Channel Islands Film
Eminent Domain
After viewing the documentary The Last Roundup, a documentary about the transitioning of Santa Rosa from a privately own island to a National Park, class members debate the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment that permits the...
NOAA
Exploring Potential Human Impacts
Arctic sea ice reflects 80 percent of sunlight, striking it back into space; with sea ice melting, the world's oceans become warmer, which furthers global warming. These activities explore how humans are impacting ecosystems around the...
Curated OER
Gliding Glaciers
Glaciers are the star of the show in this Earth science instructional activity. In it, learners gain an understanding of how glaciers are formed, how they move, and what types of landforms they create. This lesson plan is written in the...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Diseases
During a cholera outbreak, scientists presented two theories; one theory was based on miasma and the other on germs and contaminated water. The lesson looks at the scientific process for finding the real culprit.
Curated OER
The Search for El Nino
Sixth graders complete an El Nino scavenger hunt. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders describe the conditions that create El Nino and compare it to normal condition. They discuss how this phenomenon affects marine ecosystem.
Curated OER
Black Death Biology
Students in pairs explore the transmission of the Plague, through experimentation. Cooperative groups use the scientific method to solve the fictional problem of a bacteria spreading in the Amazon. Groups also create a vector to visually...
Agriculture in the Classroom
Six Kinds Do It All
Teach young engineers that all machines, no matter how complicated or complex, are made up of just six simple devices with this hands-on physical science lesson plan. Using the included templates, students first create paper models...
NASA
Is It Alive?
Determining whether or not something is living can be more difficult than it seems. Put your young scientists to work defining their own criteria to identify life, then work with three samples to see if they are alive or...
Kenan Fellows
Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Is one type of energy inherently good or bad? Young scientists explore energy resources in a week-long unit. After extensive research, groups create powerful position statements and presentations supporting their energy resource of choice.
DiscoverE
Tunnel Meetup
Meet me in the tunnels. Scholars choose a tunnel entrance and mark it on their side of the cardboard. They describe the location to their partners and see if they can guess each other's locations. Punching a hole through the cardboard...
Duluth-Superior Area Educational Television Corporation
Marc Chagall / Magic Realism
Surrealistic painters like Marc Chagall and Wendy Rouse show viewers an expansive world in a small area. Young artists have a opportunity to create their own surrealistic paintings in response to a study of works by Chagall and Rouse.
Curated OER
Stem Cells: 5 Year Progress Report
Students explore different aspects of stem cells. For this human biology lesson, students complete numerous activities including reading an article and discussing it, watching a video on stem cells reproducing over time, and...
Personal Genetics Education Project
Genetics, history and the American Eugenics Movement
A poignant 20-slide show introduces high schoolers to the amazing accomplishments of genomics and raises the question of eugenics. This lesson is only for mature audiences, as it deals with rape and other sensitive topics, but it is...
Curated OER
8th GRade SCience End of the Year Flip Video Review
Students explore video taping. For this science review lesson, students create a video of an assigned science unit as a peer study tool.
Curated OER
When the Fly Flew In by Lisa Westberg Peters
The students will listen to the story When the Fly Flew In, and be able to identify the main idea of the story and many of the (supporting) details. Students will also develop an appreciation for the humor and illustrations. After...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
Ice core samples give scientists access to climates of old—those from more than 800,000 years ago. Through an analysis of various temperature graphs from ice cores, tree rings, and weather stations, scholars compare historical climates...
United Nations
Compost Monitor Training
What should go in the trash, and what can be composted? Guide your young conservationists through the process of composing their trash with a lesson plan about the different ways we can dispose of garbage. Using a trash bag with clean...
Curated OER
Honey, I Shrunk the Lids!
Students discover the lightweighting concept used by manufacturers. In this environmental education lesson, students research the reduction of the amount of aluminum used in cans. Students wrap the lesson up by writing a newspaper...
Curated OER
What is the Evidence for Evolution?
Learners identify one object that would tell the story of their lives. In groups, they determine what can and cannot be told from objects left behind. After watching a video, they compare and contrast chicken bones to human bones. To...
Curated OER
Practical Illustrations of Astronomical Concepts Relating to the Solar System
Eighth graders are introduced to concepts related to the Solar System. In groups, they participate in an experiment in which they must describe a ray of light and how it travels. They draw a diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum and...
Curated OER
Altogether Now, The Five Senses
Students make popcorn to summarize end of five senses unit.
Curated OER
The Changing Times of The Future
First graders share their wishes for the future and discuss changes that have taken place. They observe a puppet who describes life in the future and identifies positive and difficult challenges he may face. Individual students draw a...
Curated OER
Use Google Maps to Teach Math
Capture the engagement of young mathematicians with this upper-elementary math lesson on measuring time and distance. Using Google Maps, students first measure and compare the distance and time it takes to travel between different...
NASA
Space Shuttle Glider
Your charges will enjoy putting together this model of the space shuttle and completing the three challenge activities described in the lesson. The worksheets embedded in the plan that pupils use to cut out their gliders are beautifully...