National Endowment for the Humanities
Galileo: Revealing the Universe
To gain an understanding of the significance of Galileo Galilei's revolutionary ideas, class members watch the short video "Stargazing Before Galileo," and conduct a close reading of Galileo's Sidereal Messsenger. They then...
Channel Islands Film
Santa Cruz Island - Writing for Information
After re-viewing a documentary segment on the restoration of Santa Cruz Island,, individuals craft an essay in which they compare the views of the various stake holders featured in the video and identify the point of view they find...
Channel Islands Film
Natural Resources, and Human Uses of Plants and Animals
As part of their study of the restoration projects on Santa Cruz Island, class members demonstrate their understanding of the connections among plant life, animals, and the actions of humans by crafting a model that reveals these...
Curated OER
Down in the Dumps
After an introduction to municipal sludge, middle school ecologists consider the pros and cons of dumping in the Hudson River Canyon. The class is split into two groups: one to debate in favor or dumping and one to debate against the...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 4
Foster's Rule? Allopatric speciation? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation, class members use Venn diagrams to compare endemic species on the Channel Islands with mainland related species. They then create a...
Serendip
Golden Rice – Evaluating the Pros and Cons
More than half the world's population eats rice as a daily staple ... imagine if that rice could prevent illness. Scientists genetically engineered rice to include vitamin A for just that purpose. However, room for debate still exists....
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Contemplating Nature vs. Nurture
Does having an addict in your family make it more likely to become one yourself? Explore the genetic risk factors, as well as the prominent environmental influences, for substance addiction in a lesson that encourages awareness and open...
Channel Islands Film
Once Upon a Time (Saxipak’a): Lesson Plan 4
How did the environment and natural resources found on the Channel islands influence the culture of the Chumash? Archaeology meets technology in an activity designed for middle schoolers. After viewing West of The West's documentary Once...
Curated OER
Debunking the Myth of the American West
Young scholars participate in a close reading. They examine the text closely for implied and hidden meaning, dissect the story to understand the text as a written craft, and discuss significant details and overall meaning of story. They...
Channel Islands Film
Restoration Channel Islands Debate
Introduce learners to the debate format with an activity that uses the National Park Service's controversial Channel Islands restoration program as a topic. Class members learn how to generate provocative debate questions, how to prepare...
Curated OER
Ornithology and Real World Science
Double click that mouse because you just found an amazing lesson plan! This cross-curricular Ornithology lesson plan incorporates literature, writing, reading informational text, data collection, scientific inquiry, Internet research,...
Curated OER
Ecuadorian Rainforest
Have your class talk about the importance of the rainforest and the products that come from it. Learners watch a video showing the path of chocolate from the rainforest to the supermarket. They discuss how the rainforest and...
Curated OER
My View's Write!
After researching issues involving panthers, middle schoolers practice writing persuasive letters. They become familiar with a controversial issue related to panthers and write their position on the issue. This lesson...
Curated OER
Cloud in the Classroom
Students describe the relationship between animals and humans. In this biology lesson, students research about the history of horses in America. They present a mock news broadcast about their research.
Channel Islands Film
Santa Cruz Island Restoration Narrative
What would you be willing to do to save an animal from extinction? After re-viewing a video about the restoration of the Island Fox on Santa Cruz Island, individuals adopt the point of view of one of the key players in the...
Curated OER
In My Opinion
Young writers craft letters to the government stating their opinion on different topics. They pick an environmental or ocean issue, research it, and craft their formal persuasive letter. Ensure your learners include supporting facts and...
Curated OER
Equadorian Rainforest: The Tropical Supermarket
Students study the concept of sustainable agricultural practices through cocoa farming and the lives of the people who are the producers. Students watch a slide show and read a story which helps them understand the origins of chocolate,...
Alabama Learning Exchange
The History of Space Exploration
Young scholars research and identify important events in the history of space exploration. They work in groups of three to four in order to research an important astronaut and record their finding on a poster board and present to the class.
Curated OER
Ecuadorian Rainforest: If the Forests Could Talk
Third graders explore the delicate balance the must be maintained in a rainforest ecosystem. In this ecosystems lesson, 3rd graders learn about the importance of "little things" such as bugs or a certain plant in the rainforest. This...
Curated OER
Dust Busters to the Rescue
Students examine the importance of cleaning up and preventing indoor air pollution. They investigate how cleaning can reduce the harmful health effects of indoor air pollution.
Curated OER
Those Before Us
Students examine medical pioneers and identify their characteristics. They survey their contributions to the medical field and society and present persuasive argument for or against modern medical pioneers.
Curated OER
Where Have All the Endangered Gone?
Students explore animals that are endangered. They choose an endangered animal that they would like to keep from becoming extinct. Students create a persuasive presentation to persuade someone to understand why they feel keeping their...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Climate Change Debate
Students debate climate change and its causes. They examine articles about the topic and use the information to form their arguments. Students use debate sequence sheets and debater's grids during the exercise.
Curated OER
Modern Physics, Old QT
In this physics worksheet, high schoolers develop an understanding of the atomic model and how atoms relate to one another through answering the seven questions.