University of Colorado
Designing a Spectroscopy Mission
Design a mission over the rainbow. Small groups spend several weeks together determining a mission related to spectroscopy. The teams build spectrographs and analyze the design to determine whether it will carry out the mission. At the...
American Chemical Society
The Water Cycle
Bring the water cycle into the classroom without the mess. Learners build a model of the water cycle using everyday materials. They observe the process of evaporation and condensation and relate their observations to the larger scale...
Curated OER
Bikini Anniversary
Students conduct research on the anniversary of the bikini. They read a short news report, explore websites, define key vocabulary words, complete a worksheet, and design, draw, and describe an outfit.
New York State Education Department
TASC Transition Curriculum: Workshop 4
Why is it important to use precise language? Participants explore this question in the fourth activity in a series of 15 on effective instruction. Perfect for all content areas, the activity promotes appropriate language choice through...
Curated OER
Learning Words
Young scholars listen to Jane Yolen's, All Those Secrets of the World. They engage in activities to find word meanings without using a dictionary. They practice using a vocabulary mapping handout.
Curated OER
"On the Sidewalk Bleeding" by Evan Hunter
Students read Evan Hunter's "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" and complete reading and vocabulary skill activities. In this reading comprehension lesson plan, students review the vocabulary for the text and read the story. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Vocabulary in Context: Test Yourself with the New York Times
Drawn from the New York Times' superb Learning Network program, this multiple choice question checks readers' knowledge of two vocabulary words in a paragraph from a review of the 2011 film Take Shelter. An interactive answer key clearly...
Curated OER
Building a Mini-Park and Bird Sanctuary
Students build a list of gardening vocabulary from prior knowledge of gardens. In this gardening lesson, students understand the importance of gardens to humans and animals for food, shelter, and air. Students discuss the garden in...
Curated OER
Bonus Activity: Build a House
Students complete a building activity using their knowledge of geometrical shapes, tools, and how to follow a plan from previous lessons in this unit. In this following directions lesson, students study the basic building process as it...
Curated OER
Vocabulary Challenge
In this vocabulary building worksheet, students answer 20 questions to complete the crossword puzzle. A riddle is also included.
Curated OER
In My Treehouse: Vocabulary Fill in the Blanks
In this vocabulary learning exercise, students use words in a word box to complete a set of 7 sentences about building a treehouse. Students then write about things they will do in their treehouse, and things they will bring.
Curated OER
A Home Energy Audit
Learners investigate ways to save energy. In this environmental lesson, students play the role of a building inspector and identify "culprits" that waste energy. Learners use a checklist to identify specific practices that waste energy.
Curated OER
The Voting Game
Upper graders play the voting game to help them understand voting patterns, political movements, and build a content specific vocabulary. Each student creats a chart to determine if his or her political view veers liberal or...
Teach Engineering
Watch Out for the Blind Spots
Applying engineering concepts to the field of medicine, pupils design a device to help test peripheral sight. The class learns and follows a specific design process for engineers before separating into groups; each group builds a...
Curated OER
Dream Stream
Investigate the parts of a healthy stream to build content-specific vocabulary and ecological awareness. The class builds vocabulary and determines why clean water is important for trout. They design a shoe box to show what a clean...
Curated OER
Understanding the Body, Day 1: Anatomy
Intended for moderate to severely disabled students, this lesson focuses on building an understanding of human anatomy. A secondary special education class reviews, identifies, and labels parts of the body. Including the internal and...
Pimsleur
My Family
Ensure that your learners can describe their families using Portuguese by following the steps provided here and using the included worksheets and assessments for reinforcement. After a brief introductory activity, learners complete...
Curated OER
Problem Solving Model
Use a vocabulary chart to introduce math functions. The class defines a list of mathematical vocabulary terms on a worksheet, as well as completes equations and expressions. They examine word problems and practice transcribing them into...
Curated OER
Prefixes Aplenty
Introduce several new prefixes to your vocabulary lesson. After alphabetizing 19 prefixes, including pro-, geo-, and thermo, third graders use a dictionary to find one word that begins with each prefix. Extend the activity by having kids...
Ask A Biologist
Viral Attack
Can you catch the same cold twice? Elementary and middle schoolers learn about what happens when a virus attacks their bodies, and how the immune system never forgets a virus, with an entertaining comic book. The packet includes...
Teach Engineering
Portable Wheelchair Ramp Challenge
Ramp up the engineering design process in your classroom with an activity that challenges teams to design, build, and test a small-scale portable wheelchair ramp. The class develops design requirements, and teams test their designs using...
Curated OER
Shortened Words
Shorten names and words with different activities. Nicknames, acronyms, and shortened words (fridge instead of refrigerator, for example) are ways for third graders to build their vocabulary and differentiate between formal and informal...
Teach Engineering
Earthquakes Living Lab: FAQs about P Waves, S Waves and More
Let's talk about earthquakes .... Using the Internet, pupils research what causes earthquakes, how scientists measure them, their locations, and their effects. The resource is not only informative, but it also builds crucial research...
Discovery Education
How's the Weather?
Young meteorologists explore different aspects of the weather while learning about measurement devices. They build instruments and then set up a weather station outside and measure temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed, and...