California Education Partners
Hope Despair Memory
Elie Wiesel's "Hope, Despair and Memory" provides ninth graders an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to analyze complex text. Individuals craft an essay that draws evidence from the text of the speech to show how Wiesel develops...
California Education Partners
From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer
Conduct a lesson that leads into a writing assessment. After reading an excerpt from From Seed to Pumpkin, first graders demonstrate their interpretation of sections of the passage by sketching the details from each part.
National History Day
Leland Linman’s War: A Look at Soldiers’ Daily Lives in World War I
Hunkering down in the trenches of World War I, Leland Linman decided to write a journal about his experiences. By reading Linman's entries in the fourth installment of an eight-part lesson series, scholars get a firsthand look at life in...
California Education Partners
Tuck Everlasting
An assessment takes a close look at the story, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, and tests writing abilities. Over the course of two days, scholars read an excerpt, answer questions on a worksheet pertaining to the author's purpose...
California Education Partners
Seeing Eye to Eye
A performance task challenges scholars to read an informational text then respond with an explanatory essay. The exam begins with an independent reading of Seeing Eye to Eye by Leslie Hall. A second reading follows with the completion of...
Curated OER
Autumn Internet Hunt
Which is better for a harvest party, apple juice or apple cider? Are there many black bears in your state? How soon in advance do you need to plant pumpkins in order for them to be ready by October? Find the answers to these questions...
Curriculum Corner
“I Can” Common Core! 3rd Grade Writing
Present third grade writers with clear learning objectives using this Common Core checklist. By phrasing each standard as I can statements, this document serves as an excellent resource for helping children further develop their writing...
National External Diploma Program Council
Abbreviations
When should you abbreviate a word, and when should you write it out? Practice abbreviation rules with a resource that provides guided examples before challenging young grammarians to correct ten sentences on their own.
American Physiological Society
Sit On It
How do product designers come up with the variety of things we see in stores and on TV every day? They identify a need, then create something that meets that need. Sounds simple, right? A two-week lesson puts seventh graders in that role...
Curated OER
Geologic History of A Large Igneous Province
Students explore the significance and geologic history of the Kerguelen Plateau Large Igneous Province, as revealed by Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Legs 120 and 183. They examine all the source material and write an essay addressing the...
Curated OER
Writing about the climate
Students research the contributing factors to the Earth's paleoclimate. They determine the relevant climate data and use it to construct a science argument. In the process, they access data, capture images of the data plots, and...
Curated OER
Defining Character Traits
Students read and analyze an extended definition in preparation for writing an extended definition of a CHARACTER TRAIT. They use analogy as a definition strategy to tailor writing to a particular audience. Finally, students SHARE...
Curated OER
Come to the Fair
Learners explore the concept of animal welfare. In this service learning lesson, students present a "Career with Animals" exposition as they research animal welfare careers and present their findings to their peers.
Curated OER
Human Demographics
Pupils explore factors that change human population growth in a biology simulation for seven countries including the United States, China, Egypt, Germany, Italy, India, and Mexico. Factors such as age at which women begin having...
Curated OER
Create a Cloud in a Bottle
Students investigate the conditions needed for cloud formation and explore how pressure and temperature effect cloud formation. In this atmospheric pressure lesson students complete a lab on cloud formation.
Curated OER
Being P-Waves and S-Waves
Students participate in a demonstration in which they, themselves, represent seismic P-waves and S-waves.
Curated OER
Adventure Stories
Students write an adventure story that contains a title, as many sentences as possible, and a conclusion. On the peer and teacher assessment sheets, the number of sentences required are left blank so that the teacher may determine the...
Curated OER
Mass Balance Model
Students explore the concept of mass balance, flow rates, and equilibrium using a simple water bucket model. In this JAVA based online interactive modeling activity, they vary flow rate into the bucket, initial water level in the bucket,...
Curated OER
Foreshadowing
Students read and discuss Act V, Scene 1. They define foreshadowing and identify examples of it from the text. They edit a partner's diary entry. They identify key ideas from the scene.
Curated OER
Famous Person Report - Computer Applications
Students choose famous person to research online, use at least two different sources to find information, prepare rough drafts and document sources, meet in groups for peer feedback, review with teacher, and turn in final report.
Curated OER
Advocacy Through Letter Writing
Pupils develop an advocacy plan to address a health-related need for a local, national or global health problem. Students write a detailed letter as part of their advocacy plan.
Curated OER
Science Fiction Stories
Students review the story writing process and the elements such as prewriting, drafting, editing, revising, publishing, and assessment. Next students write a science fiction story that contains a title, the requested number of...
Curated OER
Presenting the Geologic Timescale
Students model the geologic timescale using distance as a metaphor for time. They write a summary of a major event or fossil organism. and station themselves and their summaries along a path within a gymnasium, and present their...
Curated OER
Wind Surge: Interactive On-line Mac and PC
Students examine the influence of the end wall. They find a basin size and wind speed such that a given wall height is overtopped. Then, increase the wall elevation until overtopping stops. Students explain the difference in results.