Curated OER
Cities and Seasons
Students explore how satellite images show seasonal changes in seven cities in North and South America. Through a sequence of images, they study the green-up and brown-down of the seasons and how seasons change over time. Afterwards,...
Peace Corps
Weather and Water in Ghana
Students investigate the climate of their region. Students research statistics and conduct interviews. Students take a virtual tour of Ghana and discuss its climate. Students consider water conservation and the role it plays in both...
Curated OER
Bee Dance
Everything a bee does serves a purpose. Learners in grades one through five explore the behaviors of bees through reading and dramatic puppet play. First children will create honey bee puppets, then they will discuss how bees dance to...
Curated OER
Fruit or Vegetable?
Watermelon is a vegetable? A tomato is a fruit? Believe it or not, this debate is decades old. Groups examine rulings by the US Supreme Court, the USDA, and state statutes before developing their own criteria to use when labeling...
Curated OER
The Dirt on Plants
Students draw and label the four parts of a plant. They describe changes that are part of the common life cycle. Students follow various one and two step directions. They are asked to discuss that they can recall about plants.
Curated OER
No Title
First graders listen as the book, "Tops and Bottoms," by Janet Stevens is read to them and then participate in a discussion about foods and where they grow. They draw a picture of a plant labeling the major parts of it sequential order.
Curated OER
Heavyweight Champion
Students identify what mass is and how to measure an object with a balance in gram units. Students identify weight and how to measure with a spring scale in units of force. Students compare the masses of two objects by placing each on...
Curated OER
Biggest Trees in the United States
Students use the Internet (or printed sources) to locate information. They fill in missing information on a graphic organizer (chart) and use the data to answer questions. The research skills help students to develop higher order...
Curated OER
How Does Your Tree Measure Up?
Students work in pairs or small groups to gather data about a tree. Each group might gather data about a different tree; all groups might collect data about the same tree; or two teams might gather data about each tree and compare their...
Curated OER
Flowing From Here to There
Sixth graders discover how humans modify their environment. They work together to design their own simple machine to transport materials. They record observations and suggest modifications.
Curated OER
Good Habits Grow in Room 3
Students go out on a limb with these ideas for using a tree to recognize good behavior, celebrate holidays, and build skills. They recognize and celebrate the positive behavior of their peers.
Curated OER
Mother Nature Has Her Say
Learners use their creative writing skills to develop interview questions for Mother Nature. Using writing, they respond to the questions another student developed and use the internet to research any topic they need more information on....
Curated OER
Protecting the Environment
Learners explain what biodegradable materials are and list examples of them. They design, with online partners' feedback and input, a product made of biodegradable materials and develop a marketing campaign to best sell their product.
Curated OER
Colors of Stars
Students observe the colors found in the flame of a burning candle and examine the basic concepts of matter and energy. Students apply this information to the color's of starts and the temperature of the stars photosphere. Students...
Curated OER
My Forest or the Rainforest?
Students explore the flora and fauna of temperate forests and rainforests. They examine the environmental conditions that allow certain plants and animals to live in the rainforest.
ARKive
Butterflies and Blooms
The Northwoods of Wisconsin are lovely in the summer,and they are also home to many flower and butterfly species. Investigate the ways in which seasonal flowers and butterflies are interdependent on each other for survival with a fun...
Curated OER
Youth Obesity: Schools Fight Back
Explore nutrition and healthy eating habits with a study on youth obesity. Learners watch a PBS documentary on the obesity epidemic which discusses government programs aimed at healthier choices, as well as more localized efforts. Kids...
Curated OER
Youth Obesity: Schools Fight Back
Kids fight obesity by comparing the USDA food intake suggestions to what they personally consume throughout the day. They watch a video, read texts, and explore related vocabulary which they use as they compose an oral presentation.
Curated OER
Scientific Inquiry: Periodic Motion
Learners construct their own pendulum. In this physics lesson plan, students design an experiment to find the factors affecting its period. They formulate a conclusion based on experimental data.
Curated OER
Polarized Light
Students study polarized light and explain how they know it is polarized. In this polarized light lesson students complete a lab that shows them how light can be polarized.
Curated OER
Survivor
Seventh graders investigate changes in the ecosystem within the school year. They see that ecosystems, communities, populations, and organisms are dynamic and change over time. They, in groups, collect data in quadrants in the fall,...
Curated OER
Graphing San Diego Tides
Students observe the tides in San Diego for one month. Using this information, they graph the tides on a chart along with the phases of the moon. They answer questions related to the graph to end the instructional activity.
Curated OER
Walk and Learn
Fourth graders take a nature walk on a nice sunny spring day. They discuss different things in nature. They write down observations in their notebook.
Curated OER
Newton's Third Law of Motion
Seventh graders are introduced to Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this physics lesson students examine the concept of thrust as one of the forces acting on aircraft.