Curated OER
Effective Back-to-School Nights
Here is an engaging and creative project to do with your ESL learners in preparation for back to school night. A digital camera is used to photograph each pupil, and everyone completes a short writing assignment that goes along with...
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Pharaoh Mountain Hike: Investigating Adirondack Life Zones
Students hike a local mountain and examine its life zones. They measure various components at each zone and collect leaf litter at the sites. At the mountain top, students make descriptive observations and complete a handout about the...
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Sensational Soil
Fourth and fifth graders explore soil by taking a simulated field trip under the earth. They go to an Internet site that runs a simulation which charges them with finding a source of pollution that could destroy all of Earth's soil, and...
School Improvement in Maryland
Demographic Investigation
What are the factors that influence voting patterns? How do these factors influence government funding? Is participation the squeaky wheel gets the grease? Class members interpret graphs and analyze trends to determine what...
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A Collage of Canada
Learners explore geography and culture of Canada. They play game that involves reviewing materials and answering questions about Canada, and create posters and brochures about life in Canada.
Redefining Progress
Have and Have-Not
Is there a correlation between a country's wealth and the extent of its ecological footprint? What exactly constitutes an ecological footprint, and how does one country stack up against the rest? This is a unique lesson to incorporate...
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Oh Deer!"
Learners explore the essential components of a habitat, which is food, water, and shelter. They end the lesson by paying the Oh Deer! game.
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Placing Artificial Domiciles to Attract Bumble Bees
Students investigate how to entice bumble bees to accept artificial domiciles. They conduct research about bee biology and nest architecture, plan and construct an artificial domicile to attract bumble bee queens, and monitor and record...
Global Oneness Project
Deconstructing Consumerism
To increase awareness and launch a discussion of consumerism, class members view What Would It Look Like, a 25 minute film of images that capture the global effects of the consumption of goods. Viewers make a list of the images that...
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Migration Migraine
Students partipate in a demonstration in which they role play animals migrating between breeding and wintering habitats and encountering hazards at each end of the journey.
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World War I and Its Consequences
Tenth graders decipher the long and short term causes of World War I. They follow through by studying the history of the present day situation in the Balkans and simulating peace talks with presentations.
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Create-a-Culture
Young scholars examine the different characteristics of culture and write about a hypothetical culture of their own.
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You Are What You Eat: Chemical Residues and Consumers
Students determine how evidence gained from a simulated test for the presence of pesticide residues can be used to determine risk. They use peas to simulate pesticide residue testing.
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Aliens Among Us
Students identify plants growing in the school yard and choose one for further investigation. They investigate the plant's biotic potential and environmental resistance. They predict what would happen should they introduce an exotic...
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Salt: White Gold
Students examine the importance of salt for trade routes and the economy of a community.
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Scarcity of Land Throughout the World and in Hawaii
Students discuss the importance of "land." They review the four types of land classification--urban, rural, agricultural and conservation--and participate in an activity involving an apple that demonstrates the use of land in Hawaii....
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Cicada Invasion
Students consider how some animals, periodical cicadas, survive well in a particular environment due to the species' life cycle. They have a discussion about life cycles and how a particular species' life cycle helps it to survive....
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Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Students explore the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. In this extinction lesson, students watch dinosaur video clips or complete a puppet finger play about dinosaurs. Students may then complete a dinosaur diorama or a...
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Presidential Elections: A Simulation
Feeling ambitious about getting your scholars examining the election process? While this presidential election simulation will take preparation, the ensuing enthusiasm will be worth it! Using one or more large classes, 12th graders are...
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Survival Extravaganza
Fifth graders discuss the effects of scarcity. For this survival lesson, 5th graders use strategies that would help them survive in a survival situation. Students write letters about bears in need of help to survive. Students...
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How Much Water?
Students investigate amount of water available in different countries around the world, compare it to their daily water use, and explore how unequal distribution of water can cause challenges to survival. Students then discuss need to...
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Food Safety Lab
Students use the scientific method to investigate the role of temperature in microbial growth. In this food preservation lesson, students set up an experiment with fruit in room temperature and in a refrigerator. They record the...
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Boom and Bust
Students investigate commercial fishery. In this fishery lesson, students describe stages in commercial fishery, interpret data and predict when a fisher stock is showing signs of overexploitation.
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Food Safety Lab
Students determine the optimal living conditions for yeast and apply these results to microbes in food. In this microbiology lab lesson plan, students observe the reaction of yeast to elevated temperatures. They relate these results to...