Curated OER
Myths, Folktales, & Fairy Tales
Introduce the concept of myths to your class. Using the link to "Myths Around the World," read a story aloud and have learners list characteristics of a myth. Readers then choose their own myths from the site and work in groups to answer...
Curated OER
Trey and Dave go to Africa: Music
Trey from Phish and Dave from the Dave Mathews Band took a trip to Africa to explore music, culture, and history. Your class watches this episode from VH1's Music Studio to understand how African culture and music have influenced modern...
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
Water Olympics
A fascinating and engaging lesson on the properties of water awaits you. In it, learners engage in four activities that are designed to teach about the properties of water. This exciting plan has worksheets embedded in it which make the...
Curated OER
You Ain't Nothin' But a Rock Hound
Here is an excellent lesson on rocks! In it, learners explore the world of rocks through the use of video, hands-on activities, and cooperative projects. This outstanding plan is chock full of terrific activities, websites, streamed...
Curated OER
Answering Carnival Questions with the Scientific Method
Through the use of a Reading Rainbow episode, clever in-class games and activities, and an ITV Series video, second and third graders engage in a study of the scientific method; what it is, and how scientists use it. This well-designed...
Curated OER
Designing Experiments - Overview
Middle schoolers 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...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Dig This: A Relief Sculpture of Dinosaur Bones
This is a truly amazing project. Perfect to use during your next dinosaur unit. Second and fifth graders work together to draw and make a relief sculpture of a nine foot-long stegosaurus. They discuss what paleontologists do and then...
Curated OER
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....
Curated OER
Introduction to Canada
Ninth graders investigate the country of Canada by examining their media in this geography lesson. They use the Internet to research Canadian newspapers and analyze a topic covered by both US and Canadian media sources. After comparing...
Curated OER
Survival: The Human Body in Extreme Environments
Young scholars name and describe the major systems that work together as a unity to monitor and regulate the human body as it goes about its business of securing the essential requirements for life. They identify specific human features...
Curated OER
Doin' The Moonwalk
If you are looking for an outstanding lesson 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 are...
Curated OER
Youth Obesity: Schools Fight Back
Explore nutrition and healthy eating habits with a study on youth obesity. Learners watch a PBS documentary on the obesity epidemic which discusses government programs aimed at healthier choices, as well as more localized efforts. Kids...
Curated OER
Air Resistance and Friction
Physics learners experiment with three laboratory activities to learn about air resistance and friction. First, they use a hair dryer to move different sized spheres to determine the relationship between cross-sectional area and air...
Curated OER
Everest The Death Zone
Students watch a video about climbers on Mount Everest. In groups, they complete experiments in which they determine the concentration of oxygen in the air. They make predictions before beginning the experiment and complete a worksheet...
Curated OER
"Conducting a Watershed Snapshot of Blockhouse Creek"
Young scholars examine specific skills in assessing water quality from a holistic approach. They assess the health of a local watershed and identify problems in the local watershed and suggest remediation.
Texas Instruments
Exploring the Binomial Theorem
A comprehensive lesson that explores and researches Pascal's triangle and relates its properties to the Binomial Theorem through a variety of lessons. Have the class practice expanding polynomials using the theorem. A few other formulas...
Curated OER
Quadratic Formula
Mathematicians determine the solutions of a quadratic function by looking at a graph. They use the quadratic formula to solve quadratic functions on their Ti-Nspire.
Curated OER
Habitat Basics
First graders get out and explore two different habitats to examine how each one meets the needs of the plants and animals that dwell there. They discuss what they've learned about animal habitats as they explore the outdoor environment....
Curated OER
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Hot Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition, But Were Afraid To Ask
To wrap up your year of general chemistry, have lab groups compete in a tot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) competition. With their foundation in chemical nomenclature, stoichiometry, and gas laws, each group completes several...
Curated OER
Transportation Systems: Two Liter Boat Activity
Students design and build full-size boats made out of two-liter plastic bottles, chicken wire, and plywood. Then they race the boats, with the boat's designers "manning the hull", in the school's swimming pool.
Curated OER
Electronic Circuit Design
Learners design circuits to power 3-9 volt devices such as CD players or flashlights. After measuring the voltage and current requirements for the item, they design a loaded voltage-divided circuit to power it. Students work in teams to...
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...