Curated OER
Vowel Sound: u
Which of these have /u/ as a middle sound? There are images of seven CVC words surrounding the letter u here, and scholars draw lines from the letter to words with the same middle phoneme. Be sure they know what these images are...
August House
The Pig Who Went Home on Sunday
Turn your classroom into a pig sty with a instructional activity based on the Appalachian folktale The Pig Who Went Home on Sunday. Similar to the story of The Three Little Pigs, the folktale tells a story of four pigs who leave home—and...
Curated OER
Celebrating Halloween With the Purple People Eaters
Get youngsters moving by teaching them some basic dance moves. This dance can be done in a circle, a line, or scattered around the gym. There are four movement combinations that are taught to the song "Purple People Eater" by Sheb...
Illustrative Mathematics
Number of the Day
Daily routines not only help to manage classrooms, they can also provide learners with rich opportunities for learning. This activity supports young learners in developing their number sense by counting up the school days on a class 100...
Computer Science Unplugged
Twenty Guesses—Information Theory
How do we determine how much information to include and what can be left out? By playing a game of 20 questions, the class generates the best strategies for finding a number. They then move on to guessing the next letter in a short...
It's About Time
The Chemical Behavior of Atoms
Assist your class with this colorful activity as students view and interpret changes in the hydrogen atom. They discuss concepts of the electromagnetic spectrum and use Bohr's model to predict wavelengths and light patterns,...
Virginia Department of Education
The Law of Conservation of Matter
The Law of Conservation of Matter can be complex for young scientists to fully grasp. Use this experiment to help simplify the process as pupils perform two experiments to determine mass: one that melts a substance and the other that...
Novelinks
Walk Two Moons: Biopoem
Middle schoolers describe the characters of Walk Two Moons as they write biopoems. Following the pattern provided, young writers depict their chosen characters' traits and experiences to make their poems unique.
University of Colorado
Are All Asteroids' Surfaces the Same Age?
Did you know scientists can tell the age of an asteroid by looking closely at its craters? This final instructional activity of a six-part series focuses on two asteroids, Gaspra and Ida, in order to demonstrate the concept of dating...
Have Fun Teaching
March ABC Order
Reinforce alphabetizing and spelling skills while getting into the St. Patrick's Day spirit with a festive word sort that challenges young scholars to place and write words in alphabetical order.
Chemistry Collective
Chemical Potential: Staircase Demonstration
It's all uphill from here! Scholars examine the pattern of random particle motion up a staircase. The simulation shows how the linear increase in energy corresponds to an exponential decrease in particle concentration.
Child Care Lounge
Learning Foundations Curriculum
Here is a collection of activities that complements each of the five senses. Youngsters explore textures, sounds in song, food tastes and aromas, colors and patterns, and a variety of experiences that boost individuals' knowledge about...
It's About Time
Volcanic History of Your Community
Did you know there are 20 volcanoes erupting at any given time? Pupils look at various igneous rocks, read local geologic maps, and determine if their area has a history of volcanic activity. A reading passage and analysis questions...
Rainforest Alliance
Forests of Guatemala
With 90 percent of its land area covered in forests, Suriname, a country in South America, contains the largest percentage of forests throughout the world. Here is an activity that brings classmates together to learn about the...
NOAA
Ocean Geologic Features
Sediment samples from the ocean bottoms tell scientists about climate change, pollution, and changes in erosion for the area. Groups of learners focus on sediments and their movement through water. During a hands-on activity, they...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Same and Different
A take on "If You're Happy and You Know It" opens a lesson about similarities and differences. Scholars speak in-depth on the unique characteristics that make up their classroom. The teacher or counselor records responses. Class members...
Mathematics Vision Project
Circles: A Geometric Perspective
Circles are the foundation of many geometric concepts and extensions - a point that is thoroughly driven home in this extensive unit. Fundamental properties of circles are investigated (including sector area, angle measure, and...
Center for Learning in Action
Gases
Explore the properties of gases through one activity and two investigations in which super scientists observe the changes gas makes when encountering different conditions.
NOAA
Invertebrates
Crabs and lobsters ... yum! The 18th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on invertebrate marine life. After the lecture slideshow, learners conduct an activity to sample...
Rainforest Alliance
Investments in Forest Carbon
One hundred metric tons of CO2 can accumulate in one acre of forest over time—that's a lot of carbon! In the activity, groups of middle school learners determine what makes forests important. They then solidify the concept by using a...
PBS
The Chrysalis or Pupa
What is one of the most exciting parts of a butterfly's life cycle? When it emerges from its pupa and dries its wings! This is a great activity little ones will love. They discuss what happens during the pupal stage of the butterfly life...
Tayasui.com
Drawing with Carl
Who is Carl? Carl is a little monster that will help your learners draw and create in any way imaginable. Get those kids to activate creative and imaginative thinking skills with a really fun app. There are endless options that can...
John Lentine
Butterflies and Bugs
Symmetry, line, shape, art, and math are all connected through a fun hands-on craft. Included are instructions to a classic activity, where learners create butterflies to show symmetry in nature and then discuss symmetry in math. It is...
Berkshire Museum
Camouflage!: Collecting Data and Concealing Color
Help young scholars see the important role camouflage plays in the survival of animals with a fun science lesson. Starting with an outdoor activity, children take on the role of hungry birds as they search for worms represented by...