Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
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Sea Turtles Underwater
Students discuss different types of sea turtles. They talk a about the characteristics of sea turtle anatomy. Students pretend to look over the edge of a boat in the ocean. They pretend to see a sea turtle. Students create their artwork...
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Graffitti
Here is a fun way to encourage a cooperative classroom, drawing skills, and creative expression. Each child draws a design or shape on his paper, then he rotates to the next child's paper where he adds to the previous design. When the...
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Investigating World Cultures
Middle schoolers, in groups, write research reports and create visuals about countries, put on a culture fair, and use PowerPoint to present their information.
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The Westward Movement
Learners study the westward movement through examining stamps. In this westward movement lesson plan, students draw conclusions, determine cause and effect relationships and examine the westward movement of the United States by...
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Going...going...gone? Tropical Rainforests-How They Work, What They Do for Us, What's Being Done to Them...
Sixth graders explore the Tropical Rainforest and come to understand what it is and how it affects the ecosystem. In this rainforests instructional activity, 6th graders write about the Tropical Rainforest, imagine they are in the...
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Under the Spell of Spiders
Learners examine spiders. In these spider lessons, students will view spider images and live spiders to determine physical characteristics, habits, and habitats. Learners will examine fantasy and folklore about spiders to create and...
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How Size Shapes Animals
Students investigate how size affects large and small animals differently. In this animal lesson plan, students determine how size affects different animals by constructing their own animal out of marshmallows. Once students create...
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Fossils Footprints Across Time
Students examine fossils to understand how they are formed and how they give information about geological history. In this fossil activity, students research and write about fossils and make models of different fossil types.The PDF...
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Plants and Animals, Partners in Pollination
Students participate in multiple hands-on activities to explore reproduction and pollination. In groups, using a cotton swab and powder, students simulate being pollinators and plants. They name the parts of the flowers and the function...
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Rocks and Minerals
Students bring rocks and minerals from home to investigate in the classroom. In this rocks and minerals lesson plan, students observe all the rocks and minerals brought into the class and answer 7 questions about the features of the...
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Baga Drum
Students examine a Baga Drum in order to explore the history of the Baga people of West Africa. In this art history lesson, students recognize figures used in Baga Drum design that represent aspects of Baga culture. They also design and...
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Play Dough
Students explore with play dough. In this creating dough activity, students make homemade play dough and experiment with shapes, counting, and manipulation to increase dexterity.
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Ceramics - Mask making - Sculpture
Students design a mask using cultural examples for inspiration - changing the meaning - conveying a special message about the times in which we live.
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Hand Made Clay Molds & Hand Made Paper Casts
Students create hand made clay molds and paper casts. They carve their picture into the clay, then fire and paint and then press semi wet sheets onto their ceramic molds to create embossed type paper.
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Communicating Through Pictures
Students examine photographs, paintings and drawings convey meaning and mood. The ability to 'read' a picture is an important literary skill. This activity gives students the opportunity to tell a story through pictures by creating a...
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Lift and Drag: Principles of Flight and the Soaring Imagination
Students construct models of early gas balloons and gliders. In this balloon and glider lesson, students create models of early gas balloons and gliders, discover how the forces of lift and drag effect aircraft in flight, and put on...
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Dinosaurs Were Real!
Students investigate the history of dinosaurs, as real animals. In this dinosaur lesson plan, students examine basic concepts that help them understand the history of all life. Included in this article is information on the world of the...
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Instruments of the Orchestra Race
Students receive a musical instrument of the orchestra and the family it belongs to. They run when the teacher calls either the instrument or the family.
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Creating Animated Overviews in History
Seventh graders explore the attributes of ancient civilizations. In this world history lesson, 7th graders conduct research to create animated movies. Students research ancient Egypt or feudal Japan and follow the provided steps to...
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"Once a Jolly Swagman" (Australian vocabulary)
Students listen to the song "Waltzing Matilda" in order to become familiar with some Australian words.
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Eating Fruit
Students select a piece of fruit from a central table. After some discussion on ways of representing form and proportions students record as accurately as possible, the entire fruit.
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Revolutionary Money
Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included.