Art Institute of Chicago
Act It Out
Examine two works of art and use these pieces as inspiration for dialogues. The whole class discusses Renoir's Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise and Toulouse-Lautrec's At the Moulin Rouge. Then, in groups of either three or ten, pupils...
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USA State Tag / Mississippi River Shuffle
Students reinforce the geographic location of the states of the U.S.A.
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Natural Resource Management Course Outline
Gain skills in ecosystem evaluation including chemical, biological, and physical qualities. Students write a report on a local ecosystem.
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What Kind of Garden Would Grow in Our Schoolyard?
Students perform soil tests for pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, composition and water percolation rate and assess the conditions in the schoolyard.
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In My Own Backyard
Learners explore the soil and vegetation found in their home and/or school environment and map a familiar area. Each group is assigned a section of the schoolyard. They draw maps of their assigned places and gather soil and vegetation...
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Hopping For Candy
Middle schoolers explore recipes online for different types of candy, and simulate process of making candy to explain how candy makers rely on varied temperatures and basic chemistry to produce perfect sweets.
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USA State Tag / Mississippi River Shuffle
Students are given the opportunity to play a tag game while studing geographical sites in the U.S.A. (relative to the Mississippi River or to other geographic features you may choose).
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Guidebook
Students create a book about plants they observe after identifying and researching them.
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Group Initiatives
Students explore the names and qualities about members in the group. They each say their name and something about themselves. Students gather around in a circle. They listen to the teacher as he or she says the name of someone and throws...
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Bubble Blast
Pupils explore the ingredients and properties of bubbles. They participate in various bubble blowing activities, and write a paragraph describing their best bubble.
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Historic Cemeteries: "History Written in Stone"
Students examine grave markers in their local community. They identify how past generations contributed to life in their town. They discuss their feelings about death and how one is to act at a cemetary.
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Extinction
Students explore reasons why the dinosaurs became extinct, and the specific needs (habitat, environment, food) of individual types of dinosaurs.
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Many Uses of the Forest
First graders examine pictures of forest wildlife and identify different animals that live in the forest. They discuss resources the forest provides for human use and explore the concept that the forest is used by many at the same time.
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The Night Tree
Second graders explore the book, Night Tree, by Eve Bunting. They read and discuss the story, identify what the tree did for the animals, create a food chain for animals to hang on a tree, and decorate a tree at school.
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"Oh Deer!"
Students play a game where half of them are deer and the others are components of habitat: food, water, shelter and space. They signify their needs by hand gestures and take what they need to their side of the game. They discuss real...
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Running Colors
Students play a game with mats of different shapes and colors spread out over a playing area. As a shape and color is called out students run the the corresponding mat and stand on it.
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KWL Chart: Living and Non Living
In this KWL chart worksheet, students fill in this graphic organizer about living and non-living things. Students complete 3 sections in the chart.
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Many Chairs, One Table
Students examine artwork and sculpture by Keith Haring. They decorate a chair with their own symbols and designs.
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What Can I Do?
Learners describe the things that citizens can do to reduce ground level ozone and particulate matter. They design a flyer, poster or webpage to teach others about diesel bus retrofitting projects.
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Teaching Tips: Team Building Activities for Elementary Students
Students access a variety of team-building related resources on the Internet. They examine cooperative games, collaborative artwork, create me-shirts, develop Venn diagrams, and create a classroom quilt and class welcome book.
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World Wide Waterfalls
Young scholars explore the difference between virtual and actual experience by creating Web sites about a nearby river.
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May I?
Fourth graders learn what a maypole is and how one is made. They write a paper about how one is made and how it be used on the playground.
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Extreme Heat
Students, in groups, investigage and demonstrate the science behind the development and characteristics of extreme heat.
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"Walk the Talk"
Students realize that it is critical that they not miss opportunities because they lack a required uniform. They discuss at length about the need for having active lifestyles even though they lack the appropriate clothers for the...