Curated OER
People Behind the Parks
Explore U.S. geography with your class by viewing a documentary. Show a portion of the Ken Burns documentary "The National Parks," and identify the individuals responsible for keeping the parks in order. Elementary and middle schoolers...
Curated OER
Who's Range is it?
Students investigate the habits of panthers by analyzing radio transmitted data. In this animal life lesson plan, students utilize computers to view the range of different statistics dealing with Florida panthers. Students complete a...
Curated OER
Lesson 6: Crowded Skies
This is a treasure-trove of multimedia resources to help your scholars analyze transportation methods. They discuss different forms of movement, utilizing several infographics to spur conversation deeper and get visual learners engaged....
Agriculture in the Classroom
A Holiday Tradition: Which Christmas Tree Will You Choose?
Different varieties of Christmas trees provide an interesting way to combine social studies, science, math, and technology. Class members not only research the history of the Christmas tree holiday tradition, they compare and contrast...
California Academy of Science
Human Evolution
As the great and hilarious Tim Minchin once said, "Science is simply the word we use to describe a method of organizing our curiosity." Science is more than just a guess; it is based on questions, observations, and evidence. High...
Curated OER
Fossil Fuels (Part II), The Geology of Oil
More of a mini-unit than a lesson, these activities lead inquisitors through a survey of oil deposits. In the first part, they read about and view diagrams of sedimentary rock layers that trap oil. Next, they test porosity and...
Curated OER
Artificial Selection
The second lesson in the series begins with a starter activity discussing wild versus domesticated animals. Then, scholars play a card game, with optional variations, to emphasize artificial selection. Next, they attend a field trip to a...
Curated OER
Medical Research and Your Future
Pupils are asked to investigate current and sometimes controversial medical research in order to address what medical breakthroughs potentially exist in their futures. They create small posters on sheets detailing their support or...
Curated OER
Discovering Language Arts: Introduction to Research
Students research plants. In this researching lesson, students watch a video about the different ways to research a topic before writing about it. Students use the information gathered in this video to learn more about plants. Students...
Curated OER
Natural Inquirer
Students explore the research process. In this scientific method lesson plan, students analyze data from an article, write their own informational article and express what they have learned. Students create their own article using the...
PBS
Classification
Students explore classification skills used in scientific research. They classify a variety of objects in order to compare and contrast. In addition, they analyze previously collected data in order to place items into meaningful groups.
Curated OER
James Welch's Fools Crow
Learners explore the history of Montana's Native Americans by reading James Welch's Fools Crow. Set shortly after the Civil War, the novel focuses on a young Blackfoot Indian and his tribe. Over the course of several weeks, class members...
NASA
Science Fiction Story
A instructional activity allows you to go back in time and see the big bang actually happen. Bazinga! In reality, pupils research the Big Bang Theory and theorize what it would be like to go back in time and see it happen. There are four...
American Museum of Natural History
Draw a Monarch
Five steps walk scholars through the process of drawing a Monarch butterfly. Participants research the insect, make observations, trace, then color.
Columbus City Schools
Geological Effects of Plate Tectonics
Don't get your classes all shook up about plate movement, instead use a thorough unit that guides learners to an understanding of plate tectonics. The lessons incorporate a study of the types of plate boundaries and their effects on the...
Curated OER
HISTORY OF SCIENCE: ASTRONAUTS
Students study the pioneers of space exploration and travel; identify some of the early astronauts who prepared the way for others; examine the social and political conditions at the dawn of the Space Age; and differentiate among space...
Curated OER
Fueling Around with Energy: A Comparative Study of Conventional and Renewable Energy Use Among Nations
Ninth graders examine the relationship between energy and society. In groups, they define energy sources as renewable or conventional and research how each method contributes to the world's energy. They write about how the patterns of...
Curated OER
Ancient Farmers of the Amazon
High schoolers read a sample research proposal and create their own. They discover the type of information needed for others to reject or accept the proposal. They practice applying the scientific process to different situations.
Curated OER
Stonehenge: Solving Ancient Mysteries
Students explore archeologists and anthropologists and the tools and methods they use to gather and interpret scientific evidence. They research current archaeological excavations and contact the scientists working at these digs.
Curated OER
The Wilderness Concept: Our National Parks, History and Issues
Middle schoolers examine the history of the National parks. In groups, they discuss the concepts of conservation and preservation. They discuss the use of natural resources and how some are renewable and non-renewable. To end the lesson...
Curated OER
Areology-The Study of Mars
Students examine core samples from Mars and discover what they can use it to tell the history of Mars. In this core sample lesson students create and analyze their own core samples then eat them at the end.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Genetics and the Master Race
How did the beginnings of genetic research influence the Nazi party? A thorough, engaging unit incorporates the work of Gregor Mendel, the study of inherited traits, and the use of racism and discrimination during the Holocaust.
American Museum of Natural History
Around with World with DNA
A mammalogist, ornithologist, ichthyologist, and a conservation geneticist share their work and their hopes that their research will help protect and save endangered species and their habitats.
McGraw Hill
Arthropods
Are spiders related to crabs? Study the order of arthropods with a reading selection about animal diversity. It provides details about each class within the order, as well as vivid pictures and explanatory charts.