DiscoverE
Solar-Heated Water
Heat up some interest in solar energy. Young engineers create a water heater that runs on solar power (simulated by a lamp). Using thermometers, they determine the change in temperature before and after the water goes through the heater.
DiscoverE
Pilot a Balloon
Balloons will go where you want them to. Young pilots first add paper clips to a balloon to make it neutrally buoyant. They then use cardboard to steer the balloon in different directions, taking air pressure into account.
DiscoverE
Spaceship to Mars
Feel like a rocket scientist for the day. Using only paper and tape, scholars create a framework for a spaceship to Mars. Each sheet of paper costs $10 million and each piece of tape costs $100,000. Make sure you stay within budget!
State Bar of Texas
Worcester v. Georgia
Can the president of the United States defy the rulings of the Supreme Court? Students investigate the case of Worcester v. Georgia and the impact it had on society and, most importantly, Native Americans. Using a short video clip as...
Curated OER
Grouping Buttons
Looking for a good lesson plan on counting and sorting? This lesson plan is worth a look! In this classification lesson plan, learners sort buttons by color, shape, shiny verses not shiny, or number of holes.
Curated OER
Integrate Reading and Writing this Valentine's Day
Spend Valentine's Day reading, writing, or creating gifts with your students.
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...
Illustrative Mathematics
Molly's Run
A simple lesson with a lot of support behind it. Your learners will find out how long it takes Molly to run a mile by choosing their solution method. The activity can be used as a lesson or as an independent assignment. Preface with...
iCivics
Drafting Board: Military Intervention
Should countries use their militaries to stop humanitarian crises in other countries? Learners make claims, organize their reasoning, and provide evidence for their arguments with this rich resource.
Manchester College
What’s Your Point of View?
Work on deciphering the point of view of various pieces of literature. As readers review the concepts of first, second, and third person perspective, they apply what they know to different passages.
Bowland
Magic Sum Puzzle
Learners discover the magic in mathematics as they solve numerical puzzles involving magic sums. They then make a conjecture as to why no additional examples are possible based on an analysis of the puzzles.
Bowland
Three of a Kind
One is chance, two is a coincidence, three's a pattern. Scholars must determine similarities and differences of a regular hexagon undergoing dilation. They look at lengths, angles, areas, and symmetry.
National Wildlife Federation
Branching Out – Exploring Dendrochronology
Tree rings from North America give a continuous history of El Nino intensity over the last 1,100 years. Scholars learn how scientists use tree rings to create timelines demonstrating variations in weather patterns. The cumulative...
US Institute of Peace
Nonverbal Communication
What is your body saying that maybe your words aren't? Scholars explore the vast world of the subtle, and not-so-subtle, nonverbal communication cues through group and individual work. Lesson seven in a series of peacebuilding exercises...
US Institute of Peace
Identifying Your Conflict Style
How do you handle conflict? Individuals look inward to determine their own conflict style through group discussion and a short quiz. The sixth installment in a series of 15 conflict management lessons examines how our feelings and...
Scholastic
What’s the Good Word? Etymology Project Guidelines
Who named the shapes, or the days of the week? Should words be removed from the dictionary if they're no longer commonly used? Are there too many words in the English language? Language arts students explore these and additional...
Curated OER
Sand Crabs
Students identify shapes to create sand crabs, and make colored sand for texture.
Curated OER
The Mystery of History-Original Sources
Students research the events surrounding the Alamo in 1863, and explore the differences between primary and secondary sources of information. They brainstorm lists of items used to research a subject and categorize them as primary or...
Curated OER
Light, Colors, and Vision
Third graders experience optic illusions by creating flipbooks. In this optics instructional activity, 3rd graders view a demonstration of the workings of rods and cones using a camera. They are shown an optical illusion and work to...
Lesson Plans
Macromolecule Worksheet
Biology scholars are asked to define and explain, to complete a chart, and to fill in the blanks for seventeen macromolecule questions. Easy for pupils to read and comprehensive in content, this is a resource that you will want to use....
Curated OER
Mitosis vs. Meiosis Worksheet
This complete worksheet includes short answer and multiple choice questions as well as a Venn diagram for comparing and contrasting mitosis with meiosis. Separate teachers' instructions are supplied. This could be used as homework and is...
Curated OER
Introductory Bacteria and Virus Worksheet
Compare and contrast eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses with a chart and a Venn diagram. Beginning microbiologists consider motility, reproductive ability, DNA content, and the presence of organelles. They write short answers to...
Curated OER
The Non-violence Grid
Students discuss violence. In this promotion for peace activity, students share their opinions on different scenarios presented by the teacher. They discuss each scenario as a class to determine if various acts are too violent or just...
Curated OER
Career Development: Interviewing
Prepping pupils for the real world is a vital part of our job. This activity focuses on getting upper graders ready for their first post-collegiate job interview. They will prepare a resume, research a potential company to work for, and...