Smithsonian Institution
Water/Ways: The Poetry of Science
Water is the source of life. It appears in poetry in both peaceful and torrential descriptions; it appears in earth science in its liquid, gaseous, and solid states. Combine these interpretations of our planet's most precious and...
Rainforest Alliance
Knowing the Essential Elements of a Habitat
To gain insight into the many different types of habitats, individuals must first get to know their own. Here, scholars explore their school environment, draw a map, compare and contrast their surroundings to larger ones. They then...
Curated OER
Barn Owls and Owl Pellet Dissection
Students explore birds of prey and food chains. For this ecosystems and birds of prey cross curriculum science and literacy lesson, students brainstorm characteristics of birds after viewing photographs. Students view a video and...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Ecosystems
Explore the Earth's different ecosystems through four lessons, an assessment, and extension activities. Lessons include informative text and step-by-step instructions to apply knowledge in interactive, and thought provoking ways; such as...
Curated OER
Snowflake Bentley
Young scholars explore crystals through the story Snowflake Bentley and then create crystal pictures of their own. In this interdisciplinary lesson, they create a crystal web chart on chart paper, design artificial snowflakes, and write...
Curated OER
Reading and Writing about the Solar System
A superb interdisciplinary approach highlights this instructional activity which incorporates space science knowledge and narrative skills. After reading The Magic School Bus, two excellent poems, and watching a video, all about our...
Curated OER
Where the Wild Things Shouldn't Be
Students compare and contrast wild and domestic animal needs. In this animal welfare lesson, students read the poem Where the Wild Things Shouldn't Be and create a list of wild and domestic animals. Students create a short play or song...
Curated OER
Biography of a river
Students compare and contrast facts about the development, history and importance of several rivers in the state. They research the history and development of one particular river and describe the deltas and their formation.
Curated OER
Animals and Humans
Students identify the functions of various body parts. They participate in the "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" song, draw a picture of themselves and other mammals, and create a traced outline of their body that they add features to....
Curated OER
Astronomy Unit: For Autistic Learners
In need of a few great ways to teach an arts-enriched lesson on astronomy? This resource contains several interesting ideas that link poetry to the stars in the sky. These suggestions are very simple and could use a teachers touch, but...
Curated OER
What is a Shark?
Students discuss their knowledge of sharks. In this shark instructional activity, students read about various sharks and look up shark sightings in an online newspaper. They create Shark-shaped poetry.
Curated OER
Matter Matters: Solids, Liquids and Gases
Scientists participate in a variety of hands-on experiments in this ten-day unit on the three states of matter. Lessons incorporate literature, a-v materials, and poetry to help students differentiate between solids, liquids and gases.
Curated OER
The Spider Beside Her
Second graders are introduced to the characteristics of spiders. In groups, they compare and contrast spiders to different insects to discover spiders are not an insect at all. In groups, they create a model of a spider and discuss its...
Curated OER
Anatomy and Physiology "Quickies"
Young scholars use a variety of creative writing tools within this assignment: poems on particular organ systems, write a short story and/or create a word graph. They are involved in a demonstration of lactic build up in the muscles, a...
Serendip
Understanding How Genes Are Inherited via Meiosis and Fertilization
Bring the excitement of genetics to scholars with a dynamic hands-on meiosis modeling experience. During the activity, biologists follow step-by-step procedures to build chromosomes, model independent assortment, learn about crossing...
Curated OER
Exploring Zoo Animals
Students research topics related to zoos and zoo animals. They compare and contrast the size of animals, make a book of facts about bears, draw snakes, and write animal stories and poetry. They complete a series of writing and creative...
Curated OER
Learning Activities: Magic Words
Students use poetry to compare and contrast humans and frogs.
Curated OER
Outer Space Creature
Students read poems by Shel Silverstein about planets and outer space. As a class, they compare and contrast his descriptions to actual facts which have been discovered through explorations. They write a description of an outer space...
Curated OER
Polar Pals: Polar Bears & Penguins
First graders complete a variety of activities about polar bears and penguins including the "Blubber Mitten" experiment. They culminate the unit by creating a visual representation comparing and contrasting the two animals.
Curated OER
It's All in the Air
Pupils examine air quality. They test the air for visible pollutants by observing jars for one week and compare and contrast the data they collect. After comparing and contrasting the data, they graph the results of pollution collectors...
Curated OER
Putting It All Together
Students organize their daily observation logs to write a nonfiction piece. They compare and contrast Saturn to other planets or write a summary. They use this piece of writing in future lessons.
Curated OER
Flying the Friendly Skies
Students investigate aerodynamics by comparing and contrasting the flight of two gliders. They make prediction and observation charts and test a variety of hypotheses using paper gliders.
Curated OER
Time Train
Students are read a short book "Time Train" by Paul Fleischman. Using the text, they identify the clues to let them know the train is traveling back in time. They make a time line of the trip and make a cutout of meat-eating and...
Curated OER
The Magic School bus Inside A Hurricane
Students investigate the concept of a hurricane by using the cartoon series "The Magic Schoolbus" to simulate the fantasy of traveling through a hurricane. The lesson uses a KWL graphic organizer in order to guide student inquiry and as...