Curated OER
Organizing Ideas
Students organize facts into categories and list the structure of a five-paragraph essay. They identify the main idea and outline the supporting details. In the class, students discuss how they organized their ideas and begin drafting...
Curated OER
Inside, Outside, Upside Down
Students study directional words and opposites. In this inside, outside, upside down, lesson, students illustrate words and are captured on camera sharing their words. The digital pictures will be compiled into a class slide show to...
Curated OER
A Statistical Study of the Letters of the Alphabet
Students gather appropriate information for simple statistical analysis. Then they will calculate probability working with a piece of literature that makes this lesson ideal for teaching across the whole curriculum.
National Science Teachers Association
Adopt-a-Dino
Earth historians research a specific dinosaur, write a paper about the Mesozoic era that it lived in, create an artistic rendition of the environment, and give a presentation in class about what they learned. Be aware that there are...
NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach
Density and Pressure of a Hot Air Balloon
Using a dry cleaner bag and a blow dryer, create a hot air balloon! The materials list suggests obtaining one dry cleaner bag per student, but since this is probably inconvenient, consider doing this as a demonstration during a lesson on...
Piscataway Township Schools
Bake Sale
Here is a project that instructs young bakers to calculate the ingredients needed for a cookie bake sale. The catch is that the ingredients for 32 cookies is given; however, pupils must figure out the amounts needed for 12 and 60...
University of Oklahoma
Putting It All Together: Assessing My Progress and Portfolio
Celebration time! The final unit in a 10-unit series asks learners to review their work and assess their progress. They complete another YOU! Scale and ME! Scale worksheet and compare the results with the worksheets they created at the...
Independence Public Library
Unmasking the Truth Behind the Red Death
"The Masque of the Red Death" provides readers with an opportunity to research and plan a presentation about a topic related to Edgar Allen Poe's classic short story.
Curated OER
Not Getting the News about the Stamp Act
How did American colonists react to the Stamp Act of 1765? Your young historians will examine primary source material by reading excerpts from a transcription of the Pennsylvania Gazette and then identifying the sentiments expressed by...
Federal Reserve Bank
Income Taxes
Most adults dread April 15 — tax day! Tax preparation can be intimidating even for adults. Build confidence by leading individuals through the process and then give them a scenario to practice. The exercise uses tax vocabulary to give...
National Gallery of Canada
Artful Emotions
Blue is sad, and red is angry, but why is that? Young artists explore the expression of emotions through art by observing and creating artwork. Starting with a questioning session about images of art, this plan moves into a sculpture...
Federal Reserve Bank
Saving and Investing for the Long Term
Create savvy investors with an activity that uses an online resource to allow individuals to invest in the stock market. The teacher is able to track activity and progress. Stock tips and strategies are shared.
Curated OER
Myth and Truth: The First Thanksgiving
Encourage learners to think critically about common myths regarding the Wampanoag Indians in Colonial America. They discover that behind every myth are many possible explanations—and that learning more about American history helps them...
National Gallery of Canada
Build Me a Legend
Legends are full of imagery and action. Transfer a scene from a legend to a three-dimensional art piece. Class members first view Inuit art and discuss legends. They then build scenes that include action, setting, and characters.
Curated OER
Treasure Hunt
Students find lost "treasure" using a treasure map after being shown a map that you have created where terms and symbols are discussed. The class is divided into small groups where they locate your treasure and then read a section from...
Curated OER
Levers
Fifth graders participate in a review discussion of the parts of a lever, resistance or load, fulcrum, and effort. Next, they complete activities at six experiment stations while collecting data that they share with the class. While...
Curated OER
Writing a Report
Students conduct research on a selected topic, organize the research information, and write a report. They read and discuss the rubric, brainstorm to develop criteria for determining credible sources, complete a KWL chart or web, and...
Curated OER
Circle Justice—Lesson 1: The Anger Within
Learners examine the emotion of anger through the poem 'A Poison Tree'. In this poetry analysis lesson, students identify and decode unfamiliar vocabulary they encounter, engage in groups discussions and complete several writing...
Curated OER
Mexico's Day of the Dead
Students explore global culture by researching a Mexican holiday. In this Day of the Dead lesson, students read assigned text which discusses the view of death in several different cultures including the U.S. and Mexico. Students write a...
Curated OER
Planning a Service Project
Young scholars begin the instructional activity by discussing what type of project they are interested in and how much time can be devoted. They also discuss why it is important to focus on the community and are introduced to the...
Curated OER
Galaxies
Tenth graders explore the structure and content of galaxies. Through discussion, lab, and hands-on activities, they discover the general structure of the three types of galaxies as well as the effect they have on the structure and...
Curated OER
Children's Books
A challenging lesson on writing a book for children awaits your fifth-graders. They must use laptops, document cameras, and a projector to create and present an original piece of writing. A checklist that has all of the requirements for...
Curated OER
The Editing Process
Students read a sample essay and evaluate them in groups. They write their own essay on a topic of their choice and use peer editing. They share their essays with the class.
Physics Classroom
A Critical Lab
Physics lab groups finagle with laser lights to determine the critical angle of refraction for both water and Lucite. Because there are no detailed steps or an answer key for this enlightening exercise, an inexperienced physics...