Media Smarts
Thinking About Television and Movies
As part of their study of the influence of TV and films, class members consider how music, lighting, costumes, camera angles, etc. are used to influence the response of viewers.
Baylor College
Post-Assessment: And Now, What Do You Know About Microbes?
Your life science class works in their groups to review the concept maps that they have constructed over the course of a microbiology unit. They share what they have learned with the rest of the class. In a second session, they are given...
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 Native Americans and Settlers
Did Western settlers receiving free land from the Homestead Act realize it wasn't really free at all? Scholars investigate the impact Western expansion had on Native American culture in the mid-1800s. They use documents, timelines, and...
Curated OER
Junior Solar Sprint Series: Electrical Power
Through scientific inquiry, middle schoolers discover how to arrange solar cells in order to produce electricity. This activity is intended to prepare learners to be able to design and construct solar cars. As with other resources...
Curated OER
My First Book
Introduce young writers to the process of writing a book. Start by reading a book of your choice and discussing the essential elements of any book such as the cover, story, and illustrations as well as who is responsible for each...
Curated OER
What's in a Graph?
How many yellow Skittles® come in a fun-size package? Use candy color data to construct a bar graph and a pie chart. Pupils analyze bar graphs of real-life data on the Texas and Massachusetts populations. As an assessment at the end...
Curated OER
A Fine Feathered Flock
Students role play different situations. For this respect lesson, students read Mr. Lincoln's Way, identify the story elements and answer comprehension questions. Students discuss how they can always treat others with respect and role...
Curated OER
Writing Exercises: The Byzantine Empire III
Three wonderful questions will help your middle schoolers better understand the Byzantine Empire. They construct short essay responses to each of the three prompts, discuss the schism between the Greek and Roman Catholic church, the...
It's About Time
Volcanic History of Your Community
Did you know there are 20 volcanoes erupting at any given time? Pupils look at various igneous rocks, read local geologic maps, and determine if their area has a history of volcanic activity. A reading passage and analysis questions...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Happy, Sad, Scared and Mad: All Belong To Me
"What are feelings?" and "Why are feelings important to understand?" are the essential questions of a lesson plan that boosts self-awareness. Scholars discuss the four basic emotions—happy, sad, scared, and mad—in...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Calculating Volumes of Compound Objects
After determining the volume of various drinking glasses , class members evaluate sample responses to the same task to identify errors in reasoning.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Deducting Relationships: Floodlight Shadows
Try to figure out what happens with shadows as a person moves between two light sources. A formative assessment lesson has individuals work on an assessment task based on similar triangles, then groups them based on their...
Geophysical Institute
Latitude and Longitude with Google Earth
Travel the world from the comfort of your classroom with a lesson that features Google Earth. High schoolers follow a series of steps to locate places all over the earth with sets of coordinates. Additionally, they measure the distance...
It's About Time
Sounds in Strings
How many of your pupils play an instrument? A musical science lesson will help all of them understand how string instruments work. Young scientists construct a string-and-pulley system to test frequency and pitch. The lesson...
National Endowment for the Humanities
In Emily Dickinson's Own Words: Letters and Poems
Analyze the depth and beauty of American Literature by reading Emily Dickinson's letters and poems. The class analyzes Dickinson's poetic style and discusses Thomas Wentworth Higginson's editorial relationship with Dickinson. They pay...
Vancouver Island University
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain
A good story is a great way to support skills that are necessary for encouraging strong reading skills. Here is a class I do, You do, We do style lesson that stars the tale, Ming Lo Moves the Mountain. Included are two fun pre-reading...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Solving Quadratic Equations
Scholars first complete an individual assignment using a quadratic equation to model the movement of a bus around a corner. Learners then discuss their solutions with classmates and analyze the provided sample responses.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Solving Problems with Circles and Triangles
After completing a task involving examining the ratio of areas of triangles and circles in a given figure, scholars examine sample responses to identify other strategies they could use to solve the problem.
US Holocaust Museum
Life in Shadows: Hidden Children and the Holocaust
Hiding in the filth of a sewer, as a child, to avoid capture by Nazi soldiers—sounds scary! Scholars investigate the youngest victims of the Holocaust, the children. They research video clips and written sources from the Holocaust...
EngageNY
TASC Transition Curriculum: Workshop 6
Is a college education necessary for success in today's world? The class investigates the question, along with others at the end of the sixth workshop in a 15-part series. The lesson has four parts with multiple activities and...
Curated OER
Community Chain
Learners examine the concept of rights and responsibilities of being citizens. In this citizenship lesson, students participate in a discussion of the responsibilities that are associated with the rights of citizenship. They make a...
Curated OER
Lines of Symmetry
Fourth graders identify lines of symmetry using reflections and then construct figures that have one or more lines of symmetry. In this symmetry lesson plan, 4th graders use sets of shapes, pattern blocks, a mirror, and more.
Curated OER
Simple Bar Graphs Using Excel
Young scholars create original survey questions, and develop a bar graph of the data on paper. They input the survey data using two variables onto an Excel bar graph spreadsheet.
Curated OER
Quilting the Past and Present
Pupils construct a quilt using symbols of the past and present. In this communities lesson, students interview an older adult and discuss the history of their community. Pupils create a quilt.