Curated OER
Finding River Cities
Using a wall map, students will find major rivers in the four regions of the United States. Then they answer questions about how people use natural resources, such as rivers.
Curated OER
Right Place, Right Time
In this right place, right time learning exercise, students read train timetables and apply the information to answer math word problems. Students solve eight word problems.
Agriculture in the Classroom
"Steer" Toward STEM: Careers in Animal Agriculture
Think like an engineer and an agricultural scientist over the course of 12 lessons in a STEM based unit. Young scientists take on the roles of animal physiologists, animal geneticists, agricultural engineers, animal nutritionists, and...
American Statistical Association
EllipSeeIt: Visualizing Strength and Direction of Correlation
Seeing is believing. Given several bivariate data sets, learners make scatter plots using the online SeeIt program to visualize the correlation. To get a more complete picture of the topic, they research their own data set and perform an...
Curated OER
Locke and Walnut Grove: Havens for Early Asian Immigrants in California
Students use readings, maps and photos to examine the life of Japanese-American immigrants in Locke and Walnut Grove in the early 1900s. They discuss their research findings, role-play the lives of immigrants and write responses.
Curated OER
Counting on Cooperatives
Students are introduced to the study of economics, including an introduction to basic business types and systems. They investigate about international, national and California history as they take a historical tour of cooperatives and...
Curated OER
Estuary and Watershed
High schoolers investigate the San Francisco Bay Estuarine Research Reserve and watershed. In this estuary and watershed lesson plan, students complete 4 activities to better understand estuarine systems. They include studying the San...
Curated OER
Who Will Get the Last Drop?
Students discuss the importance of California's water system. In this earth science lesson, student play the role of different stakeholders. They present a 2-3 minute argument on their group's perspective about their need for water.
Curated OER
Regional Landforms and Native People
Third graders study the Native American tribes of Maidu and Miwok by studying Internet artifacts, culture, language, music, storytelling, architecture, food, clothing, crafts and geology.
Curated OER
Riding the Pony Express
Fourth graders list the four W's of the Pony Express. They also write an article about Buffalo Bill Cody and discuss the important facts about the Pony Express.
Curated OER
The Chemistry of Fertilizers
Students use a series of hands-on labs and activities, practice problems, discussions and writing assignments, students investigate about fertilizer chemistry as they break compounds into ions, make a fertilizer and test various...
Curated OER
Poetry in Motion
In this poetry analysis instructional activity, students analyze "From a Railway Carriage" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Students answer 5 questions about the poem.
Curated OER
Animals Finding Rice Paddies
Fourth graders examine the animals who live in rice paddies and create a chart. In this rice lesson, 4th graders link the types of animals living in each ecosystem with a bar graph. Students use colored bars to show animals that live in...
Curated OER
VAcations in Northern California
Students explore the natural resources and National Parks of Northern California that are commonly visited by people traveling in the United States. They use maps to locate various sites, plan a highway travel route and use the internet...
Curated OER
The Sundial
High schoolers explain the design, principle and orientation of a sundial, the type with a gnomon pointing towards the pole of the heavens. They construct a model sundial from paper.
Curated OER
How Does Mining Produce Acid Runoff?
Students examine how mining and other industry operations can lead to acid runoff. In this mining instructional activity students study weathering and complete a lab on it.
Curated OER
Genetic Engineering
Learners are introduced to the concept of genetic engineering. In groups, they participate in a variety of experiments, in which they analyze the effect of chemicals on different substances. Using the internet, they research gossypol,...
Curated OER
Simple and Complex Machines Used In Agriculture
Pupils explore agriculture and the current technologies and research that continue to make Earth a viable planet. This four lessons unit introduce students to simple machines and the concepts of force and friction through a variety of...
Curated OER
Geography Journey
In this geography activity, learners use a map of Amtrak train routes (not included) to answer 10 short answer questions. Students describe physical features and landmark cities they would see if traveling by train across the country.
Curated OER
Conducting Research
In this train research report, students select one mechanical aspect of a train to write a report. Students fill in the outline with the subject, thesis statement, topic, and details. All research would need to be done on the Internet;...
Curated OER
San Francisco Bay Watershed
Students examine relief maps of California and discuss the San Francisco Bay watershed. Discussion continues with the class helping complete a journey of water through seasons in a "finish my sentences" style lecture. They label rain...
Curated OER
San Francisco Bay Watershed
Students locate important landmarks on a map and explore the watersheds in California. In this watershed lesson students complete a worksheet and discuss what they learned.