Curated OER
Discovering Pi
Fourth graders are introduced and experiment with the concept of pi. Using this information, they discover the relationship between the circumference and diameter of circles. In groups, they practice measuring the circumference of...
Curated OER
Paper Packaging Design
Students discuss the relationship between technology and manufacturing. They then use their ideas to construct a model of a paper board carton package. Next they view a PowerPoint presentation to learn about the history of packaging...
Curated OER
Geologic Time: Relative and Absolute Dating
Young scholars 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.
Curated OER
Raising Cane: Building a Cane Flute From Scratch
Eighth graders create their own cane flute. They use a model flute to gain the correct measurements and use the scientific method to construct the flute to have sound quality and pitch accuracy.
Curated OER
Location of Cities 201
Students work in pairs to locate the ancient cities on a world atlas using the longitude and latitude measurements. They examine the physical and human futures that explain their locations.
Curated OER
Floodplains in the Field
Students measure a topographic and geologic cross-section across a floodplain using simple surveying and auguring techniques in a field lab. Students also reconstruct the history of a river system.
Curated OER
Zhou Dynasty
Students research the contributions of the Zho Dynasty. They identify the Mandate of Heaven, and the growth of the economy under the Zhou. They research the history of the discovery of silk and its role as an export. Finally, they...
Curated OER
Current Currencies
Students explore the nature of money and how foreign exchange rates work. They write reports based on their research.
Curated OER
Government: War Powers Limitations
Students examine historic examples of authority during wartime. They interpret the Fifth Amendment. They debate the merits of the Patriot Act.
Curated OER
Dino Dung!
Students examine how there is more to poop than they think! After reading through material, they answer a series of questions on coprolite, and explore the diet and physical attributes of dinosaurs, as well as their environment.
Curated OER
Looking into Eratosthenes' Radius of the Earth
Students, in small groups, research Eratosthenes and his calculations of the Earth's radius. They write a summary of the person, the experiments and his calculations to determine how accurate Eratosthenes was in his estimations of the...
Curated OER
Math Lesson: Just How Many is a "Million Dead"?
Students are able to convert large numbers into meaningful ratios. They are able to conceptualize 1 million. Students grapple with the concept of a million. They use this activity to convey the idea of millions by converting war death...
Curated OER
Making Akan Gold Weights and Understanding their Proverbial Meanings
Students examine a variety of gold weights used by the Asante in West Africa. In groups, they discuss the purpose of the gold weights and practice saying proverbs associated with different pieces of art. To end the lesson, they...
Curated OER
What are Igneous Rocks and How are They Formed?
Crystals form before your very eyes! What sixth grader wouldn't enjoy this lesson plan on igneous rock formation? Using hot Salol, junior geologists observe the crystal formation process as the material cools. This comprehensive lesson...
California Academy of Science
Greening Your Middle School
Middle schoolers redesign their school to make it more energy efficient, and create a model of their design. Learners get together in groups of 5, and they take on the task of making their school more energy efficient. To do this, they...
NASA
Erosion and Landslides
A professional-quality PowerPoint, which includes links to footage of actual landslides in action, opens this moving lesson. Viewers learn what conditions lead to erosion and land giving way. They simulate landslides with a variety of...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
What better way to make predictions about future weather and climate patterns than with actual climate data from the past? Young climatologists analyze data from 400,000 to 10,000 years ago to determine if climate has changed over time....
Curated OER
Corporate Governance
Examine the role of the Securities Exchange Commission. Upper graders watch a short Bill Moyers video, analyze a political cartoon, complete a graphic organizer on the SEC, and develop SEC reform strategies to rebuild investor confidence.
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Campaign
The I-STOP law was designed to regulate the distribution and tracking of prescription drugs. After reading an article about its signing and implementation, middle and high schoolers work together to come up with their own ideas for an...
Curated OER
Big Fleas Have Little Fleas
A benthic habitat hosts a vast collection of organisms and its structure influences the biodiversity. Middle-school marine biology explorers will discuss how corals impact structure, and therefore diversity, on the ocean floor. They draw...
Discovery Education
The Time of Our Life
Mammals are some of the newest organisms to appear on Earth. Young scholars complete an activity that results in a timeline showing the appearance of different types of living organisms. Provided with a list that spans from prokaryotes...
Curated OER
Cross Sections and Collision Times
High schoolers solve five problems including finding the cross sectional area of two bodies, determining the swept out volume of a moving body, finding the average particle volume of a body and determining the collision time for a body.
PHET
Where to See an Aurora
Where can you see an aurora in North America? After completing an astronomy activity, scholars can locate the exact coordinates. Pupils plot points of the inner and outer ring of the auroral oval and answer questions based on their...
PHET
CME Plotting
Young scientists build on their previous knowledge and apply it to coronal mass ejections. By plotting the path of two different coronal mass ejections, they develop an understanding of why most don't collide with Earth.