Curated OER
Water Quest
Students visit the Hydrology Study Site, conduct a visual survey to discover info about local land use and water quality, and document their findings by mapping the water body. They use this investigation to raise questions for further...
Curated OER
Water Walk
Students follow the appropriate sampling protocol and take two measurements of a local water source. These measurements are Transparency and Temperature. This info about local land use and/or water chemistry issues may require further...
Curated OER
Prairie Voices: Community Development, Investigating Local History
Students investigate local history. In this research skills lesson, students examine historic landmarks, tax records, fire maps, town plans, historic photographs, newspapers, and other primary sources to learn about local communities in...
Curated OER
How Did That Get There?
Students evaluate the role of government in addressing land use and other environmental issues. They analyze the powers, responsibilities, and limitations of elected and appointed officials in the national legislative, executive, and...
Curated OER
From the Sea to the Summit, Land Use on Maui
Fourth graders examine the how the land is used on the islands of Hawaii. Using this information, they discover how elevation affects how the land is used and represent this data in a visual form. They describe existing and alternative...
Nature Works Everywhere
Recording the Rainforest
Animals have evolved to communicate in different frequencies so they can hear each other throughout the rainforest. The first instructional activity in a three-part series begins by exploring an interactive story map online about the...
Curated OER
The Geometry Of An Ox Skin
High schoolers investigate the concepts of area and perimeter. The lesson plan uses a legend to create a context for the proposed word problem. They use the skill of estimation in order to create an ox skin that is found in the story.
Purdue University
Explore Your Habitat
Get a hands-on look at a local habitat. A three-part activity begins with a discussion of the characteristics of a local habitat. Pupils then test their knowledge by playing a game to match animals to their habitats. Finally, they go on...
Curated OER
Arabia: Educator's Resource and Activity Guide
MacGillivray Freeman's film Arabia presents viewers with remarkable images and insights into this ancient and mysterious land. An educator's guide is designed to provided teachers with the materials they need to support a showing of the...
NOAA
Plate Tectonics II
Mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys, island arcs, mountain ranges, earthquakes, volcanoes ... there are so many features associated with plate tectonics. The 14th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography...
National Wildlife Federation
Who Can Live Here?
Not all species can survive in all habitats. Using specific criteria, learners assess the fitness of a local habitat to a specific species. They collect data and suggest enhancements to create a suitable habitat for their chosen species.
National Park Service
Living & Non-Living Interactions
What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in learning about the...
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Teachers' Guide to Using A Day In the Life of a Drop
Hydrology hopefuls learn about their local watershed. Through discussion and online interactives, they see that their habits affect the water supply. The lesson concludes with a pledge to filter out bad water usage habits. It makes a...
NOAA
Calling All Explorers
Let's get moving! The second installment of a 2-part series of six adventures helps learners take part in individual explorations by sea and by land. After navigating the waters in an informative WebQuest, groups create and hide their...
PBS
Water Cycle and Watersheds: Ways of Watersheds | UNC-TV Science
Take a field trip with water as it moves on and below Earth's surface. Investigators discover the link between water and land in the water cycle and the importance of watersheds while viewing an animated video. Scholars test their...
Curated OER
Prairie Find Outdoors
Students take a field trip to a local prairie. Using identification books, they identify various forbs and grasses in the prairie. As a class, they discuss the importance of forbs and grasses to the ecosystem and review the various types...
Curated OER
Making Decisions About Public Land
Students write a proposal. In this public land lesson, students discuss the difference between private and public property and brainstorm what problems might occur if a citizen changed public property. Students work in groups to write a...
Curated OER
Writing Serendipitous Fairy Tale Tabloids Using Fairytale News
Students create tabloid articles based on the story Fairytale Land. In this tabloids lesson plan, students read the story Fairytale Land, discuss the newspaper in the story, and then create tabloid stories.
Curated OER
Reading a Dialect
Reading a dialect can be difficult; show readers that it can also reveal fascinating details! They read two extracts from Jane Gardam's The Hollow Land, which is written in a British dialect. Readers answer comprehension questions,...
Curated OER
Land Art
Students use natural materials outside to create a work of art. In this land art lesson plan, students plan their sculpture inside in one day and create it outside over a period of 2 days.
Teach-nology
The Skating Moose
What would you do if you saw an ice-skating moose? Kids read a short, entertaining passage and use a word bank to fill in the blanks using context clues.
Purdue University
Design of a Reindeer Habitat for an Indiana Zoo
What would Rudolph ask for in his ideal home? Pupils analyze the characteristics of the reindeer to create their perfect zoo habitats. A STEM lesson focuses on the design of the habitat while factoring constraints such as space, diet,...
Curated OER
Using a Mentor Text to Develop a New Style of Writing
Learners examine some of the author's writing traits and then make an effort to incorporate his style into their own writing. They show how richly written literature can be used as a mentor text, or model, for improving one's own writing.
Curated OER
Understanding Topographic Maps
Underclassmen create a cone-shaped landform and then draw a contour map for it. Then they examine a quadrangle (which was easily located with an online search), and relate it to what they experienced. The accompanying worksheet is...