Curated OER
Beach Replenishment Mock Hearing
Young scholars study the issues and stakeholders involved in a beach replenishment project. In this beach replenishment instructional activity, students study the point of views for the various stakeholders in a beach replenishment...
Curated OER
Getting t Know Theodore Roosevelt, Jane Addams, Booker T. Washington, and Woodrow Wilson
Learners study what reform means. In this social science activity, students are put into small groups and create posters, oral reports, or role plays on the life and work of either Theodore Roosevelt, Jane Addams, Booker T. Washington,...
Curated OER
Cultures of the Ring of Fire
Students explore the Ring of Fire. In this Ring of Fire lesson, students research information about the Ring of Fire and plate tectonics. Students write 2-page research papers regarding their findings.
Curated OER
Sanctuary: Quail Island Banks Peninsula
Students consider the connection between the past and future landscape of Quail Island. In this visual arts lesson, students observe existing artwork, art vocabulary, and connections to the role of social sciences when painting...
Curated OER
Storm Chasers-- Tornadoes Internet Research
In this social studies and science worksheet, students are directed to a specific web site to read about different types of storm chasers and why they go after tornadoes and violent storms. Students fill out a comparative chart listing...
Curated OER
Introduction to Adult Insects and Their Adaptations
Students study organisms found in Class Insecta. They examine the different adaptations these organisms have developed over time to survive and prosper in their respective habitats. They research the origin of the names of several orders...
Curated OER
Catapults
Young scholars discover the catapult. In this catapult lesson, students research the history of the catapult and how it works. They work in groups to build their own catapult using tootpicks, popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and spoons.
Curated OER
The Ladners: Researching Local Pioneers
Students research local Canadian explorers and write a report on them. In this research lesson plan, students look at local heritage and relationships that came out of those explorers.
Curated OER
Food Makes the World Go Round
Fifth graders investigate the origins of foods they eat while they consider social justice issues. In this food sources lesson, 5th graders play a game and then research food distribution, food security, and hunger in the world today....
Curated OER
Moving Objects
Students discover the history of the United States by examining the Great Migration. In this U.S. History lesson, students research the immigration movement on the Internet and complete a worksheet about the large population shift. ...
Curated OER
Organizing Info into Short Reports
The class brainstorms a list of prominent people from their knowledge of social studies. Groups of two pupils get together and select one of these people to research. They create five questions to research on their person and record them...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Faces of Climate Change
Sometimes, the best solution to a problem can be found by walking in someone else's shoes. Here, scholars use character cards to take on the roles of people around the world. They determine how their character's life affects our...
Sea World
Marine Animal Husbandry and Training
Step into the role of a zoo director with several activities about animal training and running a zoo. Kids calculate the amount of food each animal needs, design a habitat for penguins, decide how to breed bottlenose dolphins, and train...
Education Outside
Papermaking
Imagine recycling food scraps and using them to make paper. The directions are all here in a seven-page packet that details several paper-making strategies.
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 4
Foster's Rule? Allopatric speciation? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation, class members use Venn diagrams to compare endemic species on the Channel Islands with mainland related species. They then create a...
Wish for the Future
Wish for the Future
What would be your class's ideal world 30 years in the future? What about 100 years? Use a series of activities to discuss globalization, sustainability, scientific contributions to society, and the global community of which your...
Time Warp Trio
My Big Fat Greek Olympics
The Olympic Games are indeed a significant and far-reaching cultural component in our international community today, but from where do they originate? Where do our traditions stem from, and how do we choose the sports that constitute...
Curated OER
Inventions Over Time
Explore the inventions of the past with a project on ancient tools. After reading an article about hunting during the Archaic period, the Late Prehistoric period, and the Historic period, kids fill in a cause-and-effect chart about the...
Channel Islands Film
Human Impact on the Food Web of Santa Cruz Island
What happens when a non-native species is introduced onto an island? Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Island chain located off the coast of southern California, provides the perfect laboratory for young environmental scientists to...
American Psychological Association
Using Psychological Perspectives to Answer Questions on Behavior
Perspective is everything when it comes to assessing human behavior. Class members examine a series of statements and identify the perspective represented by each to demonstrate their understanding of different psychological perspectives.
Smithsonian Institution
Dia de los Muertos: Honoring our Ancestors Through Community Celebration
Oral storytelling has been an important part of every culture. The time-honored practice uses stories as a conduit for a culture's values and customs from one generation to the next. Keep the tradition going with a family interview...
California Academy of Science
Sustainable Food Solutions: Weighing the Pros and Cons
A growing demand for sustainable food systems comes from schools and even some cities. So what are some solutions? Scholars consider four different ways to approach sustainable food solutions and list the pros and cons of each. The fifth...
Channel Islands Film
Dark Water: Lesson Plan 1 - Grades 3-4
As part of their study of the history of the Channel Islands, class members craft an informational article to post on a bulletin board that features the Chumash ancestral tradition of tomol paddling.
Pulitzer Center
Food Insecurity
Food insecurity, whether as a result of food scarcity or a lack of nutritious food, is a growing and serious problem in the world today. After discussing the concept of food insecurity, learners listen to an NPR radio broadcast on the...