Science Friday
Make a Model of a Home Made From Shipping Containers
Build a scale model of a home built out of shipping containers. A hands-on activity has scholars watch a video about a home built from shipping containers and then design their own home. They build scale models of their designed homes...
California Academy of Science
Greening Your Middle School
Middle schoolers redesign their school to make it more energy efficient, and create a model of their design. Learners get together in groups of 5, and they take on the task of making their school more energy efficient. To do this, they...
Curated OER
Sustainable Livestock
Young scholars investigate healthy eating habits by researching livestock. In this food sustainability lesson, students research the negative impact factory farming has on our environment due to pollution. Young scholars define...
California Academy of Science
Coral and Chemistry
Using cabbage juice as a pH indicator, future scientists explore the effect of increasing carbon dioxide on the pH of the ocean and relate it to the health of coral reefs. Ideal for an earth or environmental sciences course, this lesson...
California Academy of Science
What's on a Penny?
As a lesson plan on scientific observation, have your class investigate the features of a penny and a nickel. Working in pairs, they practice writing detailed descriptions using their senses and a ruler to gather information. This is an...
Curated OER
Using Proportions to Estimate
Students calculate ratio and proportion. In this unit rates lesson, students estimate using proportions and find their errors in doing so. They calculate unit rates and define the concept of unit rates.
Curated OER
Marine Mammal Diving Reflex
Tenth graders discuss marine mammal diving reflex, and measure pulse rate while holding their breath under three conditions: control, warm water, and ice water to determine if humans exhibit marine mammal diving reflex.
Curated OER
Making Sense of the World Economy
Students apply the economic principles of supply and demand, market economy, competition, unemployment rate, exports and imports and currency exchange rate to China's present economic success and Russia's economic strife.
Curated OER
Water Cycle and Its Movement in the Soil
Students are introduced to the water cycle and water movement in soil. In this water cycle instructional activity, students explore how water moves through the water cycle and discuss water sources, natural reservoirs, soil infiltration...
Curated OER
Weighted Objectives Table and Optimum Mix Sheet
Young scholars analyze data and determine an appropriate concrete mixture. In this technical solutions lesson plan, students discuss weighted objectives, review sample scenarios, and rate concrete recipes to identify how well water...
Curated OER
Multiple Representations
Every topic or subject has its own special jargon. Learners work on their math vocabulary as it relates to basic algebra terms. They define and identify function, functional notation, ordered pairs, rate of change, slope,...
Curated OER
Motion and Forces
Ninth graders create PowerPoint presentations to present Newton's three laws of motion, and make and launch rockets.
Curated OER
Pop Secret Information
Students design procedures for increasing the popping rate of a set amount of popcorn kernels. They propose and test a "secret" addition to the corn popping procedure which they expect would increase the popping rate and then write lab...
Curated OER
So Fast! So Slow!
Fifth graders give examples of objects that move slow and fast. In this physics lesson, 5th graders rank animals according to how quickly they move. They create a bar graph of organisms versus rates of speed.
Curated OER
Sounding Out CVCE Words
First graders explore vowels and consonants by participating in a flash card activity. In this phonetics instructional activity, 1st graders discuss the difference between short and long vowels and identify them within a story told to...
Curated OER
Over-the-Counter Culture
Learners explore the changing consumer habits of Americans of various socioeconomic classes. They examine the exact costs of products, services and interest rates mentioned in the article and reflect on their own spending habits and...
Curated OER
Flags as Tools to Share Identity
Students compare flags, locate states on map with flag picture or miniature. Read a newspaper article outlining five vexillology standards for rating flags. They develop a personal flag with an essay interpreting their flag to the reader.
Curated OER
Exploring Area and Perimeter
Two young scholars are blindfolded and each receives a cardboard square, one with pompoms glued around the edge and one with pompoms glued all over the surface. They identify what they feel. The class discusses perimeter and area of...
Curated OER
Time Changes Everything
Students analyze census data from 1915, 1967 and 2006. They read an article about how the world's population is growing at an alarming rate. They use primary source documents to create a timeline on the information they gathered. They...
Curated OER
Air Is All Around Us!
Students design an instrument to show that air is all around. In this air lesson plan, students research, construct, and present a design that proves that air is all around, even though they can't see it or touch it. A teacher and self...
Curated OER
Death at Jamestown
Students investigate deaths at Jamestown. In this history instructional activity, students research the high mortality rate at the Jamestown settlement as they write a position paper supporting or disputing the theories of Dr. Hancock.
Curated OER
Saving Energy Through Ecological Landscape Design
Students are able to transcribe to scale the plant features of a common landscape. They determine true north and south and collect and record data on a table. Students calculate a rating for and describe a definition of insulation and...
Curated OER
Counting by Making Groups
First graders represent, compare, and order numbers. In this counting skills lesson, 1st graders use manipulatives to demonstrate one-to-one correspondence and to represent numbers. This lesson includes a teacher script to guide the lesson.
Curated OER
Interest Calculation and Spreadsheets
Students, while in the computer lab working on a spreadsheet program, calculate interest and accumulated value of a savings plan. They follow specific directives on how to create their spreadsheets. At the end of the lesson plan they...