Stanford University
Annexation of Hawaii
Once an independent nation, Hawaii became part of the United States only after a business-sponsored coup of its queen. After examining newspapers from the 1890s, learners consider whether native Hawaiians wished to become Americans at...
American Museum of Natural History
Race to the South Pole
Antarctica was the last continent humans explored. Explore how two teams raced to be the first using an interactive online lesson. Users learn about the climate challenges and how the teams sought to overcome them. The resource is...
American Museum of Natural History
What's This? Gold
Cell phones are likely made of gold—at least part of them! An interesting lesson explains the conventional and not-so-conventional uses of the popular element gold. From the Inca empire to modern-day technology, learners discover gold...
American Museum of Natural History
A Walk Through the Ruins of Petra
Walking through the ancient Nabataean city of Petra can be a challenge. A tour begins with a 20-minute walk down a rocky slope through the narrow Siq to get to the famous Treasury known to Indiana Jones fans. But that is just the...
Curated OER
File Card Bridges
Students make different variations of file card bridges and predict how much weight it will hold. In this file card bridges lesson plan, students put file cards between books in different ways and predict how many pennies it will hold.
Curated OER
Meet the Corps of Discovery
Students assume the persona of one of the members of Lewis and Clark's expedition team. They research a member of the expedition team, write a first-person introduction of that team member, and share that introduction in a 2-3 minute...
Curated OER
What's That?
Meant to be a simulation of a deep-sea exploration, this requires that another lesson be completed first. In that lesson, titled "Animals of the Lost City," marine biology buffs construct murals of benthic communities. In this lesson,...
Curated OER
Words in the News Solar Sail
Bring current events into your classroom! Middle schoolers complete word work activities before reading and discussing an online article. They complete worksheets and an online quiz. They discuss the Solar Sail as radical new idea and...
Curated OER
America Grows - Trailblazers Pave the Way
Students study the time period after the Revolutionary War when people were striving to move away from the coastal areas and look for pathways to the west. Westerward expansion is a central theme and students use a variety of resources...
Curated OER
Exploring a New World
Fifth graders create a PowerPoint presentation about Christopher Columbus. The integration of technology helps them to be engaged in the subject matter. The basis for the information in the presentation is for students to answer some...
Curated OER
Exploring the History of the I&M Canal
Learners examine the building of the I & M canal in Chicago. Using the internet, they research the lives of the individuals who worked on the construction and develop a timeline of events. They explore the impact of the canal on...
Curated OER
Hernando de Soto Explores Florida
Print this resource or save it to your desk top. It contains five activities and eleven vocabulary words related to Hernando de Soto and his exploration of Florida. Each activity provides targeted skills practice to prime learners for a...
Curated OER
Hunt the Fact Monster #30
In this search engine worksheet, 3rd graders will need to use factmonster.com to discover answers. Students will respond to 10 short answer questions using the given website.
Curated OER
The Nifty Fifty-What's Your Size?
Students explore state populations. In this state geography activity, students use a variety of technology tools to research and graph population and area of assigned states.
Curated OER
Animal Safari on the Internet
Learners verbalize, analyze and practice various research steps including using the Internet for searches and how to use bookmarked sites. They use these skills to research animals.
Curated OER
Create a Holiday for Your Favorite Hero
Students create a holiday for a hero. The person may be someone in history who is not currently honored with a holiday, another famous person, a family member, a friend, or someone else they admire.
Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
Curated OER
When Trees Are Red, Color in Remote Sensing
Student learn about "chromatography" in a hands-on experiment. Young scholars make a chart showing what the colors represent.
Curated OER
Introduction to Maps
Young scholars investigate a variety of maps to explain what each one is used for.
Curated OER
Revolutionary Money
Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included.
Curated OER
The Influence of Physical Geography
Pupils explore the limits and demands of their physical world and how it relates to the survival and well-being of people.
Curated OER
Theobroma Cacao "The Food of the Gods"
Sixth graders research the history of chocolate and write short answers to provided questions. They read about the Mayan and Aztec civilizations and the Spanish conquest.
Curated OER
"Mind Reader" Math Trick
Students perform a math-based card trick and explain the concepts behind the trick. They video tape classmates performing the trick. Finally, they write a paragraph explaining the trick.