Curated OER
The Properties of Clay
Sixth graders determine the physical properties of clay by examining ceramic works of art. They evaluate local soil samples for suitability for sculpting and compare clay taken from soil to manufactured clay.
Curated OER
Cooperation, Trust and Interdependence
Students experience what it is like to depend on a group for their safety and to accomplish a goal. They increase their need for interdependence and cooperation in building relationships. Students need to explore the effective...
American Institutes for Research
Data and Probability: Marshmallow Madness
Upper grade and middle schoolers make predictions, collect data, and interpret the data as it relates to the concept of probability. They work with a partner tossing marshmallows and recording if they land on their side or on their...
Curated OER
Solar Kit Lesson #3 Parts of a Solar Panel - Part I
A solar cell is similar to a rechargeable battery in many ways. Science lab groups connect each in a series circuit to run a mini motor and then compare and contrast them by answering questions and completing a Venn diagram. This is an...
Curated OER
Animal Alphabet
Review the alphabet and the sounds each letter makes before having learners identify animals whose names begin with each letter. Working in groups of four to six, they make an animal alphabet book with the letter, a picture of the animal...
KERA
Matisse and Picasso
Discover Modernism through the eyes of artists. Over the course of six well-thought-out lessons, learners examine works by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse while completing a range of collaborative and hands-on activities. A great resource!
Safe Drinking Water Foundation
Types of Water Pollution
In groups, young environmentalists investigate water samples that are contaminated with different types of pollutants. Each group presents their findings to the class and fills out the "Types of Pollutants Chart." This lesson is meant...
Curated OER
Healthy Snacks Project Lesson
After learning why it is important to limit salt, fat, and sugar in their diets, divide your class into pairs or groups to complete this project. Each group will create two charts: unhealthy and healthy foods. They will cut out food...
Curated OER
Narrative Writing
Binoculars are used as a metaphor for good descriptive writing. Class members first view a small picture and then an enlarged view of the same image in which the details come into focus. Next, learners examine a paragraph lacking sensory...
American Chemical Society
Formation of a Precipitate
Conclude this chemical change unit by having your class combine two liquids that result in formation of a precipitate. The learners discover that chemical reactions result in new materials. Make sure to consider all of the preceding...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Arctic Smorgasbord
Though the walrus spends roughly one third of its time on land, it eats organisms that live on the bottom of the ocean. The first in a series of five, the lesson plan uses a variety of plant and animal cards to have scholars build an...
Curated OER
Erosion
Young scientists identify erosion, explain the causes of erosion, and name some techniques that can slow the process of erosion. Learners are divided up into groups of four and perform a simulation of soil erosion in class. The...
Curated OER
Using Environmental Models to Determine the Effect of Acid Rain on an Ecosystem
Demonstrate to your middle school science learners how chalk breaks down in a weak acid. Discuss what affects acidic rain might have on ecosystems. Lab groups then choose one of two questions: "How does acid precipitation affect an...
Curated OER
Pattern Power
Young elementary students will discover there are patterns all around them in their daily lives. In groups, they sort pattern blocks by size and color. Using the internet, they create their own type of patterns and share them with the...
Science Matters
Solar Energy
The solar energy industry in the United States added more jobs in 2015 than the oil and gas extraction and pipeline industries combined. With the field growing so rapidly, it's essential to understand what solar energy is and how it...
Folger Shakespeare Library
Pre-Reading Hamlet with "Hamlet: An Insider’s Guide"
Prove that Gertrude did kill Ophelia from practicing the word inflections activities with these pre-reading strategies for Hamlet. Thespians practice the line, “Is that your sandwich?” as they stress and accent different words, and...