SF Environment
Sort and Color!
Sorting is a very important skill that can be used in math and even science. Learners get familiar with some environmentally friendly vocabulary terms as they practice separating objects that can be recycled from those that can't. They...
Michigan State University
Friend or Foe?
What one person thinks is a pest may not be a pest to someone else. Here, scholars examine the characteristics of living things and pests through grand conversation and a variety of activities. Class members play a game of pest or not a...
Curated OER
The Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Fifth graders identify all parts of an egg, and explore their importance to the life cycle of a chicken. Learners compare all sorts of birds and place them in categories based on what they look like. This five-day lesson plan effectively...
Curated OER
World War II - The Allied Response
Your class will benefit from this excellent presentation on World War II, and the Allied Response to Hitler's threat. The PowerPoint is packed with important information about battles, key figures in the war, and has an excellent...
Curated OER
Boom and Bust in the Ozark Forests
Here is a hard-hitting, cross-curricular lesson on the effects that the deforestation of the Ozark forests in the 19th century had on the people, animals, and ecosystems of the area. The Dr. Seuss book The Lorax is used as a way of...
Virginia Department of Education
Go with the Flow
How does nature's hierarchy relate to our local human environment? Answer this question, along with others, as the class visually depicts the natural hierarchy provided by nature. Pupils discuss each piece of the pyramid and its energy...
Curated OER
What is the outlook for rice worldwide?
Fourth graders discover the global rice trade. in this rice lesson, 4th graders view how much rice different countries produce and who imports this item. They research rice imports and write an essay on this topic.
Curated OER
Photosynthesis
Fourth graders discuss and identify the components of photosynthesis and the products of this process. They participate in a class discussion about the importance of oxygen, and in small groups act out the process of photosynthesis. ...
Curated OER
Parts of the Plants that we Eat
First graders study plants and their parts to see what parts are edible. For this plant lesson students are assigned plant parts and they are to put them in the right category.
Curated OER
Aquaculture Production in the Classroom
Pupils study the basics of aquaculture and how to successfully raise aquatic plants and animals. In this water lesson students perform water quality tests on fish tanks, record and graph their results.
Curated OER
Soybeans: The Miracle Seed
Students discover why soybeans are called the "miracle seeds." They make their own soynuts and share other foods made from soybeans. They create a bulletin board of soybean products.
Curated OER
"Cereal" Comic Strip
Young scholars discuss how wheat is important to our everyday lives, from food to insulation, focusing on how wheat grains are processed into food items. Students then create a comic strip of the steps of processing grain to demonstrate...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Islamic Civilization in Spain
There may be elements of this lesson that are useful for a unit on Islamic influence in Spain; however, there is little alignment between the learning objectives and the final product --a ten page report. For example, some of the...
Curated OER
Kernels of Wisdom: Investigating Natural Variations in Corn
Here is a brain-popper! Corn, or more appropriately, maize, was intentionally domesticated by humans around 9,000 years ago and over a period of hundreds to thousands of years! Genetics and botany researchers have collaborated to find...
Curated OER
Farming in Space
Eighth graders examine the ways that NASA could create space farms, In this space farms lesson students complete an experiment where they grow several plants.
Curated OER
Soybean Science
Fourth graders explore food science by participating in a cooking activity. In this soybean oil instructional activity, 4th graders listen as the teacher gives them a background on soybeans and their use by humans today. Students grind...
Curated OER
Agriscience
Students research and write a paper on any agriscience related topic. In this series of agriscience instructional activity, students create a presentation to teach their peers about the animal industry. They explain the uses and...
Curated OER
Lesson 3: Nutrition, Labeling and Packaging
Students explore basic nutrition concepts to help them select healthy diet, evaluate food intake, discuss major food labeling issues, design labels for food products, examine history of food packaging development and how packaging...
Curated OER
WHO CARES FOR THE LAND?
Students explore the importance of natural resources. They are given copies of the story, "Who Cares For The Land," and students follow
along as the teacher reads it. Students identify the key points in the story. (Soil, water and air...
Curated OER
Fruit or Vegetable?
Watermelon is a vegetable? A tomato is a fruit? Believe it or not, this debate is decades old. Groups examine rulings by the US Supreme Court, the USDA, and state statutes before developing their own criteria to use when labeling the...
Curated OER
Enzymes in Action
Students explore how enzymes are important in the chemical reactions of all living things. In this enzymes and catalysts lesson students complete an activity to see how enzymes change living things.
Curated OER
Earth Day
Students participate in activities that familiarize them with what Earth Day is, why it is important, and why it is a celebration.
Kenan Fellows
Electricity: Sources, Usage, Challenges, and the Future
What does the future of energy look like? Junior engineers collaborate to discover a solution to the global energy crisis during a very hands-on lesson. The unit focuses on learning through collaboration to develop a deep understanding...
University of Southern California
Mastering Microbes
Small but mighty! Learners explore the role of microbes in a healthy ecosystem. An engaging lesson asks pupils to design an aquaponics system that demonstrates that healthy microbes are necessary to maintain the ecosystem.