Curated OER
Classifying Shells
Students observe and classify different types of shells. They compare and contrast an exhibit they created with one that already exists in a musuem. They discover the different characteristics of shells.
Curated OER
Martian Colony Proposals
Ninth graders design a proposal for a Martian colony to be presented to a group of their peers. They review their knowledge of Mars. Students evaluate for themselves which of their classmates proposal best fits their criteria.
California Academy of Science
Sustainable Fishing in the Philippines
Understanding the importance of sustainable fishing practices is fostered through a classroom game. In small groups, the class plays a fishing game where they can see first-hand, the effects of thoughtless fishing practices. After the...
Curated OER
Activity 2: Disappearing Drainage - the Incredible Shrinking Everglades Watershed
Students examine drastic changes in Florida Everglades watershed, compare and contrast two watershed maps, discuss effects of addition of agriculture, loss of wetlands, and introduction of Water Conservation Areas, and predict condition...
Curated OER
Cover Your Mouth Please!
Second graders investigate how to slow the spread of germs from coughing and sneezing. In this illness prevention instructional activity, 2nd graders talk about why people cough and sneeze before telling about ways to prevent the spread...
W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Succession: Patterns in the Field and in Seeds
Have you been wondering how to use that natural trail at or near your school? This activity gets kids outside with a purpose: learn about ecological succession through field observations and collecting seed and soil samples. The resource...
California Academy of Science
Energy: A Day in My Life
If only we could harness the energy of fifth graders, our energy problems would be over! The class discusses where different forms of energy come from and how we use them. They complete a chart of the activities that they do daily that...
Curated OER
Color Mixing
Students experiment with primary colored water to mix new colors. They record new colors on a simple data sheet and share opinions on their work.
Curated OER
Exploring Ecosystems
Students examine the relationships between plants, animals, and the environment in ecosystems. They sort animal cards, collect natural materials from the schoolyard, and record an ecosystem web in the form of a poster.
Curated OER
Antibiotics: Will They Work?
Students examine why antibiotics are important in everyday life. They examine the decisions that people make and how these decisions can artificially speed up natural selection in bacteria that cause infections such as group A...
Curated OER
Edible and Medicinal Plants: Field Trip Guide
Though it's designed to guide a field trip to the New York Botanical Garden, you could take resource like this one to a local park, wilderness area, school garden, or even a weedy empty lot. Middle schoolers identify plant parts and...
Curated OER
Discovering Dinosaurs
Students investigate the physical characteristics of dinosaurs. They participate in a puppet show, take a field trip to a dinosaur museum, and compare/contrast dinosaur characteristics at the museum.
Curated OER
I Wonder What Would Happen if Lots of Manduca Lived in a Small Place...
Students discuss the reasons why humans fight and look for similiarties in animals. They make predictions on what they think will happen when they observe insect crowding. They make conclusions about their predictions to end the lesson...
Curated OER
Habitats
Students examine how different living things interact with their environment. As a class, they discuss the characteristics of a habitat and write the list on the board. In groups, they focus on one habitat and create a mural of the...
Curated OER
Beary O'Mometer Learns About Careers In Meteorology
Young scholars explore the field of meteorology. In this meteorology lesson, students explore weather-related careers as they research the field of study as well as various weather concepts. Young scholars interview meteorologists, write...
Curated OER
What Is A Cave?
Students explore their existing concepts of caves and match them with a working definition to use during the unit. They name the two types of rock formations in which most American caves occur, and define "show cave" and "wild cave."
Curated OER
Get In Touch With Trees
Students feel tree parts inside of 3 mystery boxes. Then they go outside and find the 3 trees the parts came from. They draw their favorite tree including details of the part they felt.
Curated OER
Use of the Forest in the Economic Evolution of Oakville, Pennsylvania
Students explore forest usage and the ways which it affected the development of Oakville. They identify the technological advances that shaped forest based industries, and the current challenges facing the community of Oakville.
Curated OER
Exploring a Teaching Career Through an Energy Lesson
Students design their own energy conservation lesson plan to teach elementary school students. They use this lesson plan to determine if they would like to pursue a teaching career
Curated OER
What's Your Temperature?
Learners take a look at the local newspaper and focus on the weather section. They get into small groups, and each one looks at the same map, but of a different part of the country. They must prepare a presentation that shows how...
Curated OER
Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources
Here's a fine lesson on renewable and non-renewable sources of energy for your 5th graders. In it, learners list a number of natural resources on the board, then try to sort the resources into appropriate categories. This helps them to...
Curated OER
Identifying Minerals
Learners compare and constrast a wide variety of minerals and rocks. They test them for streak, luster, color and other characteristics. They view an exhibit and compare their answers to them.
Curated OER
I Wonder Why There Is So Much Frass...
Students examine frass and try to determine what it is. They make observations and add to their growth charts on a daily basis. They make predictions and support them to end the lesson.
Curated OER
I Wonder What Camouflague Is...
Students examine the way that Manduca, other animals, and humans use camouflage. They participate in a teacher directed camouflage experiment and the creation of a camouflage collage.