Curated OER
Human Impacts on Sharks: Developing an Essay Through Peer-Review on a Discussion Board
Students develop a paper topic (in this case, the human impacts on sharks) that is peer reviewed by additional students answering guided questions. The original student must respond to the comments by the fellow classmates. All of the...
Curated OER
Living with Disaster: Mother Nature Rules
Students analyze various types of natural disasters and discover techniques man uses to live with nature and to control nature. They are able to identify ways that man has learned to predict natural disasters; identify ways that man has...
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Rain Forest Adventures
Students discover locations of the world's rain forests. Once they identify the animals, plants, products, and resources located in them, they construct they own rain forest terrariums. By comparing and contrasting the two types of...
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Sorting
Students understand that sorting helps find things at a later date. In this sorting lesson, students use a website game and sort the common items. Students sort folders and other classroom items. Students discuss how sorting helped them...
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Hot Air Ballooning: Exploring Charles' Law
Students solve word problems dealing with Charles' Law. In this Charles' Law instructional activity, students observe PowerPoint presentations concerning Charles' Law. They complete a WebQuest and describe the relationship between hot...
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"Four" Goodness Sake
Fourth graders recognize that ethnicity, religion and geography are reflected in the food choices we make. In this food choices lesson, 4th graders discuss different types of food from different places. Students compare a menu to the...
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High Five Burger
Fifth graders investigate agricultural sources. In this agricultural instructional activity, 5th graders read the book Have a Hamburger and See the U.S.A. and record each component of a hamburger. Students use a map of the U.S.A. to...
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Alexander Calder: Master of Balance
Students build simple mobiles. For this equilibrium lesson, students investigate the functions of three types of levers as they analyze artwork by Alexander Calder. Students then create their own simplified mobiles.
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Marine Protected Areas (MPA)
Ninth graders explain the purpose of MPA's. In this biology lesson, 9th graders identify MPA's in Southern California. They simulate coastal sampling using candy from two buckets. Students analyze their results and share it with the class.
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The Great Grizzly
Students generate questions about grizzly bears and use the Internet to research the answers. As a culminating activity, students create a life-size mural of a grizzly that is annotated with the information they've learned.
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Scientific Measurement Exercise
Students measure irregularly shaped bones, once using a variety of measurement methods and tools, and then again using standard conventions and metric tape measures. They explore firsthand that standardizing data collection makes...
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Sumptuous Sprouting Seeds!
Third graders investigate the wonderful and wondrous world of plants. They examine the inside of a seed, explore the different parts of a seed, plant their own seeds, watch them sprout and then eat them! They describe, using their...
Alabama Learning Exchange
The Birth of Rock(s) - Identifying Rock Types
Young scientists investigate types of rocks in this instructional activity. They collaborate to examine groups of rocks, make written descriptions of them, and use websites to help them identify the types of rocks they are.
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Hydrologic Cycle Scavenger Hunt
Students explore the water cycle using educational resources. In this water cycle instructional activity, students use a global climate DVD to complete a scavenger hunt on the hydrologic (water) cycle.
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Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
Students explore how PCR works through various activities. In this biology lesson, students explain how PCR generate copies of DNA. They simulate the process using an online interactive website.
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We Are Not Alone!!!
Eighth graders explore the area of astronomy. They explore Earth's neighboring planets. Students research a planet's characteristics. They develop a scale model of the solar system and a narrative about the planets.
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The Life Cycle of a Star
Students investigate the life cycle of a star through research. Once research is complete, students prepare posters and present findings to class. Flash animation is included to help students visualize life cycle of star researching.
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Volume of Gas
Eighth graders investigate the effect of temperature on the volume of a gas in a closed container. They measure the height of the water in their beaker/container, conduct their experiment, and create a graph to illustrate their data.
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My Car Has Potential
Seventh graders investigate how changes in the mass or height of a ramp can affect the change in potential energy. They discuss the concepts of work and energy, then using the four question strategy, they design an experiment that...
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Deducing Induction
Students examine how changing magnetic fields induce currents in
loops and coils, determine orientation and magnitude of magnetic field,
describe Michael Faraday's experiments that led to conclusion that changing
magnetic force induces...
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Designing Machines
Students explore simple and compound machines. In groups of four students, they design a compound machine using K'NEX that has a stated purpose and consists of at least two simple machines.
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Food Energy
Learners compare the energy value of traditional foods eaten by indigenous people with those of modern commercial foods. They use a calorimeter to measure and calculate the amount of stored energy in various food types, and identify the...
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Composting Conundrum
Students research cafeteria composting. In this composting lesson plan, students design a vessel that would allow the cafeteria staff to collect food scraps for composting. Then students build a prototype and present it to the class....
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Meet One Picky Bird
Students complete a research project In this endangered species lesson, students use the "Think, Puzzle, Explore" method to learn about endangered species. Students research and write a report on the red-cockaded woodpecker.