NASA
Creating a Space Exploration Infrastructure
What will it take to explore space? Teams of pupils determine the needs of a lunar outpost and research the required systems. The pupils then learn about the past space exploration vehicles. The third and final lesson challenges project...
Curated OER
Elizabeti's Series--Classroom Guide
Second graders explore the books in the Elizabeti Series. For this reading comprehension lesson, young readers discuss pre-reading focus questions about their feelings on the first day of school. They investigate the book and describe...
Curated OER
Natural Gas: An American Treasure
Do your fourth graders need extra practice with evaluating fact and opinion? An informative resource provides two reading passages in which learners distinguish sentences as fact or as opinion. Additionally,...
University of California
You Are What You Eat: Testing for Organic Compounds in Foods
We have all heard that we are what you eat, but what are we eating? An informative lesson opens with a discussion of the foods pupils have recently eaten. Then, young scientists perform four experiments on seven...
Curated OER
Stars and Slopes
More of a math instructional activity than physics or space science, high schoolers take a set of data and plot it on a log-log coordinate system. The write-up for day two was never completed, but day one, "Stars and Slopes," is complex...
Curated OER
Animals of the Arctic
Sixth graders research an Arctic animal. They survey the questions in the Animal Report in order to conduct their research. They investigate their chosen animal by using the Internet, library books and reference books.
Curated OER
Wheel of Trouble
While teaching about endangered species, you can incorporate this activity as a take-home reminder of what is threatening the sea turtle population. It is one of those paper plate projects in which a wedge is cut out to reveal a picture...
American Psychological Association
Psychology Goes to Madison Avenue
As part of a study of well-known psychologists, class members create a name, a business logo, an advertisement for TV, online, radio, or print, and a pamphlet for the business run by one of the psychologists on a provided list. An...
Curated OER
Harvest the Facts
Students discover heath problems caused by tobacco. In this human health lesson, students identify the many diseases tobacco use causes and how to prevent such diseases. Students investigate the organs in the human body...
All Things PLC
Professional!Learning!Community! Manual: Operationalizing!the!Big!Picture
Thinking of creating a Professional Learning Community at your school? Here's a 32-page manual that provides everything you need to get started.
PBS
Robot Body Language
How can you tell what someone is feeling when they aren't saying a word? Explore non-verbal communication with an activity based on Cynthia Breazeal's work with expressive robots. One learner puts a bag over his or her face and uses body...
Curated OER
Wolf Habitat
Learners identify their own basic needs for food, water, shelter and space in a suitable arrangement. They generalize that wolves and people have similar basic needs.
Curated OER
Getting through the day duck style
Middle schoolers are introduced to how animals (and ourselves) cope with daily life. They discover that living things need certain conditions to survive. Students investigate how living things (including ourselves and a duck) have...
Curated OER
More Than a Campground
Fourth graders participate in a class disucssion on the term "habitat". The class brainstorms on what makes a national park special. In small groups, they research a a national park and create a mural depicting those factors that make...
Curated OER
How We Use Rocks: Part 1
Second graders read books about rocks, observe rocks and locate a special rock to observe more closely. They complete a worksheet about the chosen rock and create an art project using rocks or pebbles.
Curated OER
Key Figures of the 1899 Harriman Alaska Expedition
Students gain general knowledge of the goals, route, participants, and significance of the 1899 Harriman Expedition. They link names of glaciers, fiords, mountains, flora and fauna with names of the 1899 Harriman Expedition...
Curated OER
How Appropriate is that Tree?
Students identify trees and their environments using a dichotomous chart. In this exploratory lesson students use the Internet to identify conditions needed for the trees and what the climate is in their area.
Curated OER
Growing Native Plants From Seed
Second graders plant seeds of native plants. They study the concepts of native plants, where they grow, how they grow, and why they are so special. They assess long term care monitoring the seedlings as they grow and write the name...
Curated OER
Night Hike
Students explore Upham Woods at night and investigate about the special adaptations of nocturnal animals. They identify three nocturnal animals and how they are adapted to the night. Students explain what night vision is and how it works.
Curated OER
Circular Motion
Learners research physical science by completing worksheets. In this gravity lesson, students read assigned text regarding the rotation of Earth and the gravitational force caused by the speed of which it rotates. Learners complete a...
Curated OER
Why Should I Care About Global Warming?
Students examine global warming, and the greenhouse effect. They determine the changes that happen and the adaptations that need to be made because of these occurrences. They look at the occurrence and effect of these phenomena in the past.
Curated OER
Features of Shells
Students create a new shell. In this shell features lesson, students different types of shells, discuss their special features and talk about how animals use shells. Students use the Internet to research information on shells...
Curated OER
What Affects Plant Growth?
Eighth graders experiment to identify the nine factors needed for plants to grow healthy. They choose one of seven topics to research and develop an experiment based on scientific method, and complete oral and written reports based on...
Curated OER
Minnesota Birds
Students, while assessing bird stories in the Bible, discuss and work on activities where they compare/contrast birds to people. They view how they are unique and special to God. In addition, they create a slide show of bird photographs...