Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Conditions at Sea Introductory Activity, Making Waves

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore waves and wind. In this physical and earth science wave activity, students participate in a wave making activity with an aquarium and a hair dryer. Students complete a data chart recording wave height and related...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The City Inside a Cell

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students compare cell structure to the structure of a city. In this cell structure lesson, students investigate differences and similarities between cell structure and city structure. Students create a 3-dimensional, edible model of a cell.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Cycle

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students simulate the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson, students create a model of the water cycle. Students draw the water cycle and write a paragraph explaining their drawing.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Predicting the Future

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine how scientists predict the effects of global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students participate in a discussion about using computer generated data to create climate predictions. Students examine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

River System

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the parts of a river system and understand the importance of each part.  In this river system lesson, 5th graders diagram a river system and write a paragraph explaining its parts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock-A-Bye Pendulum

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders analyze the effects of force on an object in motion and its relationship to a change in speed. This lesson uses a pendulum to demonstrate the principle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planets in Our Solar System

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders research climate and landforms on nine planets in our solar system, choose one planet to visit, gather information about their chosen planet's climate and landforms, and "invent" space suit that would enable them to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Moon

For Teachers K - 4th
Learners discover scientific facts about the Moon and how some American Indian Tribes used the moon to measure time. They accomplish this by listening to stories and poetry, writing stories, communicating with an astronaut,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Hunter Using Children's Literature to Teach the Geography of Africa

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students are able to answer basic questions about the region and the use of natural resources, sketch a mental map of the story's setting, and find their way through the thematic maze/map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measuring Temperature

For Teachers K - 4th
Students conduct an experiment using the steps of the scientific method. In this scientific method lesson, students experiment with temperature and record their findings using the scientific method. Students complete a data sheet based...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycle Stories

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create water cycle stories. In this water cycle lesson, students review the parts of the water cycle. They create a story that describes the journey of a water molecule as it makes its way through the cycle and into different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Bit of Engineering

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discuss the drilling process. In this engineering lesson plan, students get into small groups and drill their own core samples in a sandwich using a plastic tubing, a jumbo straw, a slim straw and a offee stirrer predicting...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making a Cave

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students discuss caves. In this science lesson, students experiment with how dissolution, a chemical weathering process, leads to the formation of caves. Once the cave is finsihed students draw a picture or describe in writing what it...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Be a Weather Newscaster

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders, in groups, create and videotape a news broadcast. Each group researches, develops and writes a weather forecast, a commentary on an environmental concern, a school activity and a commercial.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soil Erosion

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine how erosion is affected by the composition of the soil and the slope of the land. They look at plant roots, rocks and land slope as experimental factors. They complete the associated worksheets before discussing their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Filtration

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate our water system and how it is filtered. In this science lesson, students perform a laboratory activity to investigate the process that goes into filtering water. They relate this activity to other subject areas...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Global Conflict: Kashmir

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars analyze different maps of the region. They create a timeline of the area in dispute, focusing on the creation of Pakistan, Indi and Kashmir and previous conflicts between Pakistan and India over Kashmir. Students construct...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roller Coaster Fun

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders review the effects of gravity on how objects move. In groups, they design a roller coaster and share it with their classmates. Using materials given to them, they build their roller coaster and let a ball roll on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Renaissance Person: composing an Extended Definition Essay

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars recognize the characteristics of an extended definition.  In this Renaissance person lesson, students read a collection of short stories.  Young scholars research the definitions of Renaissance and Renaissance...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I See a Coyote

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students role-play coyotes looking for natural resources.  In this natural resources lesson, students examine the relationship between animal life and the environment.  Students play a game that demonstrates how natural...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Genetically-Modified Food

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the pros and cons of genetic engineering. They watch a short Bill Moyers video, conduct Internet research, create a poster, participate in a pro/con debate, and write an essay expressing their personal feelings on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Publisher Brochures

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Learners create brochures on subjects they are studying in Publisher. In this nonfiction writing lesson, students use Publisher to create a brochure telling all the main ideas of a topic they are studying. Learners use text boxes, fonts...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exquisite Excursions

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars locate 6 cities, one on each of the 6 major continents. They find distance for each leg of their journey, convert to percents, use a time zone map, and convert to foreign currencies.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Glove Gardens

For Teachers K - 5th
Students investigate how seeds sprout. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students make predictions on which seeds will grow the fastest and observe the seeds over a period of time. Observations are recorded into a journal.