NASA
Century Timeline
Scholars use the Cosmic Times and the Internet to create a timeline of events from 1916 when Einstein presented the Theory of General Relativity to 2016. Scientific discoveries are the main focus, then pupils add in events from culture,...
Space Awareness
Star in a Box
What happens to stars as they get older? A simulation takes pupils through the life cycle of stars based on their masses. The resource introduces the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and the common relationships and life cycle patterns observed.
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Gaining Understanding and Information from Introductory Material, Headings, and Other Division Markers in Texts (English III Reading)
All teachers are teachers of reading! The 13-part interactive series ends with a lesson that teaches learners (and their instructors) how to approach reading their textbooks. After learning about several strategies, users test their...
Carnegie Mellon University
Ocean Acidification
After brainstorming what they know about ocean acidification, youngsters place eggs in acid to determine the effects on calcium-containing organisms, and add carbon dioxide to solutions with sea shell material to discover the impact on...
Concord Consortium
Track of Dreams
Don't run from the resource—sprint to it. Using an engaging performance task, scholars consider a set of constraints on the creation of a track. Given several possible designs, they determine if the designs meet the constraints. If not,...
Curated OER
What Causes the Seasons?
Third graders investigate why the seasons occur throughout the year. They read a traditional wisdom story pertaining to the seasons. They create their own wisdom stories about the seasons and act them out for the class.
Curated OER
Can small actions change the World?
Students review some examples from the website "We Are What We Do" and examine the impact of lots of people making small changes to their lifestyles. They complete a worksheet to introduce them to the variety of challenges. Students...
Curated OER
The Nature of Matter
Students compare and contrast how the theory of atomic structure has changed over time.  They explore how different people have contributed to our knowledge of the atom and its structure. Students identify how matter is made of discrete...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Power Systems & Efficiency
Are you looking for a reading resource about the efficiency of power systems? Here is one that introduces the output/input ratio, measurement of energy by joules or calories, and efficiency ratings. For STEM classes that are learning...
Curated OER
Easy Street
Pupils work together to complete a simulation on drought days. As a class, they discuss their results and compare water usage of the past to current numbers. After reading short excerpts, they answer discussion questions and review as a...
Green Learning
Build Your Own Biogas Generator
Where this is not exactly a lesson plan, it is a terrific outline of how to generate biogas from an animal manure sample. If you are up for the challenge, the generator can be built by your class as a concluding project at the end of an...
Curated OER
The New Space Race
The race to explore space is on and students can learn about the latest developments  with these activities and lessons.
Curated OER
The Tropical Rain Forest
Students use various web sites to access information about the rain forest. They use the Tropical Rainforest Interactive CD to make their own rain forest pictures and stories and learn facts about the rain forest. They use various books...
Curated OER
Oil and the Environment
Students present information regarding oil and how it affects the environment. In this environmental awareness lesson, students work in groups to write a paper, create a PowerPoint, and put together a poster about their specific topic...
Curated OER
The Solar System
High schoolers research origin of solar system, discuss theories they have found, and create paper mache solar system models.
Curated OER
For The Birds
Students observe birds building their nests.  In this habitat lesson, students develop a Best Building Supply Bag and record how the birds build their nests. Students keep a Field Journal.
Curated OER
Inside the Egg, Hatching Chickens
Students explore how an egg becomes fertilized. In this biology lesson, students "candle" a variety of eggs in order to determine which ones have been fertilized and which ones haven't. Student use paper plates to create a graphic on the...
Curated OER
Debating the Bomb
Students research how the development of the atomic bomb affected people in World War II, participate in a debate about the bomb's use, and investigate how it has affected people's lives since 1945.
Curated OER
A Study of Erosion on the Weller School Playground
Students study an erosion problem which existed on the school playground from as many points of view as possible. The ultimate aim is to suggest and encourage implementation of a plan to prevent further damage to the playground.
Curated OER
The Warrior Role in Greek Society
High schoolers are introduced to the various gods and goddesses in ancient Greek mythology.  In groups, they use print and electronic resources to research the ways Greek culture has influenced the modern world.  To end the instructional...
Curated OER
What Kind of Volcano Is This?
In this volcano learning exercise, students are given five pictures of volcanoes and descriptions of each. They determine what type of volcano each is and how they determined their answers.
Curated OER
Interdisciplinary Unit On Wellness
Students create a portfolio throughout their middle school years on wellness. Students explore their awareness of the connections between health, physical education, and family and consumer sciences with particular emphasis on the areas...
Teach Engineering
Wizardry and Chemistry
No need to go to Ollivanders to buy a magic wand. In the chemistry lab activity, young magicians mix chemicals to create combustible compounds. By applying these compounds to an iron wire, they create magic wands.
Curated OER
Making The Geologic Time Scale Real
Students are assigned significant geologic events in Earth's history.  They convert the date of the events into distances and then space themselves (on an outside playing field) away from other groups, to represent time between various...