Curated OER
Have You Ever Wondered?
Young scholars use their personal knowledge and the Internet to discover where and how spiders live. In groups, they discuss their experiences with spiders and how their lives differ from other insects. They use new vocabulary to discuss...
Curated OER
Sea Ice Research
Students study sea ice and its importance in climate and climate change. They discuss sea ice as a presence of a food source for marine animals in the arctic and complete a lab activity. After completing the lab, they watch a video...
Curated OER
Critter Characteristics
Students explore the adaptations of deep sea life forms. In this science lesson, students watch a video to observe characteristics which allow for the sea creature to thrive in it's environment. Students determine the physical,...
Curated OER
Air in Soil Administration Procedures
Students study soil and its composition. In this soil composition lesson, students study examples of soil during several days of aeration. Students summarize their data, organize it, and must be able to explain their findings.
Curated OER
Ecology: Symbiosis
Eighth graders identify various types of symbiotic relationships. In this ecology activity, 8th graders predict whether certain organisms can form symbiosis with other organisms. They discuss and defend their reasoning.
Curated OER
How Can You Study Things You Can’t See Like: Atoms?
Students simulate how scientists studied things they can't see like atoms. In this chemistry lesson, students predict what is inside the numbered obsertainers. They design a way to investigate what's inside without opening it.
Curated OER
Who Done It?
Students work in groups to solve various murder mysteries using DNA evidence to implicate suspects. Teams compete to solve the crimes the fastest, while using various scientific methods to accomplish their task.
Curated OER
Exploration to Mars... or Not? An Exercise with Split-Screen Electronic Peer Review
Students use split-screen technology which is utilized for an electronic peer review assignment that has students justify whether humans should continue their investigations of the Red Planet or not.
Curated OER
Mushrooms Can Save the World
Students use mushrooms to solve problems. In this environmental lesson, students study how fungi have been used to combat environmental problems. Students design strategies that employ mushrooms to combat other environmental challenges.
Curated OER
Circular Motion
Students investigate circular motion in two different activities. In the first, students observe the path of a rolling marble on a paper plate. In the second, students play a game of catch using a tennis ball inside a plastic bag. ...
Curated OER
Observation
Students practice observation skills by discussing physical attributes of family artifacts. They determine what characteristics of an object are considered important details.
Curated OER
Ecology: Effects of Land Use on Natural Streams
Eighth graders examine how humans affect various ecosystems. In this ecology activity, 8th graders discuss different ways that contaminants enter the stream. They explain the consequences of eutrophication in lakes.
Curated OER
Who Wants to be a Cellular Biologist?
Eighth graders review concepts in cellular biology. In this biology lesson plan, 8th graders play an interactive game based on the idea of winning money. They discuss misconceptions about the topic.
Curated OER
Ecology: Adaptations
Eighth graders identify different types of adaptation in organisms. In this biology lesson plan, 8th graders explain how adaptation help organisms survive. They complete a worksheet at the end of the lesson plan.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Success Skills: Critical Thinking
This activity focuses on critical thinking including a definition, examples, a video of critical thinking in action, logic in critical thinking, questions a critical thinker asks, guidelines for critical thinking, problem-solving, and...
Other
Asa Education: Critical Thinking Skills in Education and Life
There are many links and resources on this site dealing with critical thinking. It includes everything from the characteristics of critical thinkers to the logic of critical thinking.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Critical Reading: Logic and Structure
This lesson focuses on structure and logic including types and purposes of essays, organizational patterns, argumentative writing, and logic and fallacies.
Other
Foundation for Critical Thinking: Elemental Structure for Analytical Thinking
Dissect the eight elements identified which make up the human thought process. Everyone thinks and everyone follows this course to produce thoughts.
Joe Landsberger
Study Guides and Strategies: Problem Based Learning
Learn both the rationale for problem-based learning, and a simple model of the steps a student can follow to address and solve a problem through logical, critical thinking.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Critical Reading as a Learning Strategy
This tutorial focuses on critical reading using a downloadable PowerPoint presentation, "Critical Reading 101," which includes separating fact from opinion, 6 propaganda techniques, and 6 common fallacies in reasoning. Also provided is...
Other
Harvard University: Project Zero: Artful Thinking
Find engaging ways to integrate visual art and music into regular classroom instruction and strengthen cognitive thinking skills and abilities to reason creatively from multiple perspectives. Get great classroom questioning tips, case...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Geo Logic: How Much of the State Is Wet
Using investigation and inquiry skills, students match classmates with their home state, and their states with the area and percentage of area of surface water that they contain, as well as where each of the states rank nationally in...
ABCya
Ab Cya: Light on 2
Who turned off the lights? Well, we'll need your help turning them back on. Use logic and reasoning to light up the rooms with the different tools provided. Are you bright enough to complete this challenging puzzle game?
Other
Responsible Thinking: Analyzing Arguments and Evidence
Contains many points to consider when analyzing someone's arguments and evidence, such as the hidden assumptions, cultural assumptions, and testability. Each is explained in a short paragraph with a link to additional discussions on...