Curated OER
Our Favorite Toys
Students give an operational definition of a control system. They analyze the elements of a control system in terms of input, control, and output and describe the four basic types of motion: linear, reciprocating, oscillating, and rotary.
It's About Time
Cushioning Collisions (Computer Analysis)
Did you know the car bumper is specifically designed to save the car and not the passengers in case of an accident? Young scientists use a computer, a force probe, and a sonic ranger to experiment with external cushioning on cars.
Teach Engineering
Energy on a Roller Coaster
Roll with your class into the idea of conservation of energy. Pupils use a roller coaster track to collect data to reinforce the concept of conservation of energy and the influence of friction. Class members then create a graph from...
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Pesky Plastics: The Problem with Plastic
What can happen to the environment if plastic continues to pollute it? Learners read about the implications of plastic on health, water, and nature in a two-page reading passage. After they finish reading, they work on six comprehension...
Curated OER
Making Marbles
Students perform a simulation in which they work for a toy company and have to figure out how many marbles of different sizes can be made with the provided material. They must design their own experiment to figure this out.
Curated OER
People of the Plains: Roles of Men And Women
Fourth graders study the geography of North America and the indigenous people who lived there. They read about rules, games, toys and dolls, and education. They fill out Venn Diagrams comparing the roles of men and women during the videos.
Curated OER
Time Trials
Students investigate speed, time and distance. For this algebra lesson, students utilize their knowledge of linear equations to solve problems related to time, speed and distance. This assignment is hands on using two toy race cars.
Curated OER
Finding the Friendship Dolls, A True Story: How Children Can Create World Peace
Students listen to the book Finding the Friendship Dolls, A True Story: How Children Can Help Create World Peace through Toys. For this world peace lesson, students choose events in the story to create a timeline of those events....
Curated OER
Velocity
Students determine the average speed of a toy car as it travels six different distances set up by Students. Three trials are done for each distance. The only requirements is that the longest distance must be at least three times longer...
Curated OER
Can You Do This?
Third graders write paragraphs describing activities for classmates to perform using toys such as balls, jump ropes or hula hoops. They take turns reading their paragraphs while other students follow the directions.
Curated OER
Fun with Food: Hola Jalapeno
Students engage in an at-home lesson on language. It contains components that address Adult Education/ESOL, and age appropriate activities for Toddler, Preschool and School aged Students. Adults reinforce steps to prepare tacos in...
Curated OER
Adjunct Materials
Students describe and evaluate adjunct educational materials for their usefulness in social studies classrooms. They identify means of randomly pairing students using social studies content and develop social studies-themed unit plans...
Curated OER
Outdoor Activities: Solve It-Outdoors
Students practice problem solving skills. In this early childhood education lesson, students foster the ability to use creative and critical thinking to turn obstacles into bridges to greater learning as they complete various activities...
Curated OER
Seeing Is Believing!
Students imagine that they have been chosen to visit the North Pole and take a look at what Santa is bringing them for Christmas. They imagine the setting and all the toys for boys and girls around the world. They close their eyes and...
Curated OER
Halloween Stations
Students rotate through 8 stations, each with a Halloween theme. The stations help develop the following skills: rolling a ball, throwing overhand and underhand, eye-hand coordination, and muscle strength.
Curated OER
Rod, Penny, and Lightning: The Straight Story
Students review the concept of a movement story. As a class, they practice moving in straight, curved and zigzag pathways while making frozen body shapes of the characters in the story. To end the lesson, they must complete the same...
Curated OER
Ghostbusters
Students pretend that they are all ghosts. They must ride on their gluts on their scooter. They then pick 2-4 taggers, also known as ghostbusters. They also ride on their gluts but hold a "tagging wand". When students get tagged they...
Curated OER
Driving Precaustions
High schoolers explore the rules and regulations drivers must adhere to. As a class, they list safe driving procedures and identify the consequences of driving while impaired. Students write questions about safe driving practices. ...
Curated OER
Model Professionals
Students learn about one scientist's quest to make her field of canopy ecology accessible to a wider audience and to synthesize their knowledge by developing toy figures that could potentially educate children about different scientific...
Curated OER
Which Has The Most?
Young scholars are part of a class poll where they choose their favorite food and their favorite toy. In this which has the most lesson, students are given a block to represent their choice. Young scholars then place the block by the...
Curated OER
Safety Belts and the Media
Students discuss the importance of using their seat belts in cars. After viewing different public service announcements, they identify ones which made an impact on them. In groups, they draw their own announcement to educate others about...
Curated OER
Conflict Resolution
Young scholars demonstrate conflict resolution skills. In this character education lesson, students read the book Oh, Bother! Someone's Fighting! and sing a song which models a conflict resolution strategy.
PBS
Using Primary Sources: Nazi Spy Ring Busted
Spy games are not just for professionals anymore! Scholars use short video clips, primary documents, and photographs to investigate Nazi spies in America during World War II. The young detectives analyze the paranoia warfare can create...
J. Paul Getty Trust
Expressing Emotions through Art Lesson 1—Everyone Shows They Care
In a instructional activity that explores art and emotions, scholars analyze a piece of art and discuss which emotions it portrays. They go on to reflect on their own emotions and how they are similar to the feelings expressed...