Curated OER
Tree Cookies
Students identify heartwood, sapwood, and a tree's annual rings, infer from a tree's rings what damage or stress might have occurred in its life, and make a time-line of human history that coincides with a tree's rings.
Curated OER
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Students, after reading and discussing, "The Metamorphosis," by Franz Kafka, explain the symbolism of Gregor's metamorphosis moving beyond a literal view of "he turned into a bug" into the idea that society/family/stress/environment led...
Curated OER
Distribution of Active Volcanoes Exercise
Students collect and plot data, then interpret the results and answer questions about the geologic causes and the human effects of volcanic eruption. They participate in a role-play activity and a virtual field trip, as well.
Curated OER
Activity Plan 5-6: Bugs, Bugs, Bugs!
Students become entomologists for a day. In this life science lesson, students go on an insect hunt and investigate insects and their homes. This leads to the creation of an insect by each student. Lesson includes a take-home activity...
Curated OER
Waste Management
Students explore the impact on waste on the environment, and the impact of the 3R's (reduce, reuse and recycle) as a means of diminishing the waste created by humans.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Adolescent Characteristics
Students examine the various characteristics of adolescence. In a Powerpoint presentation they observe the physical, emotional, and social traits of adolescence. In groups, they investigate researchers associated with developmental...
San Francisco Unified School District
Silent Ball
Just as you've lined up the class to go to recess, it begins pouring rain and all chaos breaks loose. What do you do? It's time for silent ball! The rules include no talking, and you must catch the ball. If you talk, drop the ball, or...
Cornell University
The Physics of Bridges
Stability is key when building a bridge. Scholars explore the forces acting upon bridges through an analysis of Newton's Laws and Hooke's Law. The activity asks individuals to apply their learning by building a bridge of their own.
English Language Support Programme
Traditional Irish Music
Celebrate sean-nós, céilí, and the lilting music of the Emerald Isle with a set of language arts activities! Learners complete word puzzles, vocabulary exercises, and comprehension questions about traditional Irish music.
Road to Grammar
Health
Are your English language learners feeling unwell? Provide them with the tools to express how they are feeling and to talk about health in general. Included here are discussion activities, vocabulary, listening activities, grammar...
California Academy of Science
Earthquakes and Tectonic Plates
Here is a comprehensive package in which middle schoolers learn about types of seismic waves, triangulation, and tectonic plate boundaries. Complete vocabulary, colorful maps, and a worksheet are included via links on the webpage. You...
Positively Autism
Travis the Train Delivers Shapes
Triangle, circle, square, rectangle, oval, star, diamond, heart. Travis the Train delivers eight shapes for learners with autism to identify. Part of a learning unit on shapes.
Center for Learning in Action
Water—Changing States (Part 1)
Here is part one of a two-part lesson in which scholars investigate the changing states of water—liquid, solid, and gas. With grand conversation and up to three demonstrations, learners make predictions about what they think will happen...
Positively Autism
Sight Word Train
Keep students with autism on track learning sight words with the Sight Word Train. Complete directions, and a video demonstration are all part of this clever resource.
Leicestershire County Council
Developing Handwriting Skills for Individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Here is a resource packed with strategies to help individuals with ASD improve their handwriting skills. Intended for the teacher or specialist, the resource provides background information on reasons learners with ASD have difficulty...
LABScI
Viscosity: The Fluid Lab
There's more to fluids than meet the eye—they include gases, liquids, and polymers, too! Scholars complete three hands-on activities exploring different properties of fluids. They explore viscosity by measuring the resistance, or...
Curated OER
Ch-Ch-Ching Cafe: Play Restaurant Make Change
Fourth graders make change by participating in a role-play restaurant activity. In this making change lesson, 4th graders use their math skills to compare prices and compute bills in a role play restaurant activity.
Curated OER
The Shape of Me and Other Stuff, by Dr. Seuss: A Class Mural
A cut and paste mural activity is a fun activity to complete after reading a Dr. Seuss book. In this shape recognition and art lesson, learners read the book The Shape of Me and Other Stuff and discuss the main idea. A class mural can be...
Curated OER
Test Taking Tips
Assessment, and for some the accompanying test stress, is a part of classroom life. Show your class members how to prepare for exams and steps they can take to reduce anxiety. Although the referenced PowerPoint is not included in the...
Social Skills Central
Ready, Set, Respond!
When faced with a difficult situation, do you respond selfishly, face it head on, or ignore the problem? This game encourages learners to evaluate the wide range of reactions we can have to problematic situations, and how our responses...
Curated OER
Breaking Energy
Students experiment with the amount of work required to break a piece of wood by hanging masses from a string attached to a thin dowel of wood. At the completion of activity, students calculate if a fast moving hand could break the dowel.
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
Beginning with a pre-lab, kindergarteners trace the letters in the word earthquake and discuss what happens in an earthquake. The lab portion allows young scientists realize that earthquakes trigger shaking of different intensities...
Curated OER
Volcanoes: First Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Introduce young geologists to types of volcanoes during the pre-lab. First graders explore how different liquids flow with an experiment on viscosity to simulate how different types of lava flow. Next, they learn about the parts of a...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Withering Plants - Stressing Over Lost Water
Expectant earth scientists examine the bottom side of a leaf and learn the role of the stomata. They consider the gas exchange that occurs through these structures and relate how the climate is changing to its impact on food crops. This...