Orange County Department of Education
Katie's Trunk
Fifth graders read the story of "Katie's Trunk". They identify the traits of integrity and fairness in the characters John Warren and Katie. Students explore how people can experience the same event but interpret it differently. They...
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Islamic Art
Students examine the various forms of Islamic Art. Using the art, they identify the basic elements and research its history and style of calligraphy. They create a piece of art based on information they collected and demonstrate...
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Crime Scene Investigation: Hair Analysis Lab
Young scholars participate in a hair analysis lab. Using a digital microscope, students compare and contrast hair samples. They determine if the hair samples are human or animal. After completing lab results sheets, young scholars share...
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Childhood Obesity
Students identify a question to generate appropriate data and predict results. They distinguish between a total population and a sample and use a variety of methods to collect and record data. Students create classifications and ranges...
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Making Decisions by Group: The Jury System
Students discover how to work cooperatively within a group and communicate their ideas clearly in order to reach an agreement. They summarize their experience in writing and hand down a verdict of guilt or innocence based on the...
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The Cycle of Life
Eighth graders search for rites of passage in their own lives and study rites of other cultural groups in Louisiana and around the world. They assess how to recognize moments of importance in people's lives and find meaning in the stages...
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Wild Animal Science
Students discover how environmental factors impact the survival of a population. In this landscape design lesson, students create a new animal and discuss the relationship between the animal and its environment before creating a habitat...
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Heart Mobiles In Action
Learners design a mobile or wall hanging that reviews the circulatory system. For this circulatory system lesson, students work in small groups to identify the structures of the heart, and create a model in the form of a two or three...
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Changing the World: Social Entrepreneurs Part One
Students analyze the purpose of a social entrepreneur. In this entrepreneurship activity, students create a "help wanted" advertisement and graphic organizer to provide information on how a social entrepreneur seeks long-term change by...
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Changing the World: Social Entrepreneurs Part Two
Students explore the work of social entrepreneurs. In this entrepreneurship activity, students research a specific entrepreneur and create a presentation introducing him or her to the class. Students design a seminar on social...
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Fly, Fly Away
Learners use materials from their own environment to design a kite. In this kite design lesson, students research the history of kites and obtain a formal mathematical definition of a kite. Learners sketch kite designs after discovering...
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Science TV: Making it Real
High schoolers explore the ways science is presented in a children's television show. Students conduct internet research, and then create and design a skit that highlights the problem-solving process.
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When Getting There is More Than Half the Battle
Learners investigate the 'Design for the Other 90%' exhibition about low-cost solutions to give the "other 90% of the world's population" access to services and amenities many of us take for granted. In this technology design...
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Trade Trials Treaties
Fourth graders explore the trade relationships that existed in the late 1700's Colonial America. For this American history lesson, 4th graders examine English and Cherokee trade treaties by reviewing primary and secondary sources....
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Roll It! Creating an Entrance Ramp
Students explore the concept of triangles. In this triangles activity, students are to propose a plan for a ramp at their school. Students use the Pythagorean Theorem and trigonometry to determine the length, height, and...
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Microbiology Design Challenge
Students discover dangers to human health by researching what's in our drinking water. In this water purification lesson, students discuss the conditions of water in undeveloped countries and why it is unsafe to drink....
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Digging It - A Garden That Is
Students plan, design, and create a school/community garden. In this planning, designing, and creating a school/community garden lesson plan, students research materials needed to start a garden. Students determine the cost...
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Emergency Shelter Project: Empathy Unit
High schoolers design emergency shelters. In this designing emergency shelters lesson, students discuss living conditions of people after a natural disaster. High schoolers discuss the tsunami that struck East Asia. ...
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Design a Latin American Restaurant
Students investigate the culture of a Latin American country to design a new restaurant. In this Latin American lesson plan, students identify social classes, geographical locations, cultural practices, and monetary systems of a Latin...
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What's Holding Up the Water?
Young scholars read about the history and locate dams in Arizona. In this Arizona dams lesson plan, students write a summary about what they read focusing on word choice, ideas, conventions, and geography content.
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A River Through Time
Students explore how construction of a dam on the Gila River affected the lifestyle of Pima Indians. In this social studies lesson, students locate the Gila River and the Coolidge Dam. Students record dates on a timeline and discuss how...
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Electric Field Mapping in 3D
Students create a 3D vector field map of an electric field. In this physics lesson, students measure the voltage inside an aquarium with water. They present their findings and map to class..
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Archaeological Study
Students analyze the difference between archaeology and anthropology while studying the evolution of different products. In this archaeology and anthropology lesson, students trace the progression of a certain tool or product and come up...
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Digging Deeper: Mission San Sabá
Seventh graders view a painting of the destruction of Mission San Saba in Texas. They discuss the painting and identify information that they can infer from the painting.