Scholastic
Study Jams! Skeletal System
A dazzling display colorful computer-generated images, x-rays, and photographs create a comprehensive introduction to the skeletal system. With 12 slides in all, aspiring anatomists learn that there are 206 bones in the human body and...
Scholastic
Study Jams! The Digestive System
Mostly made up of colorful diagrams, this presentation winds through the digestive system. Beginning with the mouth, passing by the liver, and then leaving the body, viewers examine the length of the digestive system on captioned slides....
Scholastic
Study Jams! Invertebrates
Stringed instruments play as viewers explore ocean invertebrates through nine nicely flowing slides. The captions describe the eight phyla: cnidaria, flatworms, roundworms, segmented worms, mollusks, arthropods,and enchinoderms. During...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Mosses and Ferns
Mosses and ferns are some of the world's oldest types of plants. Here is a quality 10-slide presentation set to gentle background music for beginning botanists to view and enjoy. Accompanying captions explain that these are both...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Biomes
Do you know the difference between a biome and an ecosystem? Teach elementary ecologists exactly what a biome is with this captivating cartoon! It discusses six biomes: taiga, tundra, deciduous forest, desert, tropical rainforest, and...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Aquatic Ecosystems
Mia's friends are fish-sitting while she is away on vacation. Zoe divulges to Sam that different animals need different habitats, and that there are both freshwater and saltwater ecosystems. Examples of the kinds of organisms found in...
Scholastic
Study Jams! The Circulatory System
The topic of this video is sure to get hearts pumping! Mia and Zoe just finish racing and discuss what is going on in the circulatory system. They expound on the capillaries, veins, arteries, the structure of the heart, and the...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Heredity
Mia wishes her blue hair was inherited so that she wouldn't have to dye it, but Sam explains that eye color is. The video does not expound upon the concept of alleles. It does, however, describe inherited traits vs. learned behavior, and...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Plants with Seeds
Are your blooms doomed? Not if you plant your seeds in the proper condition! Cartoon character teenagers explore seed-bearing plants, germination, and seed dispersal. They compare gymnosperms with cones, angiosperms with flowers. They...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Angiosperms: Seeds in Fruit
Flowers are lovely, but they are also very practical if you are a plant! In this video, kids learn that without a flower, there would be no seeds. They also find out about the two types of seeds: monocots and dicots. Pollination and...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Plant Adaptations
Mia video chats with Sam from Hawaii! They talk about plant adaptations that allow them to live in particular environments. Examples include the flexible stems and leaves, or floating seeds and flowers of aquatic plants. The adaptive...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Food Webs
Rhinozilla is back to take your lesson plan on trophic levels a step higher! After showing the video on food chains (available through the See All Related Jams button), add to it by showing this one. It deals with omnivores and food...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Photosynthesis
One friend explains to another that plants combine water and carbon dioxide with the energy of the sun to produce sugar and oxygen. She mentions the roles of the roots, chloroplasts, and stomata in an engaging video that reviews how...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Flowers
RJ hangs out in Zoe's garden as she explains pollination, flower anatomy, and fertilization. This cartoon-styled feature is sure to stay in your botanists' minds! Follow it with the dissection of large flowers, such as the lily.
Scholastic
Study Jams! Gymnosperms: Seeds in Cones
Two very hip teenagers walk through the forest collecting evergreen cones. One teaches the other about gymnosperms: cycads, ginkoes, gnetophytes, and conifers. He tries to convince his friend how amazing cones are, while she defends...
Scholastic
Study Jams! The Senses: Seeing
What will viewers see when they watch this video about vision? They will observe RJ and Sam hanging out during a power outage with Rookie, the dog. The boys discuss the structure of the eye (pupil, iris, cornea, lens, retina, optic...
Curated OER
Jim Murphy, The Great Fire - Grade 6
The Great Fire by Jim Murphy provides the text for a study of the Chicago fire of 1871. The plan is designed as a close reading activity so that all learners have the same background information require for writing. Richly detailed, the...
NASA
Seasonal Science: Building Claims from Evidence
A lot can change in a year! Investigators observe a video of Earth over the course of a year and complete a KWL chart. Astronomers view a second video, participate in a guided discussion, and discuss the rubric for successfully...
NASA
Introduction: Building Claims from Evidence
Making a claim without supporting it has little value. Learners work on their claim-making skills in a well-designed lesson. They view still images from a video and make claims using support from the visual representations. They then...
Nemours KidsHealth
Concussions: Grades 6-8
Teach middle schoolers to learn how to prevent concussions, recognize the symptoms of a concussion, and what they should do in case of a concussion. After reading articles that provide background information, groups create factsheets...
Nemours KidsHealth
Obesity: Grades 6-8
Screen time and fast foods, sugary drinks and greasy fries have lead to one-third of tween and teens being overweight or obese. As part of the Health Problems Series scholars analyze the nutritional value of the school food services menu...
Nemours KidsHealth
Diabetes: Grades 6-8
After reading a series of articles that provide background information about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, class members design a meal plan and an activity plan for a weeklong summer camp for 5- to 8-year olds with diabetes. A second...
Nemours KidsHealth
Eating Disorders: Grades 6-8
Raise awareness of eating disorders with a two-activity lesson with middle schoolers reading articles to gather background information and then create audio messages and advertisements that promote healthy self-esteem and body image.
Nemours KidsHealth
Cold and Flu: Grades 6-8
Wouldn't it be lovely if people were immune from colds and flu? Alas, such is not the case; however, there are things we can do to avoid getting or spreading these pesky health hazards. Middle schoolers read articles that provide them...