Curated OER
Space Science:Wherever You Go, There You Are
Students explore navigation principles by observing, measuring, and interpreting data to determine locations. Using a compass, compass rose, and a transit, they plot courses and discover the workings of the Global Positioning System...
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How Do Cells Reproduce?
Beginning biologists prepare a sugar solution for yeast cells to live in, and divide it into two different jars. Samples from each jar are viewed with a microscope, and then one jar is placed in a warm environment and the other a cold...
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What Floats Your Boat?
This open-ended boat building exercise is meant to be part of a three-lesson series on ships. Links to the other two lessons are included. This particular part is mostly a group lab activity in which they build a boat, find its load line...
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Using Photovoltaic Cells and Systems
This interesting document suggests nine different activities for shedding light on photovoltaic cells. A bit of background information is furnished for you, as well as many, many resource links. Listed for each activity are a learning...
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The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
Four scenarios of unusual human behaviors are given to your psychology class. Based on their knowledge of brain anatomy and function, they consider what parts of the brain might be affected in order to result in the behaviors. This case...
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Vacancy: Habitats Available!
Sixth graders pick a native animal and write a classified housing ad to match the animal's habitat requirements, paste it on posterboard and then try to match each habitat with the animal it represents.
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Let the River Run
Learners explore the environment by reading a story in class. In this water formation lesson, students define environmental terms such as rivers, streams, gulf, oceans and lakes. Learners read the story A River Ran Wild and discuss the...
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Daily Survival Requirements of Water
Students will use inquiry science to complete an investigation. They create hypotheses predicting the changes water undergoes in becoming ice and determine how much ice needs to be melted to create one 8 oz. glass of water.
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Plants Under Attack
Third graders will identify the four needs for plant survival and gain skills and confidence in using scientific measurement tools, probes as well as the spreadsheets and graphing capacity of a computer to represent and analyze data.They...
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Which Wrap Is Wrapped Right?
Students investigate the integrity and strength of different types of food wraps. They test the wraps and create a graphic organizer for the data. Once it is organized then a lab report can be written. The lesson contains background...
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Hi, Deer!
Students collect, organize by table, and examine census data in a simulation, estimate the size of the population in the simulation and make predictions based on the collection of census simulation data.
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Collecting Leaves with Lewis and Clark
Fourth graders collect data on leaves collected, observe different species of leaves, and implement different methods of leaf preservation.
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Boston Harbor Cruise: A Shoreline Survey
The students take a harbor cruise, photograph, and draw shore line features attending to evidence of human impact/consequences, and its cost on marine/land animal habitats vegetation, weather patterns, signs of erosion, and the water...
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Energy in a Clean Environment
Learners identify and describe the different types of energy and how it is transferred. In this energy activity students complete several activities including how to calculate joules, adding up wattage, and create a presentation on...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Upton Sinclair, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harvey W. Wiley
Though Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle shocked the American public into a thorough examination of the meat-packing industry, the author was disappointed that his book's main argument—the exploitation of American immigrants—was not part...
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Real Family Genetics
Students research genetic disease and mutation causing traits in family pedigrees simulated in a class activity. Students are each assigned a genetic trait and a "spouse" and must conduct research on their traits and the probability of...
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School Lighting Audit
Students identify the data included in an energy audit. They perform an audit on the lighting in their school building. They complete a worksheet and discuss lighting issues with school staff.
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School Lighting Audit Data Analysis
Students analyze the data collected in the school lighting audit. They work together to write recommendations for more efficient lighting for their school. They practice using new vocabulary and working together with others.
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Paper Towers
Students have the opportunity to use model-building as a way to help comprehend the forces and phenomena at work in the world around them. They describe gravity as a universal force that pulls everything toward the center of the earth....
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Using Technology to Design Animal Habitats
Students study the relationship between an animal and where it lives. In this habitats lesson students research to obtain data and create a professional report.
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The Watershed Quest
Students examine their connection to local watersheds. They describe the water cycle and list species living in their local watershed. They also draw a map of their community.
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"Leaf" It in Your Yard
Learners research about the process of composting. Students apply their research by creating a compost pile at school that will be maintained once or twice a month for the remainder of the school year.
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Performing Well Under Pressure
Students study the physical properties of minerals and illustrate their functions. In this mineral lesson students construct models of some minerals.
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The Mad Pursuit Search for the Structure of DNA
Students complete a variety of activities as they study the historical story of Rosalind Franklin not receiving credit for her contributions in discovering the structure of DNA.