Curated OER
Agriculture: Oklahoma's Legacy
Sixth graders explore agriculture as it relates to crops over the course of a series of historical events. They read and create a timeline of the 50-year increments that depict important cause and effect events. Students then use...
Curated OER
Diversity in Media: Looking Critically at What We See
This learning experience fosters awareness of representations we see, and don't see, in the media. Learners list TV programs, games, and films they enjoy, identify characters' ethnic, religious, (dis)ability, and sexual orientation...
NTTI
Hey Good Lookin', Whatchya Got Cookin'?
What better way to explore working with fractions then by using them when cooking? In this lesson plan, learners use video, the Internet, and real world, hands-on learning activities to enhance their understanding of multiplying and...
Curated OER
College or Bust?
Based on a New York Times article, "The College Drop-Out Boom," participants in a fishbowl discussion formulate and express opinions about the correlation between level of education, career options, and economic mobility. Ample...
Curated OER
Super Soil
Students compare the organic matter found in soil. In this soil lesson, students compare a commercial garden mix soil to their local soil and determine which has more organic material.
Curated OER
Agriculture and the Government
Young scholars study the government's involvement in the U.S. A's food production and make connections relating to farm programs. In this historical agriculture lesson, students read content and research significant information. Young...
Curated OER
TECH: Geneticist
A brief PowerPoint is used to introduce the class to the field of genetics by explaining the fields of work, the education required, and the job prospects. A trait inventory worksheet is completed by individuals, and then they gather...
Curated OER
Child Nutrition Unit
How much fun can you have teaching adolescents about nutrition? Try taking them to work with preschoolers for an hour! This 4-day mini-unit about the importance of nutrition early in life culminates with a field trip. It was written for...
Curated OER
Cause Célèbre
In this exercise, learners identify characters from an "Archie" comic and discuss the relevance of "Archie" to today's youth. They create public service advertisements featuring celebrities to address common concerns among teenagers in...
Curated OER
Amusement Park Physics
Young scholars conduct a series of experiments on conservation of energy and momentum. In this physics instructional activity, students investigate the factors affecting the period of the pendulum. They build a roller coaster and...
Curated OER
All Aboard!
Students, in groups, create a display showing a "train trip" to a destination of their choice from a teacher-made list. They also answer a series of questions related to their trip. Groups present their displays.
Curated OER
Cooking with the Sun
Students explore using energy from the sun for heating and cooking as they build and compare the performance of four solar cooker designs. This excellent two-day lesson has groups of students build and test a variety of solar cookers....
Curated OER
Genetics
Become familiar with the basic concepts of inheritance. Your junior high students work through mulitple examples of crosses and calculate probabilities of trait occurance. The explain the concept that each parent contributes one half of...
Curated OER
Nurturing Green Thumbs at School
Incorporating a school garden into the curriculum cultivates many benefits.
Curated OER
Traders of the Lost Art
Learners work in small groups to investigate a variety of art and architecture forms common during the Old Kingdom epoch in Ancient Egypt. Learners then evaluate how these art forms reflect a culture's beliefs and values. And, finally,...
Curated OER
Ocean Careers Exploration
Learners will work together in groups to gather information about careers in oceanography. They discover the need to have a diverse group of people on a team and then share their information with the class. Web links and materials are...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: Plant Life Cycles
Young scientists view videos to watch the changes through the life cycle of a plant. Then they will germinate seeds on a sock and in a plastic bag. Finally, they answer questions about the sequence of plant growth and record changes in...
Curated OER
Student News And Weather Channel
Fabulous! Your 5th graders should love this project. As an ongoing lesson throughout the year students use temperature probes to record outside temperature and then document their data using spreadsheets. They use their weather data and...
Curated OER
National Mentoring Month
Celebrating and participating in National Mentoring Month supports the development of youth across the nation.
DiscoverE
Aviary Architect
Groups of two to four work collaboratively to engineer a birdhouse that will stay cool in the summer heat. Teams examine several different-colored roofs, testing the efficiency of each with a heat lamp. Then, groups sketch their ideas,...
Anti-Defamation League
Role Models and Stereotypes: Misty Copeland's Story
A lesson points the spotlight at Misty Copeland, the first African American Principal Dancer. A thoughtful discussion prompts pupils to think of their career aspirations and identify ways role models and stereotypes influence young...
Nebraska Department of Education
Blue Collar and Proud of It
There is a strong need for workers skilled in trades (agriculture, construction, transportation, the service industry, manufacturing, industry). Middle schoolers listen to an interview with a tradesperson and then go online to...
Nebraska Department of Education
Career Family Tree
What do you want to be when you grow up? How does your family influence your choices of occupations? These are the questions middle schoolers consider as they interview family members and create a career Family Tree.
Nebraska Department of Education
A Letter to Myself
Middle schoolers craft a letter to themselves describing what their life will be like in four years using a prewriting organizer to guide their work.