Curated OER
Minerals of the Earth
Young scholars learn and practice identifying Earth's minerals and their properties. Working in small groups, they evaluate minerals. This is a well-described lesson, which students enjoy.
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Operating Kitchen Equipment
Students spend this lesson discovering how electricity makes the appliances in their kitchen operate. In groups, they explain how energy is being converted in a microwave oven and practice giving others directions to how to use them. ...
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Sustainable Island Development
Learners explain how the basic human needs of a large group of people can be met. They describe and evaluate alternative methods for providing water and food, producing electricity, handling wastes, and transporting goods and people....
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Mollusk Matching
Students look carefully at shells and observe the differences between
species and the names of common shells. Then they identify and complete a Mollusk Matching handout included in the lesson and write the letter of each shell in the...
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Social Studies and Economics
Students investigate the products agriculture provides in raw materials. In this agriculture products lesson, students make a list of common items used and foods eaten. Students work in teams to categorize agriculture products based on...
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Design a Reef!
Students explore coral reef ecosystems. In this ecosystems science lesson, students research coral reef ecosystems to determine the major functions the participating organisms must perform. Students construct a miniature coral reef...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Digestive System
Fourth graders simulate how the digestive system works. In this hands-on simulation, 4th graders complete six group activities that help students visualize how our body breaks down food into nutrients.
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Geologic Sequestration
Learners investigate how geologic sequestration reduces carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. In this earth science lesson, students simulate oil mining in the lab. They write down their observations and complete the lab report...
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Chocolate Chipping Away at the Rock Cycle
Eighth graders identify the different types of rocks. In this earth science instructional activity, 8th graders compare and contrast rocks and chocolate cookies. They explain how materials are recycled beneath the Earth.
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The Artemia Hatchery
Students, in groups, develop their hatcheries, working cooperatively in its design and construction. The lessons begin with the introduction to Artemia as a primary food source of many aquaculture species during their larval stages.
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Stomach Chemistry
Fifth graders compare physical and chemical changes. They perform a simulation experiment/activity that replicates what happens in the stomach as food is digested by stomach acids.
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Sharks: Scavenging Stomachs
Young scholars examine the role played by sharks in the marine food chain. They conduct a scavenger hunt collecting items that have actually been removed from the stomachs of sharks, and create a display that includes the items and...
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Topography of Africa
Students study Africa's diverse landscape and investigate how these features impact the available water supply, food sources, and population distribution of the continent. They compare topographical features and
their affect on each...
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Can You Measure Up!
Seventh graders investigate standards of measurement and metric units using a game to show the importance of standards of measurements. In this measuring lesson plan, 7th graders are grouped together and each group represents a foreign...
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Filter Feeding in Reef Sponges
Students investigate the role of sponges in our oceans. In this biology lesson, students create a diagram visualizing how sponges bring food into their bodies through a filtering process. Students discuss the connections between...
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Water Filtration
Students design a filtration system using three filtration materials. In this water filtration lesson, students conduct an experiment with their filtration systems. Students present their systems to the class. Group results are...
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What's Wild
Third graders discover the differences between wild and domestic animals. In this animal lesson, 3rd graders chart the differences in the animals and look through magazines for pictures of wild and domestic animals to glue to a poster....
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Understanding Volcanoes
Students create a model volcano in groups, and discuss what each part of the model represents as they go along. In this volcano lesson, students come back together as a whole group and discuss what group did the best work, according to...
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Dinosaurs
Learners participate in a simulated archeological dig to gain an understanding of the earth's development as well as the organisms on it. In this dinosaur lesson plan, students work in small groups removing five pieces from the 'dig' one...
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Reducing Air Pollution
In this critical thinking learning exercise, students evaluate different scenarios to decide how the person or business in the scenario could help reduce air pollution. Students work in cooperative learning groups to decide what...
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Protecting Holy Cows
Students study the interrelationships of organisms and their environments. They study ecological communities and determine what is necessary for survival. Students discuss and answer questions concerning a group's biome, habitat, food...
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States of Matter
Student explore states of matter. In this science lesson plan, students define matter, identify the states of matter, tell about the properties of each state of matter, and demonstrate an understanding of the difference between a...
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Oil on the Beach
Students explore how oil pollutes the oceans. For this science lesson, students investigate various materials that could be used to clean up an oil spill. Students discuss which materials worked best and how humans can reduce oil spills.
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Living On The Moon
Students evaluate what life would be like living on the moon or another planet in our solar system. In this science lesson, students create a colony that they would use to live in on the moon using Legos.