College Board
The Departure
Scholars learn about the Hero's Journey as they read Ray Bradbury's "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh." They analyze the story's structure and narrative techniques. Finally, they write summaries of the text's central idea and use their...
California Education Partners
Lashelles Garden
Let knowledge grow bountifully like plants in a garden. Given a diagram of a rectangular garden split into plots, scholars determine the area of the entire garden and the areas of the individual plots. As a culminating activity, they...
Curated OER
Monitoring Energy Expenditure
Students use heart rate monitors and complete a swimming and running test. These tests allow students to obtain personal data, to manipulate the data through calculations of various parameters, and to graphically represent the data.
Curated OER
Classified Information - Part 1: Shapes
Third graders investigate how and why scientists use classification. They discuss classification strategies using animals, and as a class fill in a flowchart with their responses. Next, in small groups they cut out a variety of shapes...
Curated OER
Rock of Ages
Students use a video, the Internet and hands-on activities to explore how to determine the age of rocks and fossils based on radioactive decay data.
Curated OER
Earthquake!
Learners gain an understanding of earthquakes. They examine vocabulary associated with earthquakes, how earthquakes happen, and preventive measures taken to diminish damage or harm in the event that an earthquake should happen.
Curated OER
Oxygen Factory
Fourth graders examine the interdependence of the oxygen and carbon dioxide cycle in an ecosystem through a laboratory investigation. After a lecture/demo, 4th graders complete the lab in groups.
Curated OER
The Cell
Tenth graders explore the parts of a cell. In pairs, classmates construct a model of a eukaryotic cell, detailing its morphology and function. With the use of computer technology, 10th graders create cell book for middle schoolers. ...
Curated OER
Glucose Factory
Fourth graders determine, through laboratory activity, the presence or absence of glucose in a variety of plant leaves and stems. They work in groups and perform a three part laboratory which shows them how plants convert sunlighht to food.
Curated OER
Prescription Stimulants
Students study ADHD and how prescription drugs can help. In this behavior therapy and drug abuse lesson students read articles and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Not A Drop To Drink
Fifth graders discuss ways that humans pollute our natural water supply. They observe a video about water pollution. Students identify eight different ways water is contaminated. They investigate an oil spill by conducting a hands-on...
Curated OER
Air Quality
Students determine potential sources of major air pollutants, explain how acid rain is generated and how it affects the environment, discuss global warming, and explore protective role of ozone and cause of ozone layer thinning. Lessons...
Curated OER
Clouds and Your Weather
Seventh graders identify clouds and the weather associated with them. They use informational articles and personal weather observations to learn about the relationships between weather fronts and clouds.
Curated OER
Lines, Segments, and Rays
Fifth graders use their arm, toothpicks, and marshmallows to create lines, segments, and rays. In this lines, segments, and rays lesson plan, 5th graders learn how these appear on a plane.
Curated OER
Atlatl (Native Americans)
Students discover what an atlatl is and how to use it. In this Native American instructional activity, students discuss the history of the Native American atlatl and practice throwing with it. Students will analyze the effects of the...
Curated OER
Making Cordage (Native Americans)
Students make Native American cordage. In this Native American lesson, students use different fibers to make and test the strength of their cordage.
Curated OER
My Family Tradition
Students examine different family traditions to further explain social patterns. They complete a graphic organizer using educational software.
Curated OER
Water Usage and Conservation
Pupils investigate water usage at school and at home. They use graphs and tables to evaluate water usage. Students describe possible water conservation measures. They use graphs and tables to relate data as part of a written report.
Curated OER
C.M. Beg
First graders are introduced to a pretend boy named C.M. Beg. The initials of the boy be a mnemonic device to help students explain the basic characteristics of living things.
Curated OER
Connect the Species
Fourth graders, in pairs, explore energy transfer and species interrelationships by viewing slides on a microscope. hey explore phytoplankton (producers) and zooplankton (consumers)
Curated OER
Building a Dichotomous Key
Students analyze how a dichotomous key helps us explain and identify unknown organisms. They design and construct a dichotomous key, developing a list of three observable characteristics per organism.
Curated OER
The Farmer Cares for the Land
Students identify cause and effect relationships in issues relating to agriculture and the environment.
Curated OER
Reasons for Seasons
Young scholars investigate a model of the tilt of the Earth in its relationship to the Sun during the different seasons of the year. They study the solstices and equinoxes, while determining how sunlight hits the Earth with different...
Curated OER
Assessing the quality of habitat for Monarch Butterflies
Students use different sampling methods to determine the population size and appropriate space for monarch butterflies. In this averages lesson plan, students complete word problems where they can accurately estimate the size of an...