Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

The Progressives

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The Progressive Era brought about a word that often leads to turmoil—change! Learners research the late 1800s in American history to uncover societal issues gripping the nation back in the day. The 15th lesson of a 22-part series...
Handout
Shakespeare Globe Trust

Fact Sheet: Playhouses

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Laborers used common materials to build London's first performance venues, including sticks, plaster, and ... hair? Using an informational handout, scholars learn about the construction of different types of playhouses where actors...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We Need All Five!

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders review foods and their groups. They discuss the reasons why they need to eat from all five food groups. They try to write using only a few of their five fingers to see what happens when you don't use all five fingers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Needs of Living Things

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students investigate the global food chain by creating a visual chart.  In this ecology lesson, students discover the elements needed for life to sustain itself, contrasting living things vs. non living things.  Students fill...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Ecology

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore the basics of ecology through numerous hands-on and relevant activities. They participate in an online food chain demonstration, which explores food web dynamics. They dissect owl pellets, examine the prey's bones, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Healthy Snacks

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine teen attitudes towards snack food merchandising in schools and what contributes to successful food merchandising. The context for the lesson is found in the research conducted from the Health Canada Website.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Thin Slice of Soil

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students examine the importance of soil in the production of what we eat and wear, and analyze the percentages of the earth used for food production. They create their own Pyramids of Life, and construct Dirt Babies out of hosiery, dirt...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's on Your Plate?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students travel the world. In this global studies lesson, students research selected countries and investigate their cultural traditions.
Lesson Plan
Michigan Sea Grant

Survival Game

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Musical chairs may be a classic game, but Ruffe Musical Chairs is a unique lesson plan on invasive species! Using the time-honored game, pupils role play the behaviors of the invasive fish called Eurasian ruffe. Learning about this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Tropical Supermarket

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore the sources of the various foods they eat. They examine how everyone is intricately connected to the ecosystems in which natural resources are produced. Students observe how the lives of people living in those...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mixed Media Ocean Art

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Students design pictures of ocean environments. In this art lesson, students use mixed media art materials to develop a picture that depicts the ocean environment. They use paint, sand paper and various basic art materials.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Manufacture of Ground Beef

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students study the proper temperature and technique to cook ground meat safely. They examine the critical control points when ground beef is being processed.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soybeans: The Miracle Seed

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners discover why soybeans are called the "miracle seeds." They make their own soynuts and share other foods made from soybeans. They create a bulletin board of soybean products.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

School Lunches: Cultural Relevancy in the Cafeteria

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore ethnic diversity. For this tolerance lesson, students discuss the food choices in their school cafeteria and determine how the menu may limit choices for those of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Activity
National Geographic

Spot Where You DON'T Get Your Seafood

For Teachers 4th - 8th
When your class is examining the fishing industry or sustainable practices, you can use this brief activity to demonstrate the global impact our food choices have. Overharvesting, overfishing, and bycatch are important topics to address...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An International Dinner Table

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate the origins of several crops eaten in the United States today. The facto0rs that influence consumer choices and the influences on the American population as to eating preferences are discussed in this instructional...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rainforest Plant or Animal?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the major functions of plants and animals. In this rainforest lesson plan students create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast animals in the rainforest.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plant Diversity and Distribution

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students construct a defined plot on school grounds and observed patterns in plant life. They count trees, shrubs, cacti and record on a data sheet. They compare data and generate a plant diversity overlook for their school.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

El Salvador: How Can My Breakfast Harm the Birds?

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore how their food choices can have an impact on the rain forests. They examine coffee farming and how their techniques can harm birds in the rain forest. Students design two farms with sustainability of bird habits in...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Ready, Steady, Cook!

For Students 4th - 6th
When paired with a trip to Aston Hall's kitchen, this activity is a good way to practice recall and descriptive language. Without literally being in the kitchen, it could actually be an even better activity! Students could use their...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Aston Hall - Story About the Kitchen

For Students 4th - 6th
In this history and writing worksheet, students pretend they are a scullion or a maid in the kitchen at Aston Hall. They then write a story about the kitchen on the day the king came to visit.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Wars

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars investigate the water wars taking place in East Africa. In this global issues lesson, students watch video clips and read selected articles about the water shortages in East Africa. Young scholars estimate their own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Birds and Coffee

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders identify the changing seasons with how they affect animal and human behavior. They explain what migration is and why many birds migrate south for the winter. They then trace the coffee sold in their neighborhood and in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Working for a Living: Child Labor Laws

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners research the working conditions in the late 1800's and the evolution of child labor laws. They discuss how the laws affect them today and if they are fair. They write a paper summarizing the laws and the view of the laws.