Curated OER
Let's Think About... Magnets and Gravity
Students watch an episode of the PBS show "Jay Jay the Jet Plane," and explore magnets and gravity. They conduct various experiments involving magnets and sand, bean bags, and a fishing pole with magnets.
Curated OER
Water Usage and Conservation
Learners investigate water usage at school and at home. They use graphs and tables to evaluate water usage. Students describe possible water conservation measures. They use graphs and tables to relate data as part of a written report.
Curated OER
On Market Street
Second graders study basic facts about consumers and consumer goods. The book "On Market Street" is used in this instructional activity.
Curated OER
Technology and the Great Depression
Students examine how technology affected the Great Depression era. They view a video, conduct Internet research, and write articles for a class technology magazine.
Curated OER
The Ups and Downs of Occupations
Students research Internet sites to identify the latest employment and occupation trends. They discuss and define career terms that important to employment. They report the findings of their research on the occupation of their choice.
Curated OER
Biomes and Regions of the United States
Students examine and identify the characteristics of the biomes of the world. Using the Internet, they compare and contrast the similarities and differences and discover how living things are supported in the biomes. They discuss how the...
Computer Science Unplugged
Colour by Numbers–Image Representation
How do computers store and send images? Here's an activity that explains one way a computer can compress image information. Pupils decode run-length coding to produce a black and white image. Pairs then work together to code and...
Computer Science Unplugged
The Poor Cartographer—Graph Coloring
Color the town red. Demonstrate the concept of graph theory with a task that involves determining the least number of colors needed to color a map so that neighboring countries are not represented by the same color. Pupils...
Beauty and Joy of Computing
Three Key List Operations
Develop an understanding of the Map, Keep, and Combine operations. The lab leads the class through the exploration of three list operations. Each task contains a self-check to measure scholars' understanding of the operation in the...
Curated OER
Who's Range is it?
Students investigate the habits of panthers by analyzing radio transmitted data. For this animal life lesson, students utilize computers to view the range of different statistics dealing with Florida panthers. Students...
Computer Science Unplugged
Tablets of Stone—Network Communication Protocols
Show your learners that the game of Telephone isn't the only way messages get mixed up. Pairs transform into the sender and receiver of a message sent in packets. At least one pupil is the messenger who either delivers, delays, or...
Curated OER
Weather Lesson Five
Middle schoolers define a weather forecast, make a forecast using a weather map, identify three prediction guidelines, and explain how computers help to make forecasts. Students make a 24-hour forecast for each of the thirteen states...
Curated OER
Old Lady That Swallowed a Fly
Youngsters listen to the story, "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." After discussing the story, going over new vocabulary, and repeating the rhymes in the story, they study the parts of a fly. They finish by creating a fly on...
Energy for Keeps
The Energy Times
Extra! Extra! Read all about past and present energy use in a classroom-made historical newspaper. Useful as a cross-curricular assignment between science, history, and language arts, the project is sure to get young journalists...
Curated OER
Planet Impact!
An amazing information-packed lesson plan allows your space scientists to crash a virtual comet into Jupiter and learn how the angle, distance, speed, and mass influence the outcome. Click on "Back to the Lesson" to access the...
Curated OER
An Animal Report
Third graders create reports in the fashion of small books. They write brief descriptions for a variety of topics and answering a variety of questions. They create a picture book for their individual animals. They utilize basic computer...
Curated OER
Designing Experiments - Procedures for Teachers
Learners evaluate a hypothetical experimental design and attempt to improve upon it. In this scientific method lesson, students are presented with an experiment and are instructed to determine its flaws. They conduct their own...
Curated OER
Creating an Original Opera
This may be a lot to ask of a high schooler, but then again, who knows? Pupils work in groups to explore, write, and then perform an original opera. They view versions of The Magic Flute and La Traviata, then compose a plot, characters,...
Computer Science Unplugged
Ice Roads–Steiner Trees
As an introduction to Steiner Trees, class members are challenged to find the shortest paths to connect multiple points. The teacher introduces the problem by showing how to connect three points. Groups then go outside and construct a...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Small Scale Sculpting: Etch Lab
Make works of art using a vintage yet effective etching strategy. The surface of a semiconductor chip has specific patterns formed through a process called etching. Through a lab investigation, young scholars recreate that process...
Curated OER
Illinois Wild
Sixth graders identify different animals native to Illinois. They research a specific animal to study more about its characteristics, examine what makes a habitat, and recognize the difference between a food web and food chain.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Climate Change Debate
Is global warming all smoke and mirrors? Find out what your scholars think with this handout, which has them analyzing two political cartoons on the topic. Background information gives context, detailing the computer hacking during the...
Teach Engineering
Strong-Arm Tactics
Experience collecting rock samples using a robotic arm with an activity that has pairs work together to operate a robotic arm. One pupil serves as the eyes and the other operates the controller. The objective is to be the fastest pair to...
Curated OER
Space Flight Simulation
Students engage in the study of flight with the help of a computer flight simulation. They take part in a variety of activities that imitate the Space Shuttle Endeavor. Students work as teams like the astronauts would to complete mission...