Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Journey to Gettysburg

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners use latitude and longitude to map the path of the Battle of Gettysburg.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wetland Metaphors

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students describe the characteristics of wetlands and identify their ecological functions. They inspect items and use them to create metaphors about wetlands.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Design a Reef!

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Using a miniature coral reef aquarium kit, young ecologists model this unique ecosystem. They research various coral reef organisms and their niches, and they culminate the project by working together to write a report. Use this activity...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History's Thermometers

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Ancient coral beds give scientists clues to past ocean temperatures in much the same way that tree rings indicate historical weather conditions. High school scientists examine coral oxygen isotope ratios and plot the data as a function...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Journey to America

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders carefully analyze the artwork, Les Emigrants, and explore the reasons that people emigrated to the United States, and what life was like for new arrivals. They discuss what things immigrants were able to bring with them and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sources of Potential Groundwater Contamination

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students construct models that demonstrate potential sources of contamination. Students select one type of contamination model (septic system, sinkhole, landfill, disposal lagoon, leaky barrels, oil spill, agricultural contamination) to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sink or Float

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore floating and sinking and make predictions about whether certain objects are likely to sink or float. They read the story Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen. Pupils loacate rhyming words and discuss the events of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Asia Country: Tic Tac Toe

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Enhance your geography class's knowledge of the countries on the Asian continent with this research lesson. Individuals or groups use books, the library, and the Internet to research one Asian country of their choice. Handouts and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The High Cost of Chemical Dependency

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore, analyze and study the effect and impact that humans have on the environment based on their choices as individuals, businesses and governments. They assess the balance between human activities and aquatic pollution.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Landfill Loafers Meet the Wise Buys

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Young scholars discover recyclable materials and the proper disposal of those items through Internet research. Working in groups of four, they search the Internet for uses of recyclable materials. After research is complete, they...
Unit Plan
Foreign Policy Research Institute

Exploring Korea

For Teachers 7th - 12th
A thorough and fun lesson on Korea! In groups of four (Social Chair, Historian, Translator, Travel Agent) class members research North and South Korea to determine a good location for an overseas institute for studying abroad. Once this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plants in Your Gas Tank: From Photosynthesis to Ethanol

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Explore ethanol and how it is produced. Young scientists investigate photosynthesis and fermentation to the concept of conservation of energy and mass. They discuss the environmental and economical benefits of ethanol as a fuel additive.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Speciation and Genetic Drift Worksheet

For Students 9th - 12th
Fifteen terms pertaining to speciation, extinction, and gene flow are to be matched to their definitions. This simple, easy-to-read worksheet can be used as a pop quiz for your biology learners when studying natural selection principles...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dining Out With Fishes and Birds of the Hudson

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
While this lesson focuses on the birds and fish found on the Hudson River, it could be adapted for use in any classroom. Using a vocabulary list, learners explore the meaning of words like adaptation, habitat, barbel, and more. Then,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pond Ecology

For Teachers 4th - 6th
A lab activity is a great way to incite thoughtful questioning and scientific processes. Pupils will collect organisms with a Petri dish, make observations, sketch the organism, ask questions, then attempt to identify the specimen...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aquatic Science

For Teachers 7th - 8th
What a terrific way to explore the pond habitat! Learners discuss the animal and plant life found in the Long Island area. They also discuss vocabulary terms, identify pollution concerns, and resource conservation.
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

A Cost-Effective Model of Teacher Development

For Teachers All
As funding for staff-development days dwindles, Professional Learning Communities offer a no-cost alternative for professional development.
Lesson Plan
Wild BC

Is Climate Change Good for Us?

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Is it really that big of a deal if the global climate undergoes a little change? Young environmentalists consider this very question as they discuss in small groups the impact of different climate change scenarios on their lives,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Past, Present and Future Through the Eyes of Long Jakes

For Teachers Pre-K - K
Even the littlest learners can become art historians if they have the right training. For the instructional activity, your preschoolers discuss the piece Long Jakes as they point out all the details they notice. They discuss what...
Lesson Plan
Education Outside

Papermaking

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Imagine recycling food scraps and using them to make paper. The directions are all here in a seven-page packet that details several paper-making strategies.
Lesson Plan
STEM for Teachers

Temperature and Bounce

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Take part in a fun experiment and hold an impromptu bouncing contest with your class. Young scientists heat and cool balls before bouncing them to determine whether temperature changes affect how they bounce. The set of...
Lesson Plan
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Library of Congress

Investigating the Building Blocks of Our Community’s Past, Present, and Future

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
As Ken Jennings said, "There's just something hypnotic about maps." Certainly, the longer you look at them the more you can learn. In this project-based learning instructional activity, individuals study both historic and...
Lesson Plan
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NASA

Project X-51

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
In a nose-cone to nose-cone competition, which rocket will prevail? Teams form rocket companies to design and build a rocket while competing against other teams in an economic challenge. The team that comes up with the best benefit/cost...
Lesson Plan
University of California

Energy and Biomass Pyramids

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Young scientists play tag as they act out the food pyramid in the ocean ecosystem. Energy circles pass from the smaller prey to the predators and at the end of the activity, a data chart and analysis questions allow pupils to apply their...