Curated OER
Extinct Animals Of The Louisiana Purchase
Students investigate two extinct species of birds that existed during the time of the Louisiana Purchase in Arkansas. They conduct research to describe the characteristics of the bird and look for the causes for its eventual extinction.
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Water and Ice
Students observe what happens to water as it goes from a solid to a liquid. In this exploratory lesson students gain an understanding for the water cycle while working in groups observing what happens to water as it changes...
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Time and Cycles - Dendrochronology
Young scholars investigate the lives of trees by examining ring cycles. In this plant life lesson, students identify the field of study known as dendrochronology and discover its history. Young scholars investigate a...
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Command and Market in One Economy
Learners organize governmental acts on a chart as either a Market or Command economy. In groups, they note the characteristics of each type of economy and identify their differences. They also explain any item that is related to the...
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Nature Notes
Students spend some time outdoors and record their observations of abiotic conditions, geologic surroundings and living organisms. They reflect and write about the experience of being observant in nature.
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Bandhavgarh: The Tiger's Domain
Students investigate where royal Bengal tigers roam freely. Students create a project to educate people about Bandhavgarh and write a script combining the human and natural history of this area.
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Natural Wonders of China And Japan
Students identify some of the attributes of China and Japan and compare and contrast the way Chinese, Japanese, and American artists represent nature in art. The instructional activity is for upper-elementary classrooms.
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Follow Spring's Journey North Recording Highlights of the Season
Students scan headlines on the Journey North News Updates each day to track the changes that spring brings as it comes to different areas of the United States.
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The ABC's of Walter Anderson
Fifth graders examine how motifs, symbols, and ideas influence various pieces of visual art. They compare and contrast the work of Walter Anderson to pre-historic cave paintings and create a glue line print using motifs and symbols found...
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Food Travels and Preservation
Fourth graders study food processing and distribution. In this food processing lesson, 4th graders investigate various methods of food preservation. Students study methods of food distribution.
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Beyond the Tap
Students explain the basic properties of a watershed including how water flows from higher to lower elevations and how watersheds are interconnected. They comprehend how the placement of buildings, roads, and parking lots can be...
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Lives of Stars
Pupils take notes on the lives of stars. In this lesson on stars, students take notes alongside a PowerPoint presentation about the lives of stars.
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Geologic Time: Relative and Absolute Dating
Students investigate relative and absolute dating; determine the difference between the two dating systems; and apply this knowledge by creating a geologic timetable of their own.
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Salmon and Steelhead Life Stories Web Search
Students conduct an Internet investigation to discover the natural history of local salmon and/or steelhead. They then write a story that describes the life of a salmon or steelhead from the local creek, including a description of each...
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Stargazing Astronomy: A Ceiling Full of Stars
Students make an observe a planetarium using a can with nail holes, black paper and a flashlight.
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Tree Rings As Records of the Past
Students discover how trees preserve a record of times in the past.
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University of California Botanical Garden Field Trip
Pupils explore plant species and the climates and conditions in their environment. They explore this living museum on the Garden's thirty-four acres to encounter over 13,000 plant species from around the globe.
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Animal Habitats and Their Management
Students review components present for a quality animal habitat and then explore a goose pond to find out what animals reside there. They learn how wildlife managers work with the land so everything can co-exist together.
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Carpooling and the Environment
Students investigate carpooling and determine to what extent it occurs in their community for a carpool challenge. In groups, students create a survey then collect, calculate and record data to determine how much pollution could be...
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Building Up, Breaking Down
Students investigate how rocks are modified into construction materials. In this building up and breaking down lesson plan, students explore what happens to building materials over time and how people modify natural materials. Students...
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Letters from the Japanese American Internment
Students examine letters of Japanese-American children during internment in World War II. They discover what it was like in the camps and how they were treated once they were released. They also view photographs of the camps.
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Getting Fired Up
Students explore first-person accounts of volcanic eruptions throughout time and use second-hand information about volcanoes. They use both types of accounts to write news articles covering the events of a historic volcanic eruption as...
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Make it a habitat
Students consider the adaptation of life forms through natural selection to fill various niches and accommodate changing environmental conditions. They select an ecosystem and conduct research to provide as much detailed information as...
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Sharks: Scavenging Stomachs
Students examine the role played by sharks in the marine food chain. They conduct a scavenger hunt collecting items that have actually been removed from the stomachs of sharks, and create a display that includes the items and newspaper...