Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is a Pulley a Special Kind of Lever?

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders use information from their text to read and discuss pulleys and levers. They examine a top sketch of the arrangement of a fixed pulley. Working in groups, 5th graders perform experiments to test the effect of using a pulley...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beaver, or not?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Young scholars study the role of the beaver in Illinois during the 1800's and how overtrapping cause the near extinction of the beaver colonies in Illinois by 1900. Students role play various people in 1945 who have an opinion about the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Can You SEA Walls?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore how wave energy that is generated and transferred in the ocean. They explore the aspects of a wave and how its energy affects the ecology of the seashore. Students engage in an activity that uses the nature of science...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Uplifting Experience

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders research and complete a graphic organizer about the principles of flight. For this aviation lesson, 5th graders experiment to understand the work of Daniel Bernouli and his discoveries about air pressure. Students create...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Guetemala's Changing Forest

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders compare their local ecological zone to the tropical rainforest. In this natural ecology lesson, 8th graders complete an activity about the differences in ecological zones. They compare their biome to the Guatemalan...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Theatre Lesson Plan- Tableau (part 2)

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore tableaux.  In this social studies and fine arts cross curriculum lesson, students work in groups of four to create "frozen" stage pictures (tableaux) representing vocabulary and concepts from a "From Farm to You"...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bovine Oversteps Boundaries

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders read about Grady, the Silo Cow and analyze the parts of a news story.  In this news article activity, 6th graders discuss writing for different purposes.  Students discover the characteristics of a strong...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Surviving the Conditions

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore Earth science by participating in an environmental care activity. In this natural resources lesson, students discuss ways to protect themselves from the environment if they are ever in need of shelter in the wilderness....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thirsty for Drought Relief

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research a variety of drought-related concerns, acting as part of a 'drought preparedness taskforce.' They propose next steps for the government to take in case of drought and assess the viability of these proposals.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Resources Trick-or-Treat

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore that some resources are finite. They are able to deelop an understanding of commodities-some resources are worth more than others so companies choose to spend more money to find them. Students realize that some...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Waterdrops Water Cycle

For Students 3rd - 6th
In this earth science worksheet, students read an article about the water cycle. Then they continue the story about the travels of a water droplet through time and space. Students also complete sentences by writing in the correct word...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Magic School Bus Holiday Special

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students learn the importance of recycling as they explore how things can be reused or recycled again and again.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Information, Please!

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine how aluminum is recycled. In this recycling lesson, students participate in a field trip to a local recycling center to observe the process of recycling aluminum. Students take notes and report their findings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water: Read All About It!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss newspapers and water and work in groups to develop their own paper focusing on water issues. In this journalism lesson plan, students discuss the value of newspapers and water as an issue. They work as a group to develop...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Brain Awareness Week

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore human anatomy by completing a list of activities over five days. In this brain science lessons, students examine images of brains and identify the different parts. Students complete an in-class quiz regarding brain...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Efficient Homes

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students observe and gather data from a model simulated home.  In this efficiency lesson students examine the factors that influence energy efficiency, complete a lab activity then draw conclusions from their data.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Interpretation of Dreams

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers study Freud and what he thought of dreams.  In this dream interpretation lesson students complete an experiment on dreams. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Shapes a MPA?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the three types of MPA in California. In this marine science lesson, students analyze information provided to design a new MPA. They justify their reasoning in class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

3RC (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost)

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine the effects of packaging decisions and the engineering advancements in packaging materials and waste management. They observe biodegradation in a model landfill.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Transformation

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners experiment with variety of materials to investigate, develop inferences, and differentiate between concepts of motion energy and heat energy, and the part played by friction in the transformation process.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Field Trip Preparation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners prepare for a field trip. They navigate through a Underground Network site. This "field trip" can be conducted in a patch of healthy grass or soil anywhere you can find it: right outside your building, in a backyard or at a...
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Atoms Family Album

For Students 4th - 6th
In this atomic structure activity, students read a story with characters acting as the particles in an atom. They create a trading card for each particle, draw the structure of an atom and sing an atom song.
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Atoms Family Album

For Students 5th - 7th
In the atom instructional activity, students read a story about the "Atoms Family" and are given descriptions of the structures of atoms through the story. Students interpret the descriptions by drawing the described atom structure, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mountain Pine Beetles

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research and develop power point presentations that answer the question, "What is changing our forests?" In this ecology lesson, students research the niche of Pine Beetles and their increased effect on the forests in...