American Institutes for Research
Data and Probability: Marshmallow Madness
Upper grade and middle schoolers make predictions, collect data, and interpret the data as it relates to the concept of probability. They work with a partner tossing marshmallows and recording if they land on their side or on their...
Curated OER
Designing Experiments - Overview
Students explore the concepts that enable them to design and conduct sound scientific experiments. They critique a faulty experiment and become familiar with some of the criteria of a good experiment. They conduct their own experiment.
Curated OER
My Friend, the Volcano
Working in cooperative groups, young scientists research and report on how undersea volcanic activity may benefit marine ecosystems. There are many links to websites that you can use to stimulate curiosity or for pupils to use for...
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Settlement Exploration: Then and Now
NASA has crafted an imaginative and memorable series of lessons, "NASA and Jamestown Education Module." This lesson is one of the five components. In it, middle schoolers connect history and science by comparing the settlement of...
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Plant Part Exploration: Stems
Explore water transport in plant stems using this fun experiment! Your scientists will start by reading Stems by Vijaya Bodach. Then, activate prior knowledge about plant stem functions and water transportation. Demonstrate this concept...
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Determining the Existence of Gender Bias in Daily Tasks
Help your kids explore gender bias. Learners design and conduct a survey examining role responsibilities within families. They determine the percentage of responsibilities for males vs. females and graph the results. Then they analyze...
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Welcome to the Blogosphere
Create a blog spot for your classroom and promote online discussions. There are several blogging websites listed here, and you can create one specific to each class or one collective site. Teach your learners how to post on the blog, and...
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You've Got Spam
What is spam mail? Discuss examples of spam mail and read about the "Can Spam Act." After reading the New York Times article attached, brainstorm why the act hasn't had much impact yet. Several discussion questions are listed.
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Be Specific, Go West To The Pacific
Fifth and sixth graders follow Lewis and Clark from St. Louis to the Pacific and back again. They read online journal entries made by Lewis and Clark to gather information. The official Lewis and Clark website is used by learners to...
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Fill In The GAPP
Youngsters discover what recycling is and identify things that can be recycled. They use both video and Internet resources to aid them in their study. This is a well-designed lesson with excellent activities and a nicely-written letter...
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ASL 1: Lesson 1
Experience lesson one of an extensive American Sign Language series! Whether you are teaching ASL or learning it as a communication tool to use in your special education class, this lesson is great! Foundational signs, such as finger...
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Doin' The Moonwalk
If you are looking for an outstanding lesson plan on the Moon for your budding astronomers, look no further! This outstanding plan is full of wonderful, meaningful activities for your charges to engage in. Pupils will discover why there...
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Module: Self Awareness
Get your scholars ready for the workplace! This is a comprehensive plan that will really prompt a big picture approach to career planning. Learners consider whether or not school is a real job, and how well it prepares them for the...
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Energy
Scientific terms can be difficult to remember. This resource suggests developing analogies as a way to make energy terms memorable. After listing new terms on the board, groups develop analogies based on restaurant words, and then share...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Finding Prime
Fifth and sixth graders explore prime numbers. They work with a partner to build rectangular arrays using twelve tiles. Factor pairs are noted and recorded on graph paper. Pupils construct rectangular arrays with a prime number and...
Curated OER
Smart Design
Share pupil responses to an interactive slide show about a design initiative intended to help the world's poor. The class works in groups to brainstorm ideas, and then prepares sketches of their own design solutions. Each rendering...
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Medical Explorer: The Big Idea
Read informational text which relays how medical care differs around the globe and throughout history. There are three separate lessons, each focused on a particular case study, regional medical availability, and cultural norms. Learners...
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Independent Plant Growth Experiment
This is an awesome lesson filled with tons of engaging learning activities. Over a period of weeks learners will make observations, collect plant and analyze plant data, read and review agricultural articles, design and conduct an...
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Save an Endangered Species
Have your young learners work in pairs to find and research an endangered species. They use research to develop ideas about saving their animal from extinction. Pairs develop a three-dimensional model of the animal's habitat. Then, they...
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Fruit and Vegetable Bingo!
Everyone loves a game of Bingo! Use these Bingo cards to treat your class to a fun game of vocabulary review. Each card has pictures of vegetables and fruits, and as you call a specific one, learners can put a small X in the box. Who...
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ABC, Easy as 123
Kindergartners practice identifying the sight and sounds of vowels and consonants. They identify beginning consonants in single-syllable words and print the letters of the alphabet. This outstanding resource has many excellent...
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The House
Oú est la cuisine? Several activities are suggested here to develop and further vocabulary acquisition for your beginning French speakers. They draw pictures of different rooms in a house and place objects around the room. Then, using...
Curated OER
"Finding Your Sweet Tooth"--An Introduction to the Dichotomous Key
Sixth graders classify candy according to observable characteristics. They use a dichotomous key to identify their bag of "treats." Thus, describe how dichotomous keys help to the identifying of organisms. Design a self-generated...
Curated OER
Math: Designing a Playground
Sixth graders design and draw a model playground to scale. They configure the layout to include a sandbox, slide, baseball field and other equipment. Their design includes adaptations for students with disabilities. Their designs are...