Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy/Light/Heat/Sound

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the properties of heat in this series of lessons. They discuss sources of heat and experiment to determine its properties. They identify insulators and conductors by measuring temperatures, and graphing their data....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Matter

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate the structure of matter. They examine pictures of atoms and molecules and discuss their relationships, and construct a model of a molecule using toothpicks and gumdrops.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animals

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders define and describe the characteristics of a mammal and a mammal's importance to man. They also describe the life cycle of a frog and compare and contrast a larva and an adult frog. Finally, 2nd graders study and explain...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transformation of Energy: Heat

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders investigate how heat is transferred and the concepts of conduction, convection, and radiation. They define key vocabulary terms, and observe teacher-led demonstrations of conduction, convection, and radiation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Photosynthesis

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders are introduced to the process of photosynthesis by discussion and then by participating in an experiment. They then answer questions as independent practice project.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gravity

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore gravitational force. Through experimentation, students observe the acceleration of objects when they fall. They examine air resistance, and how the human body is attracted to the earth. Students discover the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Drawing From Nature

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students observe similarities and differences of natural objects. In this observation lesson, students use a magnifying glass to identify the details of objects.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Adaptations

For Teachers 4th
students in groups to work on bulletin board, making a list of animal adaptations. They write an example of each body covering and find pictures of animals with these coverings. They mount pictures and label the covering. They should be...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plants

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students illustrate the major parts of a plant, classify some plant foods we eat as roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. They also name some animals that use seeds, leaves, and fruit for food.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Matter

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore chemical reactions and their products. They define a chemical reaction and describe the characteristics of a chemical reaction. Students classify chemical reactions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extreme Environments

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine extreme environments and the characteristics that make them.  In this adaptation lesson plan students see how animals have adapted to these environments. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnetism

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Learners investigate magnets. In this magnetism lesson, students begin exploring magnets. Learners study attraction and repulsion and discover the poles of a magnet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Be A Planet

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars identify the name, order and attributes of the planets. They role play the position of planets, and draw pictures of the planets as well.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Telling Our Own Stories

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Explore online profiles and social media with your middle and high school classes. Use blogs to inspire your class to craft a well-written, thoughtful response to a prompt you give.  A few example prompts are given. 
Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Rock Ranking

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
Junior geologists sort rocks and soil. They separate a sample of river gravel by size, shape, color, and other characteristics. To include Common Core standards, you could have little ones graph the number of particles in each sample.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Put the Title of the Lesson Here

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders write a Compare and Contrast essay comparing the lives of similarly aged students at different Latitudes. They share their essays with epals, via e-mail. They may include digital photographs in their correspondence as well.
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Curated OER

Volcanic Violence

For Teachers 4th - Higher Ed
Students complete activities to study volcanic activities. In this volcanic activities lesson, students read an article about violent volcanoes. Students complete discuss questions and volcano projects for the lesson. students also take...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Things Fly

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students, by drawing on their own experiences, discuss and examine the basic physics of flight. They participate in a variety of activities regarding flight.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life in a Cup

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders make and maintain a mini terrarium. They keep a daily journal of what happens in their terrarium and record daily observations and measurements.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pipeline to the Coral Reefs

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers discuss the relationship of density to stratification. In this marine science lesson plan, students create a model of upwelling events using cold and warm water. They discuss how water phenomena affect coral reefs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Greenhouse Gases: The Chemistry Behind the Culprits

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders investigate the effect of different gases in the atmosphere. In this chemistry lesson, 9th graders explain how these gases contribute to global warming. They suggest possible solutions to this growing problem.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rockin' Minerals

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders view a clip of the video Backyard Safari, "Rocks and Minerals," and discuss properties of rocks and minerals. They view and discuss a clip on where rocks and minerals are found.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Walking for Water Mini-Unit

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students participate in an activity that requires them to consider the availability of water. For this "walking for water" lesson, students read "Women Bear the Weight of Water," and respond to discuss questions regarding the article....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Take a Rock Apart

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Young scholars take a crushed rock and sort the remains of the rock minerals into different categories based on the different properties. In this sorting lesson plan, students learn what makes up a rock and how to sort something into...