Curated OER
Perpetual Motion
Middle schoolers discuss movement of air currents and then experiment to create visible models of air currents. Students connect the model to weather patterns.
Curated OER
The Reason for the Seasons; Science, Geography
Students think about what causes the seasons to change, reflect on what they know about seasons and how their lives affected by seasonal changes.
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Lewis and Clark: The Language of Discovery
Students replicate some of the trailblazing methods of Lewis and Clark on a fifteen-minute "writing journey" through the school or neighborhood.
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Animal Encounters
Students use their visualizing and interpreting skills to produce original writings and artwork.
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How Things Fly
Students observe photographs of selected twentieth-century aircraft at the National Air and Space Museum and note differences in the design of aircraft wings, fuselages, and engines.
Curated OER
WHY DO SOME THINGS FLOAT WHILE OTHERS SINK
Students explore how density can cause things to sink or float by experimenting with a jar, oil and corn syrup.
Curated OER
IS MASS THE SAME AS WEIGHT?
Students see the difference between weight and mass when they examine the method of measuring each of them.
Curated OER
WHAT HOLDS US TO EARTH?
Students they imagine they are Galileo and try to duplicate Galileo's experiments and results.
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How Do Airplanes Stay off the Ground?
Students use balloons and string to duplicate Bernoulli's Principle of wing shape and its affect on liftoff.
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Form and Function
Students select a part of a plant or animal and indicate how the part supports the needs of that living thing.
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Money Talks
Students move from fact finding to interpretation as they examine paper money from the time of the American Revolution. In the final exercise, they use the issue dates of the bills to construct a chronology of political changes during...
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Pictures Telling Stories
Students see the importance of primary sources in the study of history, but also the limitations of relying only on primary sources of taking the money, as it were, at face value.
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In the Presence of Oxygen
Third graders, in groups, classify different activities as aerobic or anaerobic. They create posters displaying their categorizations and then take notes on each other's posters.
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The Rocky Shore
Students compare a realistic landscape painting with a photograph of the same place.
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Spy on a Spider
Students view slides or live specimens to name and describe the distinguishing features of groups of arthropods, especially spiders and insects. They complete worksheets, observe webs and then search for and record where spiders can be...
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Facts, Feats and Folklore: Spiders
Students review and discuss a variety of sayings, folklore and superstitions about spiders. They discuss this information and choose either an interesting fact or appealing foklore tradition to illustrate.
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Hawaii's Migratory Animals
Students act as travel agents to plan a trip for a migratory animal. They conduct research and design a travel brochure that includes a migratory route, illustrations of planned stopovers and special tourist attractions the animal might...
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Letters from the Japanese American Internment
Students make deductions about life in an internment camp by reading and comparing letters written to Clara Breed. Along the way, they consider the advantages of looking at a historical event from the multiple points of view of...
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American History Review
Students examine how people have contributed to American history, regardless of culture, race or religion. They develop a sense of pride for their own efforts, as well as for the efforts of others. They also study how to work both...
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The Barnum and Bailey Bartered Bride
Students focus on the study of The Bartered Bride by integrating the theme of the circus begin the lesson with a "KWL" strategy map on the Circus. Students are asked: What do you know about the circus?
Curated OER
Geometry in the Constellations: The ER-2
Learners discuss reasons to record the location of stars. They view a picture of the night sky, and discuss constellations. Students complete a worksheet of the various shapes they see in the constellations.
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Angle Measurement of Aircraft Wings and Tails
Students measure the angles of wings and tails of various aircraft using a protractor. They estimate and check their measurements. They investigate aircraft being developed and tested at NASA Dryden.
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Science: The Big Sleep and Criminalistics
Students view the film, "The Big Sleep" focusing on the investigation techniques employed by the main character. Throughout the viewing, students respond to essay questions explaining actions by the characters. The questions center on...
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Baga Drum
Students examine a Baga Drum in order to explore the history of the Baga people of West Africa. In this art history lesson, students recognize figures used in Baga Drum design that represent aspects of Baga culture. They also design and...