Curated OER
The Jessie Jackson Campaign
Learners explore an African American's presidential campaign. In teams, students create a campaign for their presidential candidate. They create political ads and plan campaign strategies. Learners are simulate jobs such as a campaign...
Curated OER
The Revolving Door: U.S. Immigration
Learners compare current cultural perceptions of the immigrant experience with ones of the past. They will relate current immigration stories as seen in the PBS documentary "The New Americans" to those of the historical past.
Curated OER
Life before Congress
Students name some interesting backgrounds of Members of Congress, identify their current representatives in the legislative branch of the national government, and describe the background of one local representative or senator.
Curated OER
How Should Congress Allocate Money?
Students discover and examine how the government spends money and then determine what they this are priorities for national spending by illustrating their ideas on a pie chart. They research the national spending allocations on the...
Curated OER
What Makes you Hot?
Students manipulate different variables in a model and make inferences about the temperature on Earth. In this heat lesson students calculate the blackbody radiation of an object at a certain temperature.
Core Knowledge Foundation
A “Whole” Lot of Fraction Fun!
Young mathematicians are introduced to fractions in a unit that helps them to understand parts of a whole.
Curated OER
Comprehension Skills: Evaluate Using Fiction Stories and Aesop's Fables
Primary readers investigate several comprehension skills in the ten lessons of this unit. Forming opinions about stories, comparing stories to each other, using Venn Diagrams, and applying the ideas from a story to real life situations...
Curated OER
Different Strokes For Different Folktales
Young readers use graphic organizers, such as Venn diagrams and story maps, to analyze a variety of folktales and the elements of a story. They use writing, sequencing activities, and creative art to identify the morals learned from a...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Genetics and the Master Race
How did the beginnings of genetic research influence the Nazi party? A thorough, engaging unit incorporates the work of Gregor Mendel, the study of inherited traits, and the use of racism and discrimination during the Holocaust.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Isn’t It Exciting? (The American Industrial Revolution and Urbanization)
America was built on the ingenuity, work ethic, and foresight of our ancestors. Sixth graders learn about the complex Gilded Age in American history, including the prominent inventors and captains of industry, and how they all connect...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims
Teach kindergartners about the First Thanksgiving with a series of lessons about the Pilgrims' journey to the New World. As they practice handwriting, CVC words, reading comprehension, and fun Thanksgiving songs, they learn about what...
Colorado State University
What Makes a Gas, a Greenhouse Gas?—The Carbon Dioxide Dance
Investigate a heated topic in environmental science. Scholars team up to play the parts of gas molecules in the atmosphere. As the teacher moves about, acting as the electromagnetic wave, learners react as their molecules would to the...
Colorado State University
Why Does the Wind Blow?
Without wind, the weather man wouldn't have much to talk about! Blow away your junior meteorologists with a creative demonstration of how wind works. The activity uses an empty soda bottle and compressible Styrofoam peanuts to illustrate...
Colorado State University
Can You Drink Through a 30 Foot Straw?
Drinking straws are a pretty simple device ... or, are they? Explore the possibility of sipping a beverage 30 feet away with an engaging activity that's sure to keep pupils guessing. Just place a long piece of plastic tubing in a glass,...
Colorado State University
Can Gravity Push Something Up?
How does a hot air balloon fly? An experimental lesson has scholars build a balloon from a garbage bag and monitor the movement of air. As the temperature of the air in the balloon increases, gravity moves the denser cool air down,...
Colorado State University
Why Do Clouds Form in the Afternoon?
The stability of the atmosphere changes on a daily basis. A kinesthetic lesson models how the stability of the air changes as it's warmed by the sun. Learners connect their models to the changing air currents and movement of warm and...
Curated OER
Personal Learning Project
Students watch the movie "Cool Runnings", they identify and categorze examples of dreams and examples of goals reflected in the movie. They work in small groups and discuss the movie to begin to generate the concepts behind the terms...
Curated OER
Personal Learning Profile Project
Young scholars take notes on a prepared advanced organizer. They analyze dreams and goals across many parts of life and create different types (paths) of goals to accomplish dreams. They classify dreams and goals generated across...
Curated OER
Translating Science Into Public Policy
Students role-play participants at a panel on climate change. They represent either scientists or policymakers. "Scientists" use the information they've learned in other classes and assignments to present information to "policymakers,"...
Colorado State University
If You Can't Predict the Weather, How Can You Predict the Climate?
Why is the weather man wrong so often? Young climatologists discover how chaos rules both weather and climate through a math-based activity. Using an iterative equation, the class examines how small day-to-day weather events total up to...
Colorado State University
Why Are Clouds White?
Is it possible to change the color of clouds? A three-part activity explores the scattering of light by the water droplets that make up clouds. After observing a demonstration, curious scholars conduct their own investigations of the...
Colorado State University
How Far Away Is Space?
Outer space may be a lot closer than you think! Science scholars model the layers of the atmosphere using transparencies to gain insight into the scale of space. The resource includes ideas to tailor the activity to the skill level of...
Colorado State University
What's the Difference Between Blue Light and Red Light?
Finally, an electromagnetic spectrum lab that will get glowing reviews from your class! Explore the nature of light using red and blue LED sources and fantastic phosphorescent paper. Young scientists compare the effects of blue light...
Colorado State University
Can it Really Rain Fish and Frogs?
You've heard of it raining cats and dogs ... but what about fish and frogs? It turns out, one scenario is much more likely than the other! Intrepid weather investigators examine the curious behavior of waterspouts using a leaf blower,...