Curated OER
Acid or Base? Toxie's on the Case
Students recognize the difference between acids and bases. In this ToxMystery lesson, students play a computer game and experiment to find the difference between acids and bases. Students use litmus paper to determine if household...
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Snack Attack: Food Packaging Activity
Students design and create packaging material for food. For this snack attack lesson, students design a package to protect a food item from heat and water. Students consider costs of materials, design, and test the package to see if it...
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Water Filtration
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...
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Stream Table
Students explore channelization, riparian habitats and soil erosion to find out about the aquatic habitats in Iowa. In this aquatic habitats lesson, students define important terms and read an article about pollution. ...
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Cloud in the Classroom
Students describe the relationship between animals and humans. For this biology lesson, students research about the history of horses in America. They present a mock news broadcast about their research.
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Designing Babies
Students analyze current and emerging techniques used to select specific characteristics in offspring. They examine specific case studies and make ethical decisions based upon the Ethical Decision-Making Model.
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Boomerangs Keep Coming Back
Students investigate the flight of paper boomerangs. In this flight lesson plan, students examine the flight variables of paper boomerangs, which they make, by investigating the concepts of lift and drag. They examine what happens when...
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Electronic Components
Students review new terminology and computer circuits and the value of a resistor. They complete three experiments, "Resistance Activities," Transistor Activities,"Diode Activities" and enter data, results and their findings on Student...
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Study of Fossils
Fifth graders dig for fossils. In this fossil lesson, 5th graders read about the oldest found fossils and discuss the process of fossilization. They dig for their own fossils in a fossil box made of several dirt layers.
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Stereotypes and Cross-Cultural Understanding
Students view headshots of people representing different ethnic groups, draw and color bodies and clothing they feel best represents each headshot, and observe drawings made by classmates. Students then identify and discuss stereotypes,...
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Sweden: The Landscape
Students imagine they are taking a trip around Sweden. They create a nature journal for their trip including the description of the landscape, climate, animals and plants. They are to give details to make it seem real. Students may use...
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Urban Ecosystems 2: Why are There Cities? A Historical Perspective
Second in a series of five lessons, this lesson encourages preteens to consider cities as urban ecosystems. First, they keep a food diary for a few days. They visit the Natrional Agricultural Statistics Service website for current data...
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Wreck Detectives
Junior archaeologists examine types of artifacts from the Bronze Age on the internet. In collaborative groups, they create a story about a ship from this period and then construct a model of the ocean floor after their ship has sunk....
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Stream Quality Assessment
Students investigate many of the factors that affect water quality. They take measurements and water samples at a local stream and evaluate the health of their community's watershed. They write a report detailing their findings.
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Little Oyster: Ceramic Lesson
Children will love researching and then creating a bottom dwelling mollusk of their own. They watch clips describing the ocean ecosystem and how oysters fit into their environment. Next, they research what oysters eat and how they look....
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Endangered Species 1: Why are Species Endangered?
Emerging ecologists examine endangered species by visiting the US Environmental Protection Agency website. They consider human contribution to the decline of different species. They research an endangered animal and then craft a poster...
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Give Me a Tall Ship
Sixth graders develop an understanding of floating, sinking, density, and buoyancy and apply it to the design of testing of ships.
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Indian Trust Lands
An important aspect of studying Native American history is understanding the nature of trust lands. Budding historians will learn that as Native Americans were removed from their home lands, trust lands were provided in the form of...
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Forest Communities
Young scholars identify tree specimens. In this tree specimens lesson, students collect different parts of a tree from the areas around the school or their home. They then work in groups to create booklet that identifies tree...
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Geologic Age
Young scholars investigate radioactivity as a tool for measuring geologic time and how geologists use this information to determine the absolute age of rocks or minerals.
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Into a New Millennium, Lesson 4: 1970 to Present
Students view different slides on how agriculture has changed in America. In groups, they are given one resource to read and answer discussion quesions. After reviewing answers, they participate in different scenerios to help protect...
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Fire and Fire Suppression
Students explore forest fires and forest service's new stategies. They study a case of natural burn and the impact of lowering the intensity of a larger forest fire.
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Plants for Pleasure and Profit
Young scholars study about some of the specimens collected or diagrammed by Lewis and Clark, discuss their usefulness, and rank their importance. They write a persuasive essay detailing the plants they thought the most important.
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Wappo Indians of Napa County
Third graders describe the American Indian nation in their local region long ago and in the recent past in terms of national identities, religious beliefs, customs, and various folklore traditions. They synthesize their findings into a...