a simple probability sample. |
30 minutes | Grade 3 - Adult | 25 | Request a presenter for Blue Planet | |
| Macroinvertebrate Mayhem |
An active game that illustrates how tolerance to water quality conditions vary among macroinvertebrate organisms and how population diversity provides insight into the health of an ecosystems. |
45 minutes | Grade 3 - Adult | 30 | Request a presenter for Macroinvertebrate Mayhem |
|
Practice field sampling skills in a body of water and learn about biodiversity and macroinvertebrates as a bioindicator of water quality. Requires an on-site water body, such as a pond or stream. Can be done at the EPA-RTP campus. |
45 - 60 minutes | Grade 3 - Adult | 25 | Request a presenter for Macroinvertebrate Sampling | |
| Sum of the Parts | Combine art and STEM and roleplay landowners and learn the difference between point and non-point sources of water pollution. Identify ways to reduce waste and pollution in our own communities. | 30 minutes | Grades 2-6 | 30 | Request a presenter for Sum of the Parts |