+
Activity
Historica-Dominion Institute

Artifact Creation Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Creating an artifact that is representative of a specific time period provides an opportunity for amateur historians to understand the importance of primary sources. This resource describes the process for students to explore original or...
+
Lesson Plan
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

In Sickness and in Health

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Based on family history, how likely is it that a couple's children will have a recessive disease? In an in-depth, but easy-to-follow case study, future geneticists learn the story of Greg and Olga, who are hoping to have children, but...
+
Lesson Plan
Denver Art Museum

Descriptive Haiku

For Teachers K - 5th
Even though this is technically an art instructional activity, haiku poetry is actually the main focus! Learners view photographs of Japanese tea caddies. They list five descriptive words for the caddies, then write haiku poems using the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding and Fighting Stereotypes through Words and Images

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Use some provocative modern art to get your class considering stereotypes and the impact they have on us all. Your class will discuss the print art Indian Look-Alike by Melanie Yazzie and stereotypes in general before conducting research...
+
Lesson Plan
San Francisco Symphony

Ballads for Americans

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
"Ballad for Americans" was a song written for performers participating in the Federal Arts Project, during The Depression. Learners will analyze the lyrics of the song and then create informational posters about other Federal Works...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Federal Reserve Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Groups of four high schoolers take a look at the Federal Reserve, and study the impacts associated with the tweaks they make to our economic system. Each group is given a true economic scenario from our nation's past, and must compile a...
+
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Water Power

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young hydrologists observe a waterwheel which helps them investigate the transformations of energy that occur when the blades of a hydro-turbine are turning. They work together in pairs and pretend to be engineers who are building a new...
+
Lesson Plan
Berkeley Engineering and Mentors

Marshmallow Catapaults

For Teachers 4th - 10th
After a brief lecture on levers, torque, projectiles, and the five-step engineering design cycle, young physical science learners or engineers build catapults out of craft sticks. This is an open-ended exploration of what works and what...
+
Lesson Plan
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

Identical Twins, Identical Fates?

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Can different personal experiences affect our genes? Find out in an intriguing case study about one twin who is diagnosed with mental illness and her identical twin who fears she may suffer the same fate. Designed for college-level...
+
Lesson Plan
Denver Art Museum

Talking in Sculpture

For Teachers K - 5th
Elementary schoolers take a look at the work of sculptor Roxanne Swentzell. They pay particular attention to her work, Mud Woman Rolls On. Then, the young artists use clay to create a sculpture of their own which has the theme of a...
+
Lesson Plan
Denver Art Museum

Words as Art

For Teachers K - 5th
Elementary schoolers look at images of the art installation, Wheel -which is found at the Denver Art Museum. After a class discussion about how the words and symbols on the artwork make it more meaningful, the discussion turns toward how...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hold On to Your Hats

For Teachers K - 5th
Elementary schoolers study the symbolism and influences found in advertising. First, they learn about the history and cultural significance of the Summer Official's Hat that was a symbol of status in ancient China. Then, they access...
+
Lesson Plan
ARKive

Galapagos Conservation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The Galapagos Islands inspired Darwin to develop his theory of evolution. These wonderful islands will also be the topic of a activity on habitat and conservation. In small groups, learners will collect and synthesize information...
+
Lesson Plan
Denver Art Museum

Lesson: That's Not Natural

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Any time kids engage in a design project, they are building problem-solving skills, collaborative learning skills, and creative thinking skills. Upper graders take a nature walk to observe and sketch organic shapes and lines that they...
+
Lesson Plan
Digital Wish

Illustration: Self Portrait in a Masterpiece

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Technology and art combine in a creative lesson. Kids discuss portrait art and they search online and save a portrait created by one of their favorite artists. They have their picture taken exactly like their chosen portrait, then use...
+
Lesson Plan
University of Arizona

Found News Poems

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Combine informational text and creative writing with one fun activity! Middle and high schoolers write found poems based on newspaper headlines that they find. The resource includes a thorough lesson plan and many links to articles that...
+
Lesson Plan
University of Arizona

Fusing Firecrackers with Narrative

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Improve your youngsters' descriptive writing. They study an object and write about what they see as a warm-up, then they read an excerpt from Paul Guest's memoir, One More Theory about Happiness. The next part of the activity prompts...
+
Lesson Plan
North Carolina State University

Pipe Cleaner Towers

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Small groups work together to create a tower out of 15 pipe cleaners under a set of imposed limitations. First, restrict team members to use only one arm, and then remove the use of spoken language. There is also a time limit. The brief...
+
Lesson Plan
San Francisco Symphony

Mr. Lincoln Through the Eyes of Aaron Copland

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Use Aaron Copland's symphonic piece, "Lincoln Portrait" to engage learners in a cross-curricular experience. They'll listen to the piece, watch a video, read the Gettysburg Address, and write a series of fact or opinion sentences. An...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measurement and Algebraic Thinking

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Comparatively speaking, does a bug travel farther than a human in 10 seconds? Get a bug and measure how far it travels in 10 seconds. Have a human team member run for 10 seconds and calculate the distance ran. Answer the question,"Who...
+
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Composting: A Scientific Investigation: California Academy of Sciences

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Garbage, recycle, compost: Does it really matter where we put our trash once we are done? By making detailed observations over seven weeks, kids will see which materials break down naturally to become a healthy part of the soil, and...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Asian Art Museum

Japanese Architecture for Elementary School Students

For Teachers 1st - 5th Standards
Art and architecture go hand-in-hand. Kids watch clips from the Hayo Miyazaki film Spirited Away to better understand Japanese customs and architecture. The discussion questions included are very good, and will help you lead the class in...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lincoln is in the House! ("Name-Dropping" Poems and the Power of Connotation)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
“What’s in a name?” Just about everything. Barack Obama, Vincent van Gogh, Justin Bieber. Famous names evoke a multitude of reactions and poets often use the names of famous people in their works precisely because names carry...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Investments

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Money, money, money. A complete activity that makes use of different representations of simple and compound interest, including written scenarios, tables, graphs, and equations to highlight similarities and differences between linear and...