EngageNY
Equations for Tangent Lines to Circles
Don't go off on a tangent while writing equations of tangent lines! Scholars determine the equations for tangent lines to circles. They attempt both concrete and abstract examples, such as a tangent line to the unit circle through (p, 0).
Curated OER
Nature Inspired Batik T-Shirt
A wonderful product called Batik is the focus of this lesson. High schoolers should love this art lesson, because each shirt will come out differently, and each student puts their original "stamp" on it. One warning: there are a lot of...
Curated OER
Art: 1950s Art
Students explore art of the 1950s. In this art history instructional activity, students examine works by Kofman, Groky, deKooning, Indiana, Hamilson, and Warhol as they identify the attributes of Abstract Impressionism and pop art....
Curated OER
Natural Disasters
Ninth graders write a description of a natural disaster. They list as many natural disasters as they can think of. The class discusses any natural disasters individuals have witnessed first hand. They watch a brief clip of a film that...
Curated OER
The Fractal Geometry of Nature
Young scholars identify patterns found in nature. In this algebra lesson, students model situation in nature using fractals. They investigate biological geometric structures and draw conclusion based on geometric concepts.
Curated OER
The Chemical Nature of Water
Seventh graders simulate a Jeopardy game to examine the chemical nature of water. Among the topics featured are evaporation, water, salt, and temperature. finally, as review, 7th graders answer a battery of questions presented by the...
Curated OER
Revolutions in Painting
Young scholars analyze Abstract Expressionist artists and their art. In this art analysis lesson plan, students view the works by Jackson Pollock and Helen Frankenthaler and analyze the pieces. Young scholars complete image based...
Curated OER
Aztec and Mayan Mythology
Here's a fresh take on a mythology unit. Use the myths of the Mayan and Aztec peoples of Mesoamerica instead of the more traditional Greek and Roman stories. This abstract suggests possible approaches and resources that can be used to...
Curated OER
Taming the Frontier
Students examine paintings by Thomas Cole and Jasper Francis Cropsey as windows into American frontier life. They consider the pioneer's relationship with nature and the role of Native Americans in the pioneer's lives and settlements.
Curated OER
Lesson: Unmonumental: War, Politics, and Protest
Get those upper graders thinking about the world, social conflict, and art as a catalyst for change. They'll uncover the meanings behind four abstract works, intended to spread awareness of the need for social change. Kids are then asked...
Federal Reserve Bank
Lesson 2: In the Aftermath
Don't wait for a crisis to get your finances together. An economics lesson demonstrates the importance of understanding crucial documents, banking basics, and financial tools with the focus on Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and its effects.
California Academy of Science
Human Evolution
As the great and hilarious Tim Minchin once said, "Science is simply the word we use to describe a method of organizing our curiosity." Science is more than just a guess; it is based on questions, observations, and evidence. High...
Curated OER
Applied Science - Science and Math Lab
Students investigate topology. In this Applied Science lesson plan students explore higher, more abstract mathematics using tangles. Students make topologically related shapes.
Curated OER
Painting versus Photography
High schoolers consider the nature of objectivity and subjectivity in photography as an art form by taking a class poll, discussing the results and writing a one-page paper.
Fall River Schools
Parabolas Are All Around Us
Moving parabolas off of graph paper and into the real world is the task at hand in this detailed poster project. First, learners perform a cumulative activity identifying many characteristics of an assigned quadratic equation. Next, they...
California Academy of Science
Composting: A Scientific Investigation: California Academy of Sciences
Garbage, recycle, compost: Does it really matter where we put our trash once we are done? By making detailed observations over seven weeks, kids will see which materials break down naturally to become a healthy part of the soil, and...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
A Case Study Involving Influenza and the Influenza Vaccine
Using a hypothetical discussion between two coworkers broken up into four parts, budding biologists examine the flu shot and some of the typical arguments for and against it. The conversational nature of the reading makes it engaging and...
California Academy of Science
Poetic Reflections
Poetry is a wonderful way to explore language, express topical understanding, and incite creative thinking. After a trip to the local natural history museum (or zoo), learners write an acrostic or a cinquain poem describing one of their...
Curated OER
Mixing Candies
Mixture problems are a classic in first-year algebra. Unfortunately, many learners approach them in a formulaic fashion and don't truly understand the meaning of the algebraic expressions they are using. Here, the questions are not the...
Education Development Center
Rectangles with the Same Numerical Area and Perimeter
Is it possible for a rectangle to have the same area and perimeter? If you disregard units, it happens! In a challenging task, groups work to determine the rectangles that meet these criterion. The hope is that learners will naturally...
Science 4 Inquiry
The Impact of the Sun and Moon on Tides
In 150 BC, Seleucus of Seleucia theorized that the moon causes the tides. Scholars learn about what causes tides by studying the interactions of gravity between the sun, moon, and Earth. They use technology to formalize otherwise...
Curated OER
Ellsworth Kelly
Students examine and discuss artwork by the artist Ellsworth Kelly. They create an abstract picture of two-dimensional geometric shapes using Kid Pix software based on a photograph taken by the student.
Curated OER
What a Disaster!
Pupils identify the causes of major natural disasters in a written response and on a poster. They explain with a written response, on a poster and to peers in an oral presentation, how people adapt to living in an environment that may be...
Curated OER
Approaching Walden
Eleventh graders examine their natural surroundings as a way to begin thinking about an abstract idea. They analyze and compare or contrast the rhetorical stategies of two essayists. Students interpret and evaluate images culled from...