National Endowment for the Humanities
Galileo: Revealing the Universe
To gain an understanding of the significance of Galileo Galilei's revolutionary ideas, class members watch the short video "Stargazing Before Galileo," and conduct a close reading of Galileo's Sidereal Messsenger. They then...
Curated OER
Changing the End of a Story
Second graders re-write a story. In this alternate endings lesson plan, 2nd graders read Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse, by Leo Lionni, stopping to discuss the events and predict what will happen next. Students work in groups to come up...
Curated OER
My Antonia: Directed Reading Thinking Activity
Walk your pupils through the beginning of My Antonia by Willa Cather with a read-aloud-style activity. The goal is to make predictions and back them up with textual evidence.
Curated OER
Observing Reactions
Learners use the scientific method to complete to experiments that have visible reactions. In this visible reaction lesson, students participate in an experiment with melting ice and one with inflating a balloon. Learners record their...
Curated OER
Watch the Sky: Observing Clouds and Patterns
Students observe clouds outside of the classroom. In this weather lesson, students investigate and record the clouds above their classroom everyday for three weeks. The students then analyze their data and discuss what causes specific...
Curated OER
Poetry and Observations
Students compare poetry and the night sky. In this poetry lesson, students read poetry and compare the imagery from the poem with the night sky. Students explore how science and poetry relate to one another.
Curated OER
Why Predict?
Twelfth graders examine the process of predicting. They observe a fine art transparency, discuss their predictions about the artwork, identify the types of predictions made during a weather broadcast, and evaluate headlines from...
Curated OER
Picture This
A unique writing lesson, this plan begins with learners talking about multiculturalism in small groups. Each learner will choose a picture from a newspaper, describe it to their small group, and think about how it relates to...
PBS
Predicting/Making a Hypothesis
As an introduction to the hypothesis and testing method of investigation, young history detectives engage in a special investigation of a family artifact. After watching a short video that demonstrates the method, they develop a...
Curated OER
Unit Lesson Plan Template
First graders listen to the book The Story of Sand and make predictions about an investigation based on soil, sand, and silt. For this sand lesson, 1st graders work in groups to discuss their observations about sand and answer higher...
Curated OER
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? Lesson Plan
Young scholars use technology and listening skills to explore the sounds of their environment. In this environment observation lesson, students read Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? in order to identify the sounds in the story;...
Curated OER
Using Primary Sources in the Classroom
Scholars study a historical photograph to make predictions of what happened right after the picture was taken. They research a variety of different topics and use primary sources to answer questions about common food, fashion trends, and...
Curated OER
Investigating Brass Instruments and Pitch
Students observe the sounds of different brass instruments in order to understand how to create different pitches. In this musical instructional activity, students create a "brass" instrument from everyday household objects. The students...
Curated OER
Sculptors of the Earth
Students observe evidence of erosion and various rock formations that have formed as a result of erosion and weathering. Their task is to explain how the forces of weathering and erosion contributed to sculpturing these rocks into arches...
August House
Anansi and the Tug o' War
Combine art, math, language arts, drama, and delicious Jell-o with a instructional activity based on the African folktale Anansi and the Tug o' War. Kids make predictions and discuss plot points of the story before joining in...
Curated OER
Walk Two Moons: Hook and Concept of a Frame Story
As an introduction to Sharon Creexh's Walk Two Moons, a volunteer dons a pair of boots and walks about the classroom.Observers then ponder the axiom, Don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his...
Curated OER
Solve the Mystery Photo
Students observe a mystery photo and use descriptive language to solve the mystery. In this descriptive language lesson, students use scientific observation to figure out a mystery photo. Students rationalize their thoughts with...
Curated OER
What is Weather?
For this weather worksheet, students photograph and record the weather conditions for a week. Then they list the types of clouds observed and the weather conditions they noted associated with each cloud type. Students also write a...
Curated OER
Landscape Observation: How Portland Has Changed
Learners read The Lorax and discuss how populations change the environment. Using given photos, students use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the Portland of yesterday to present day Portland. They write a comparison paper and...
Curated OER
The Great Kapok Tree..
Students predict what each animal in the story read says and then compare them. They pretend that a tree was cut down and write a new ending for the story. Students explain why the story is not true and create a Venn Diagram comparing...
Curated OER
Sea Ice Board Game
Students understand the sea ice cycle and can explain its stages. In this Sea Ice lesson, students play a game to identify types of sea ice. Students answer critical thinking questions about sea ice. Students complete a sea ice worksheet.
August House
The Magic Pot
The Magic Pot by Patricia Coombs is the theme of this multidisciplinary lesson plan. Early readers first take part in a read aloud and grand conversation about the story's details. Then, they get to work practicing their skills in...
Curated OER
Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly
Third graders access prior knowledge of the monarch butterfly and discuss what they would like to know. In this Monarch Butterfly lesson,students read Monarch Butterfly and discuss the life cycle of the butterfly. Students gather...
Curated OER
Rotten Ralph's Rules
Start by predicting what kind of character Ralph must be in the book Rotten Ralph. Then, read the book with your youngsters. After reading, provide each learner with the attached handout, having them write two rules to help Ralph be...