Curated OER
News Journalism Across the Media: Introduction
Although students are aware of news as information that influences their perceptions of the world, they are often unaware of the various ways to present that information. Encourage them to investigate, discuss, analyze and make valuable...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity B
In this second of three activities, energy engineers plan and create a hydropower dam as they learn how hydroelectric power plants generate electricity. A hydropower puzzle is also included, which can be worked on by teams that finish...
Sea World
Whales
A whale of a lesson is sure to intrigue your elementary oceanographers! Learn about the mammals of the sea with a series of activities about whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Kids complete worksheets about the anatomy of a whale, create a...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Are All Plants Created Equal?
Photosynthesis requires energy and produces food, and cellular respiration produces energy and requires food. An interesting instructional activity analyzes the factors that affect the rates of photosynthesis and respiration. Classes...
Chicago Botanic Garden
GEEBITT (Global Equilibrium Energy Balance Interactive TinkerToy)
Young scholars use the GEEBITT excel model to explore how global average temperatures are affected by changes in our atmosphere in part two of this series of seven lessons. Working in groups, they discuss, analyze graphs, and enter data...
University of Georgia
Would Your Cat Eat This Stuff?
Processed foods use inorganic compounds for flavoring and preservation. This take-home laboratory challenges scholars to find 20 different compounds identified on the labels of foods to list on their data collection sheet. The activity...
Cornell University
Density
Certain things just do not mix, including liquids of varying densities. Learners collect data to determine the densities of several liquids. They then use the density information to predict the type of liquid.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Virus Hunters: Epidemiology of Nipah Virus
Who actually goes looking for a virus? Expose your class to the high-stakes life of an epidemiologist on the trail of the Nipah virus. Pupils engage in a short video, then examine how scientists predict, model, and find the source of...
University of Pennsylvania
Using Comic Strips to Teach Multiple Perspectives
Scholars view comics from two different perspectives; one paints the Alfred Dreyfus as innocent, while the other portrays the exact opposite. They solve the mystery of what happened by analyzing the source, working in groups, and...
Curated OER
Dinosaur Research
Second graders research a selected dinosaur. They hand write a paragraph about the dinosaur, describing at least one amazing fact. Students use HyperStudio software to transfer their paragraph into a multimedia presentation.
Curated OER
The Physics of My Life
Twelfth graders review the basic principles of physics. In groups, they use these principles to discover how they are present in their everyday lives. They create a webpage that demonstrates on of the principles and share it with the class.
Curated OER
Spedwards Times
Learners research parts of existing newspapers by having a newspaper treasure hunt. Students glue pieces found on poster board with headings. Learners meet and interview a newspaper reporter. Students create a name and masthead for...
Curated OER
The Class Garden Essay
Fifth graders use a class garden as inspiration for a specific writing assignment. They conduct research into different types of flowers in photo images taken with a digital camera. Students write a creative essay and draw a picture to...
Curated OER
What Did He Say?
Young scholars practice the use of Subjunctive I and II. They then analyze a text to find Indirect Discourse and practice writing sentences in Indirect discourse. For homework, students find an online article written this way in which...
Curated OER
Crayola and the Internet: Rename Indian Red
Learners use the internet to practice their internet searching skills. They use their newly acquired skills to enter a contest through crayola to rename one of their colors. They can also play their games on the website.
Curated OER
Cultural Corner- "Mexico"
Students use print and electronic resources to gather information about Mexico. They present a mini-museum to share with students, parents, and other interested classes around the district. They present their information in a video...
Curated OER
Exploring the Universe
Students conduct Internet research to find information about each planet and present their findings to the class. Students research statistical information and two interesting facts about each planet, then create a multimedia...
Curated OER
Measuring "pHacts" about Acid Rain
Sixth graders gather and graph information regarding the pH of rain. Working cooperatively with an internet partner, 6th graders gather and record information about the pH of the rain in their local area. They graph this information...
Curated OER
Nothing to Fear
Sixth graders read from the book, "Nothing to Fear," and discuss living in New York during the Great Depression. They write entries and summaries in their learning logs to share with the class. They work in groups to create a database...
Curated OER
Manipulate Sound Waves
First graders use the scientific process to investigate sound in the classroom and at home. They participate in several hands-on activities exploring sound. They then are introduced to sound vocabulary such as muffled, sharp, and tinkling.
Curated OER
Shoe Shuffle
Students review the "word choice" writing trait, and recall how to use descriptive words to paint a picture. They write a description of one of their tennis shoes without sharing it with classmates. They place a shoe on display while the...
Curated OER
The Amazing Mathematical Race: Boxing the Rare Element
Students enter a race against time to determine the maximum sized box that can be formed from a standard sheet of copy paper. The boxes are to be used to contain a valuable and rare element which is light as cotton and corrosive to all...
Curated OER
Fifty States
Fifth graders find each state and its capital city on a map before memorizing the information. They work in small groups after watching a modeled lesson by the teachers. They write a statement about their assigned states and capital...
Curated OER
Learning about Vincent Van Gogh
Students conduct research on the life and artwork of Vincent Van Gogh. They explore various websites, answer research questions and write a paragraph about the information found online, and discuss as a class what makes Van Gogh's...