Arizona State University
Mining Shapes
Youngsters recognize and identify shapes. They draw, and use modeling clay to make shapes. They also identify shapes in their environment and in the Navajo culture, then compare the shapes and sort them into groups. This is the...
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Roger the Rock
Here is a creative way to assess your geologists' grasp of the rock cycle: have them write and illustrate a children's book in which the main character journeys though his life, i.e. the rock cycle! A brief student instruction sheet and...
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What Does Success Mean to Me?
One can't set goals until he knows what he needs to feel successful. Learners discuss what they believe it means to be successful. They then fill out a graphic organizer showing four different paths to a successful adult life. 
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The Bernstein Bear's Trouble with Money: Financial and Academic Literacy
What do figures of speech have to do with financial literacy? Take an interdisciplinary look at The Berenstain Bears' Trouble with Money to find out. Young analysts read about the cubs' spendthrift ways and how Mama and Papa Bear...
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Income and Outcomes
Bring financial literacy into your classroom. Learners use peer support to reflect on their spending and how it reflects their income and their values.
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Taste Test - Combining Sentences
Pupils combine sentences to create compound sentences. They write about creating their own soda, then make their own soda, comparing and contrasting it with a national brand. They write a paragraph containing compound sentences.
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"Archeology Dig"
Students simulate archaeologists as they dig through a bag with found items in order to arrive at conclusions about the people they are studying.
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Family Emergency Preparedness
Students watch a video prior to developing a family emergency preparedness plan and kit. They decide with their families what local media sources they would use to get information during an emergency situation.
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Mouse Roulette
Students explore the food chain. To gain an understanding about the food web, students participate in a simulation where owlets are being fed by adult owls. Afterward, students examine the results of the role play to determine whether an...
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Migration Activation
Students play the role of migrating birds. As a class, they simulate a migration of birds to one place and back again. They relate their habitat size and changes to their current population numbers. They discover the many dangers of...
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Measuring the Volume of Water Discharge for a Stream or Canal
Students study how to measure and calculate the volume of water flowing down a stream or canal and use simple tools to make measurements. Next, students determine how many people cold live off the volume of water measured. Finally, they...
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Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators
Students explore why denominators need to match before adding (or subtracting) a fraction. They use unmarked fraction circles and marked fraction bars, to discover a method to add fractions with unlike denominators using equivalent...
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Splish Splash
Students study drinking water. In this environment lesson, students draw the path of drinking water from the place of precipitation to the tap after researching a map and information from the United States Geological Survey water...
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Mannerly Writing
Writers draft paragraphs comparing and contrasting the author's viewpoint in two poems. They also discuss the differences between an informational text and a poem regarding manners. Rubric and assessment are provided.
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Using Details from Text to Identify Author's Purpose
Explore writing techniques by analyzing newspapers and magazines with middle schoolers. They will collaborate in small groups to read local news stories and identify the main ideas and author's intent. They also utilize an information...
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Bombs Away!
Students design and build a device to protect and accurately deliver a dropped egg.  They review and study a number of vocabulary words that are associated with this lesson.  They work in a small group in order to develop a successful...
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Inquiry into Infectious Disease: It's a Germy World After All
Learners choose a question from a given list and develop an investigation about it. In this biology lesson, students analyze bacterial growth by carrying out a guided experiment. They present their findings in class.
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Homes of Yesterday and Today
Students explore homes as shelters while they built writing and technology skills. In this homes of yesterday and today lesson, students produce books using digital photography. Students develop vocabulary while researching how homes are...
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Solar Kit Lesson #13 Solarize a Toy
Students work in teams they select a low-power toy, game, or electrical deive to "solarize," or convert to solar power.  They determine the operating voltage of their chosen device and design a solar array to provide this level of...
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Immigration Unit
Third graders develop an appreciate for the various cultures that are present in their local community.  Through reading and research, they explain how various culture came to live in their area.  At the conclusion of the unit, 3rd...
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Mind Games
Students design a prototype game as they simulate being game designers for a major corporation. They base the game on the major body systems.
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Water: Our Most Important Beverage
Third graders complete a KWL chart on what they already know about water and what they want to know. As a class, they participate in an activity in which they discover the amount of drinkable water on Earth and are introduced to the...
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Teaching the Concept of Sharing
Here are some suggestions for teaching students about sharing.
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Healthy Eating
Students explore how they can make healthy food choices and assess how "eating healthy" requires knowledge and planning ahead. They review and discuss The Edible Pyramid as well before they complete this project online. Each student maps...