Teach Engineering
Applications of Linear Functions
It's not so straightforward — lines can model a variety of applications. Pupils experience linear relationships within the context of science, including Hooke's and Ohm's Laws. Class members got a taste of motion and speed from the...
University of California
Marble Rollercoasters
Don't let your classes coast through school! Engage them in their learning as they build their own roller coasters to study potential and kinetic energy. Young scholars complete several challenges that require them to consider the...
CK-12 Foundation
Intercepts by Substitution: Finding a Linear Product Using a Quadratic
Discover another way to interpret multiplication. Using an interactive, learners slide points (representing the factors of multiplication) along the x-axis of the graph of y = x^2 and observe changes in the line segment connecting the...
CK-12 Foundation
Venn Diagrams: T-Shirt Mystery
Sorting your t-shirts is easy with Venn diagrams. Individuals use a drag and drop interactive to classify shapes on t-shirts into Venn diagrams. A set of challenge questions tests whether the classification is correct.
CK-12 Foundation
Checking Solutions to Equations: Taxi Cab Calculations
Ride to success in checking solutions to equations. Scholars use an interactive graph to identify points that are solutions to a linear equation. Interpreting these points in terms of the context completes the activity.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Lines on Paper - Laser Box
See what you cannot see by getting a little creative. An intriguing lesson has learners use lasers to explore X-ray diffraction. Given a box with unknown structures, they shine a laser through the box and interpret the results....
American Psychological Association
Counting Fidgets: Teaching the Complexity of Naturalistic Observation
Why do psychologists conduct experiments in controlled laboratory settings? High schoolers gain an understanding of the importance of controls with an activity that involves naturalistic observations with no imposed controls.
Reed Novel Studies
Holes: Novel Study
Nothing good comes from being under a curse. A study guide introduces the novel Holes by Louis Sachar and the curse the main character faces. Readers analyze key vocabulary words from book, as well as complete a series of short writing...
Curated OER
Chase the Ace
Chase the Ace is a great warm-up activity for all ages. Just make sure there is plenty of space to run around taking into consideration the number of players and the age of the players. Make the game challenging but not so difficult that...
The New York Times
Making Do: Learning and Growing Through Adversity
What is it that makes people keep going when they face challenges in life? Ask your class to consider this question in relation to their own experiences and as they read material from The New York Times. Using personal experiences and...
Teach Engineering
Six Minutes of Terror
Help your class understand the design challenges when trying to land a remote spacecraft on a planet. Class members examine the provided information to understand how each component of a spacecraft is designed in order to safely land a...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Faces of Climate Change
Sometimes, the best solution to a problem can be found by walking in someone else's shoes. Here, scholars use character cards to take on the roles of people around the world. They determine how their character's life affects our...
Channel Islands Film
Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island: Lesson Plan 4
Imagine being stranded all alone on an island for 18 years. How would you survive? Class members are challenged to makes necessities out of natural materials that would likely be found on an island.
EngageNY
Experiments with Inscribed Angles
Right angles, acute angles, obtuse angles, central angles, inscribed angles: how many types of angles are there? Learners first investigate definitions of inscribed angles, central angles, and intercepted arcs. The majority of the...
University of Connecticut
Weather Vs. Whether
Monarch butterfly populations have decreased by 90 percent over the past 20 years due to misuse and ineffectiveness of some pesticides. Given the challenge to increase pesticide safety and effectiveness, the class, through discussion,...
Washington Township Public Schools
Using Paired Text
Paired reading passages frequently appear on standardized exams, but finding text sets to use in the classroom is sometimes a challenge. A lesson plan on using paired texts includes a selection of passages and a graphic organizer for...
Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust
The Lost World
Fans of Sherlock Holmes may be surprised to learn that in addition to stories of the famous deductionist, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is also the creator of Professor Challenger. An irascible, unpredictable scientist, Challenger was featured...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonics: Letter-Sound Correspondence, Medial Phoneme Spin
A collaborative activity challenges young scholars to match medial graphemes and phonemes. Pairs take turns spinning the spinner, naming the letter, and saying its name. They choose from a stack of cards with the same medial sound.
Smarter Balanced
Monuments (and Landmarks)
Distinguishing between and understanding the purpose of landmarks and monuments is the focus a short activity designed to provide all learners with the context of a performance task. Images of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the...
BBC
Walking with Dinosaurs
Breath new life into your class's study of dinosaurs with this extensive collection of materials. Offering everything from a printable T-rex mask, word searches, and connect-the-dots activities to informational handouts, hands-on...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Comprehension: Narrative Text Structure, Story Pieces
An activity boosts reading comprehension by challenging scholars to answer questions about a narrative tale detailing elements—plot, characters, setting, theme, problem, and solution.
Scholastic
Acceleration Nation Guide
Discover the science of NASCAR! Young scholars rev up their learning as they explore aerodynamic principles. Hands-on activities help learners understand concepts of friction, kinetic energy, and potential energy.
Skyscraper Museum
Building a Skyscraper
Creating buildings that reach hundreds of feet into the sky is no easy task. The third instructional activity in this series begins with four activities that engage young architects in exploring the major challenges that are faced when...
Khan Academy
Challenge: Mickey Mouse Ears
My, what big ears you have! Novice JavaScript programmers adjust Mickey's ears to be proportional with his face and any changes to it. The key is to use variable expressions so that the values used are dependent upon the variable that...