Curated OER
Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources
Here's a fine instructional activity on renewable and non-renewable sources of energy for your 5th graders. In it, learners list a number of natural resources on the board, then try to sort the resources into appropriate categories. This...
Curated OER
Rivers and Streams
Students research the rivers, streams and water bodies of Hawaii. They read a variety of books, play Bingo with water-related terms, create and maintain water-themed journals, view videos, conduct Internet research and participate in a...
Curated OER
Planting a Xeriscape Garden
Fourth graders use a plant database to discover new vocabulary associated with plants and ecosystems. Using a pile of dirt behind their school, they design a garden to make it a more enjoyable place. They print out the types of plants...
Curated OER
Land Use Change Introduction
High schoolers discuss the major changes that have taken place in the Hudson Valley over the past 400 years. They use aerial photos to describe major trends in Dutchess County. Students view a PowerPoint presentation. They work in small...
Curated OER
Deals on Wheels!
Students calculate monthly car payments using different rates of interest. They calculate the maximum amount that can be financed/borrowed given a preset estimated/budgeted monthly payment and determine how limited resources cause people...
Curated OER
It's About Time
First, second, and third graders explore elapsed time through estimation and prediction. They work with a partner to estimate how long it will take to perform various tasks. One person uses a stop watch to time his or her partner...
Curated OER
Ways Twitter Makes You a Better Writer
Practice being concise. Exercise your vocabulary. Improve your editing skills. The contention in this lesson is that by imposing a 140 character limit, the Twitter format actually helps improve writing skills. And of course class tweets...
Curated OER
Vocabulary Development and Writing
Engage pupils in practicing denotative and connotative strategies to understand particular words. They work in pairs and write a series of sentences using each word that has a positive connotation and negative connotation. Some example...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
Bad Fish, Bad Bird
In an advanced biology lesson, learners see a PowerPoint about biologist Dr. Westwood, a two-time victim of poisoning. Designed to be used with clickers in the classroom, you could modify the lesson by creating a worksheet from the...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
To Boldly Go, or Not
Here is a different way to combine social studies and science. Have your high schoolers read a passage about the 2004 vision for space exploration and then discuss the practicality, costs, and reasons for returning to the moon. Then, the...
Curated OER
Lost in Space
Here is a case study for high school or college-level learners about space exploration equipment that has failed. The class reads about the Mars Climate Orbiter that was destroyed in 1999 and discusses the costs and benefits of space...
Computer Science Unplugged
Phylogenetics
Introduce your class to the concept of creating phylogenetic trees by playing a game of Telephone. Participants create a mixed-up message and through the use of distance matrices, the evolution of the message is recreated.
Curated OER
Declaration of Independence
Students explore the US Constitution. In this Bill of Rights lesson plan, students work in pairs to select and examine amendments to the Bill of Rights. Students will identify what the amendment means, why they chose it, what it...
Curated OER
Infinite Geometric Series
Eleventh graders investigate infinite geometric series. In this Algebra II instructional activity, 11th graders explore partial sums of geometric series, converging and diverging series, and sums of infinite geometric series. The...
Curated OER
Create, Design, and Invent with Plastic
Pupils explore creative ways to reuse materials. In this ecology/art instructional activity, students create artwork using trash. Pupils view examples of folk art from around the world that used waste products as a main component.
Curated OER
Soundtrack to War
Middle schoolers discuss the important role of music in lives of soldiers stationed in Iraq. They identify and demonstrate skills in creating compositions with limited resources, similar in concept to the soldiers viewed in the documentary.
Curated OER
Rockets on a Shoestring Budget
Students, operating under simulated budget constraints, build pop-rockets and launch them. Working in pairs, they complete budget worksheets and use their "Blast Off Bucks" to pay for the construction. They then redesign their rockets...
Curated OER
B-29 Frozen in Time
Learners view a video clip about members of a B-29 flying group. They complete a chart while viewing the video. They work together to develop ideas to help solve the crew's problems during flight. They share their ideas with the class.
Curated OER
The Teenage Single Parent
Students examine the challenges a single teenage parent faces. In groups, they research ways to positively cope with an unplanned pregnancy and design their own layette for their new baby. As a class, they discuss what it means to be...
Curated OER
TRUE / FALSE: BIODIVERSITY EDITION
Twelfth graders explore issues related to biodiversity and biodiversity conservation. One person (or object) stands at one end of a trail and another at the other end, both within sight. One person/object represents "truth" the other...
Curated OER
What is That White Stuff?
Fifth graders identify, through experimentation, what properties of substance are, determine what variables tested will be, identify constants and variables of experiment, conduct experiment to conclusion with measurable, recorded...
Curated OER
Swing your Partner: The Basics of Square Dancing
Students perform square dancing steps. In this square dancing lesson, students view a video to learn the basic steps. Students discuss the history of the dance and perform with partners.
Curated OER
Barney Bear Gets Dressed
Students identify colors and use descriptive words to create a book about a bear. In this lesson plan on using descriptive language, students listen to a story and help the teacher explain what happened. Students then participate in...
Curated OER
The New Deal
Learners investigate the history behind The New Deal through using primary source documents. This allows students to discover history with limited background knowledge. They answer questions and receive further clarification with the...