Curated OER
Ed Paschke
Learners examine and discuss the artistic style and techniques of the artist Ed Paschke. They analyze various works of art by Ed Paschke, then choose an icon from art history and alter a photocopy of it using scissors and collage materials.
Curated OER
Listening to the Prairie
Students, in groups, visit an exhibit and for a prairie scavenger hunt to locate sunflowers and name products made from them. After sketching a prairie dog, they find nature cues farmers use when growing plants and raising animals. The...
Curated OER
Beeswax Flower Candle
Students create "Beeswax flower candles" in this early-elementary classroom Art instructional activity. Materials needed include foam pieces, straw, a glue gun, clay pots, beeswax, and popsicle sticks. This activity is ideal for the...
Curated OER
Make a Spaceship
Students create a spaceship, satellite, or space station. In this space lesson, students consider design elements for buildings and objects in space. Students use K'Nex, Legos, or other household materials for their creation. Students...
Curated OER
All Hats for Ecology: Solid Waste Presentation
Students investigate community issues with solid waste. For this mock trial lesson, students examine the issues of solid waste from an ecological and economical perspective. They will develop a mock trial which encourages preservation of...
Curated OER
Compost Tag
Young scholars identify biodegradable items. In this environmental lesson, students participate in a game of tag. A student's name is called out along with a biodegradable item and the student is tossed a ball.
Curated OER
Paper Capers
Students demonstrate how much paper is thrown away in their classroom in one week. They estimate the weight of paper used, weigh the paper at the end of five days, and discuss how students can use less paper.
Curated OER
Environment: Waste Walk
Young scholars assess the positive and negative affects of humans on the environment. The lesson explores ways in which individuals and societies can reduce the negative impact on the environment. By taking a "waste walk" around their...
Curated OER
Radioactive Waste
Young scholars assemble a nuclear waste cube to represent the amount of waste from one person over a period of 20 years that would be left after all stable materials had been recycled. They discuss current methods of containing waste.
Curated OER
Composting
In this recognizing items that can be composted worksheet, learners identify organic items that can be composted, write items that can be composted for each of the letters in the word compost, and make a list of vegetables and fruits....
Curated OER
Quilt Block Collage
Learn the art of quilting with this lesson plan that can be connected to a history activity on quilts in Ancient Egypt, China, and modern art. After studying a general history of quilts, its uses, and the history of different patterns,...
Curated OER
Constructions and Creations: Sturdy Structures
Have your class draw the plans and design a structure. Learners discuss and investigate the variables in the stability of a 2D and 3D model. They also consider how to add a circuit to the design. Afterwards, they present their work.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Introducing Ecosystem Services
Purifying air and water, providing soil in which to grow crops, and moving water through its natural cycle are all services an ecosystem provides that benefit humans. Lesson four in a series lets learners explore and discuss the value of...
Science Friday
Wind Power
Blow away the competition with a lesson about wind power and turbines. Groups build windmills to test how the size of blades affect the amount of work done. The scholars build a variety of blades and collect data on how each type...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Calculating Your Carbon Footprint
Unplugging from technology for one day per week will decrease your carbon footprint—are you up to the challenge? Part two in a series of three allows individuals to explore their personal carbon footprints. By first taking a quiz at home...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Personal Choices and the Planet
How big is your footprint? Activity three culminates the series by having groups complete carbon footprint audits with people in their schools and/or around the districts. Groups then gather their data, create a presentation including...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Are You Bigfoot?
Scholars independently explore several websites to calculate their ecological footprint. Using their new found knowledge, they answer six short-answer questions and take part in a grand conversation with their peers about how...
Curated OER
Don't Let Hazardous Waste Be a Hazard to You!
In this recognizing hazardous waste worksheet, students observe hazard signs, read informational passages, and unscramble the words to identify hazardous waste products. Students unscramble 4 words.
Curated OER
Rx for Tired Classrooms: Vocational Ed to the Rescue
Secondary carpenters apply their skills to improve display spaces in classrooms at their campus. Includes a contract between workers and teachers who sign on for improvements in the their rooms. Concurrent exploration of building and...
Curated OER
Sorting
Students practice sorting books. In this sorting lesson, students play the Flood Game on the PBS web site. With knowledge of the sorting system used by libraries, students sort small numbers of books using categories devised by their...
Curated OER
Bahamian Terrariums
Sixth graders create a Bahamian terrarium. In this Bahamian ecosystem lesson, 6th graders watch a PowerPoint to see Bahamian biotic and abiotic factors. They bring in 2-3 items for their terrarium.
Curated OER
Insects
Students construct a viable insect collecting apparatus. Students determine the effectiveness of the instrument he has designed by collecting specimens.
Curated OER
Native Species Restoration and its Impact on Local Populations
Young scholars explore how predators help control the growth of prey species for a more balanced ecosystem.
Curated OER
How Many Birds Would It Take To Keep A Jackal Alive?
Students examine the role of large families in some animal populations. They work together to complete an activity related to food supply. They discover the relationship between preys and predators.