Curated OER
Colonial Portraits
Students examine artwork by John Singleton Copley depicting the Colonial Period. They use the Internet, reference books and museums to research the time period. They share their impressions and observations with the class about the artwork.
Curated OER
Impressionism
Eighth graders conduct Internet research as well as visit museum Web sites to become acquainted with the period of Impressionism. After completing their research, they sketch ideas for a landscape painting in the Impressionist style...
Curated OER
From Brainstorm to Published Paper
Students investigate a topic through research, observation, and experimentation. They prepare a short science report and publish it online. Students reflect on the role of science reports in the larger scientific community.
Curated OER
Celebrating A Century of Flight
Students investigate the Wright Brothers. They complete an online Webquest, explore various websites, use a flight simulator, answer discussion questions, and locate newspaper articles on the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers'...
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Great Women Thinkers
Learners visit the Mary Baker Eddy museum. They discover the great women thinkers of the past. They make notes and observations during their visit and share them with the class.
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Virtual Field Trip / Activity Research
Students visit a website to determine activities at three Michigan cities. They calculate the total cost of participating in the activities or visiting places such as zoos, planetariums, historic sites, and museums.
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The Art of Romare Bearden
Students examine the works of artist Romare Bearden. In an online activity, they scrutinize his work, "Tomorrow I May Be Far Away." by moving the mouse over it. Students also compose poems inspired by one of Bearden's works.
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The Coelacanth aka 'The Living Fossil Fish'
In this online quiz worksheet, students answer a set of multiple choice questions about the Coelacanth, or Living Fossil Fish. Page has a link to answers.
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Celebrating the Smithsonian's Birthday
Students examine online objects from the Smithsonian website and use them as subjects and inspiration for creative writing exercises.
Curated OER
Ride the Rock Cycle
Students identify the steps in the rock cycle. They complete a K-W-L chart before the lesson plan begins. They answer questions about the stages to complete the lesson plan.
National Academy of Sciences
Lights at Night Webquest
Help learners find ways to become more efficient energy consumers. To start, individuals research how different countries address energy efficiency and then analyze their own carbon footprint. They use their research to identify ways to...
National Academy of Sciences
Genetic Disease: Putting DNA to Work
Scientific knowledge of genetic information has grown quickly over the last decade. An interactive lesson has learners research the role of science and medicine in diagnosing and treating genetic disorders. They consider the job of the...
Curated OER
Mighty Minerals
Students identify the characteristics of minerals. They complete proper identification tests and record the data in an organized fashion. They list important uses for minerals as well.
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Using HyperStudio
Second through eighth graders use the software "HyperStudio" to create a presentation of their choice on Native American lifestyles. One thing I like a lot about this lesson, is that the students are the ones who get to choose and...
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Gliding Glaciers
Glaciers are the star of the show in this Earth science lesson. In it, learners gain an understanding of how glaciers are formed, how they move, and what types of landforms they create. This lesson plan is written in the classic format,...
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Landforms of Illinois
Fifth and sixth graders are introduced to the primary landforms of Illinois and discover how they were created. Landform cards are made for each pupil. They use the twenty-questions format until they have identified each one. Then,...
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A Burst of Light: Mineral Use in Fireworks
Students examine the role of minerals in industries. They use minerals that are found in the grocery store to complete flame tests. They complete an experiment using fireworks.
Curated OER
Using KidPix
Students discover how to use a software program known as KidPix. They create a slideshow noting the differences between rocks and minerals. They share their slides with the class.
Curated OER
Evaluating an Illinois Earthquake
Students develop awareness of occurrences of earthquakes in Illinois and their past and potential future damage, and examine distribution of earthquakes in central U.S. regions.
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Eloquent Words
Logan’s Lament, a speech delivered by Mingo Chief Logan in 1774, provides pupils with an opportunity to not only study the historical events surrounding the battle between Native Americans and the Europeans for the West Virginia...
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Missing Masterpieces
Students investigate a fictitious crime involving stolen art masterpieces. They work collaboratively in teams to solve the fictitious crime. Students return the stolen paintings in a Microsoft PowerPoint "portfolio" to their owner. They...
Curated OER
Cane River Civil Rights: A Native American Perspective
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this civil rights instructional activity, students examine the civil rights struggle from a Native American perspective. Students analyze documents and write...
Curated OER
4.5: Exploring Uses of Rocks & Minerals
Students, in pairs, use observation skills to identify objects from the past and present in our environment made of rocks and minerals of Illinois.
Curated OER
Collecting Rocks
Students examine how rocks are formed, used, and how to collect them. They listen to and discuss the book, Let's Go Rock Collecting, sort rock samples, and collect rocks from home.