Curated OER
Come Fly with Me . . . Open a Book: Travels through Literature
This detailed overview of a curriculum unit suggests using travel literature to engage and stimulate your third graders’ interest in reading. The suggested reading list includes fiction and non-fiction materials and offers urban children...
PHET
Mapping the Field of a Dipole Magnet
High school scientists build their own magnetometer and use it to map the field surrounding a bar magnet. Excellent background resources is included, as well as a diagram of how to build the magnetometer.
PHET
Soda Bottle Magnetometer
Introduce learners to set of complete instructions that describe how to build a magnetometer that works just like the ones professional photographers use to predict auroras. The diagrams are wonderfully descriptive, and the written...
Cornell University
Extracting DNA
Uncover the basics of DNA structure through exploration activities. Collaborative groups build DNA models and recreate the process of replication. Then, using plant cells such as peas or strawberries, they extract a DNA sample.
Curated OER
The Great Depression and Everyday Life
Examine everyday life during the Great Depression, as well as the effects if the Depression on American population, society, and economy. Learners write who, what, where, when, and why summaries of a person who relocated to California...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Recent Weather Patterns
Decide whether weather is changing! A two-part activity first challenges classes to review the differences between weather and climate. Once finished, individuals then analyze historical data to determine if climate change is happening...
Curated OER
Timeline of Medical Innovations and Breakthroughs
Students identify on a time line and a world map where medical innovation/inventions line-up and originated. They collect information on various medical innovations/inventions using encyclopedias and medical research texts. Students make...
Curated OER
Egyptian Weather Lesson
Learners chart temperatures in Egypt on spreadsheet to determine how weather conditions affect lifestyles.
Curated OER
Crossing the Oregon Trail
Students become familiar with the sacrifices that the migrants endured crossing the plains to the west. They experience some of the problem solving that the pioneers faced and pay the natural consequences of their choices.
Curated OER
Quadrat Sampling 101
Learners explore the population of grass plants in a given area. They plan and conduct a sampling activity to estimate the population of dandelions or the number of grass blades on the school grounds.
Curated OER
President Jackson, the Cherokee and Indian Removal
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Indian Removal Act lesson, students examine the act and discuss the implications of moving the Cherokee. Students...
Curated OER
Orbital Bliss
Most young mathematicians are aware that the planets don’t orbit the sun in a circle but rather as an ellipse, but have never studied this interesting feature. This resource looks at the planetary orbits in more detail and helps learners...
Curated OER
Scarcity of Water Throughout the World
Students identify the various forms of fresh water on the earth. They observe a demonstration aand read articles that show them the importance of water conservation. They write a journal about their opinion regarding paying for water.
Curated OER
La Raspa, Mexican Hat Dance, and Cinco De Mayo Celebration
Learn two dances that your class can perform at a Cinco De Mayo school celebration. This is really an outline and would be better used if there were plans for how to teach the dance steps. The idea is good to teach the cultural...
Curated OER
Carbon Cycles
Pupils examine the carbon cycle and how carbon atoms travel through it. In this energy cycles lesson students describe how human activities affect the carbon cycle.
Curated OER
Leadership: Leading Off
Students explore leadership skills. In this leadership lesson, students examine leadership styles as they reflect on controversies and celebrations in American baseball. Students discuss the attributes of positive and ethical leaders.
Curated OER
Inherited Traits
Young scholars work with a partner to complete an inventory of their traits and compare and discuss their unique qualities. In this biology instructional activity, students determine percentages for the frequency of observed traits of...
Curated OER
Teaching with Collections
Students examine collections. In these real-world collections lessons, students examine and describe buttons and shells. Students will then sort, classify, and graph items according to various indicated descriptors.
Curated OER
Controlling Flight: Rudders, Ailerons, and Elevators
Fifth graders create paper gliders and check for flight distance and time. In this flight lesson, 5th graders create a paper glider from the attached worksheet and adjust the rudder, aileron, and elevator. They see how these adjustments...
Curated OER
The West the Railroads made
Learners investigate the effects of time and distance for the creation of a successful railroad. In this railroad lesson, students recognize the railroad's need for an exact time schedule was the cause for the creation of time zones. ...
Curated OER
Sunlight and Warm Air
Students examine the different ways heat can be felt. In this radiation and conduction lesson, students recognize that the sun radiates heat. Students conduct three experiments to find how the sun warms the Earth and how that heat is...
Curated OER
Tomb Robbers
Sixth graders identify benchmark angles as they are embedded into a circle grid. They observe the teacher using an angle ruler and complete a Star Spangled worksheet, play the game Tomb Robbers, and as a class discuss their game winning...
Curated OER
Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs
Second graders explore weather. In this weather lesson, 2nd graders read Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs and participate in four supplemental science activities. Students participate in Internet research, create weather maps,...