Each HELP module contains roughly 22 detailed lessons and can be taught in sequence with other modules or by itself. HELP addresses the biological, physical and cultural attributes of five important habitats. Sample activities include staging a trial about pollution in the Everglades, graphing 24-hour temperature fluctuations in the Sonoran Desert, or playing the role of an antelope making foraging decisions on the Serengeti plains of Africa. Exploring the biological and physical components of each habitat leads students to an investigation of human impact on the environment. Through this process of discovery, students learn how topics such as habitat destruction, endangered species, human population growth, and pollution are relevant to their own lives.
Emphasis is placed on what students can do to make a difference.
For example, after learning about the plight of an endangered species, students are given a hypothetical budget and encouraged to develop a rescue plan and education campaign to help save the animal from extinction. In each module, students also explore ways humans have traditionally survived the unique challenges of their environments. Understanding how traditional peoples lived in harmony with their natural environment motivates students to investigate the steps they can take to coexist with their own environment. HELP has been rigorously tested and has been validated by the United States Department of Education as a program of exceptional merit. HELP has a positive impact on student motivation in science.