Curated OER
Bill of Rights
Students discuss the government as a whole and then each amendment is examined. They complete a Bill of Rights test in groups or on their own. Answers are gone over in class and discussion is encouraged.
American Chemical Society
Preparation and Combustion of Biodiesel
The United States is the world's largest producer of biofuel. During an in-class investigation, young scientists produce their own biodiesel. They burn a sample of it to determine the heat of combustion. Then they discuss the...
Teach Engineering
Solar Water: Heat it Up!
Young engineers are instructed to design and build their own solar water heaters. Then, they calculate the efficiency and cost and compare them to commercially available models. This is a full unit for pupils to apply their knowledge.
Curated OER
Late 19th Century U.S. Foreign Policy
Eleventh graders discover that many of the issues the United States faces today elicit the same type of political, philosophical and moral debate that has divided the country in the past.
Curated OER
A Plague on Both Your Houses: a Romantic Guide To Transgression
What are the roles within your family, culture and society as well as the personal and societal consequences of transgressing them? To explore this question, class members look at long-held traditions, examples in literature...
Curated OER
Government is News: Studying the Constitution
Sixth graders explore the United States Constitution. In this social studies lesson plan, learners discover how a bill is made into law, study the election process, and identify specific elements of the Bill of Rights.
Alpha Omega
History and Geography—Two World Wars
Here's a combination textbook/workbook that examines the conditions in Europe that lead to World War I. Ideal for homeschoolers as well as classroom use.
Curated OER
Hunger in the World
Consider various aspects of world hunger in this writing lesson. After taking a pre-test, middle and high schoolers play a map game, analyze and discuss world statistics, and write a report on an assigned country. The lesson can apply to...
Curated OER
Local Motives
Investigate current local elections across the United States with this New York Times reading lesson. Using informational text, middle and high schoolers research local elections and create their own news reports about what they...
New York City Department of Education
Geography and Early Peoples of the Western Hemisphere
Young historians discover the early people of the western hemisphere. The unit explores how the land changed, how it was used and homes of early Americans such as Incas, Mayans, Inuits, Aztecs, and Pueblos. Individuals also examine these...
G. Turrell
Science Activity 1: Light & Sound
Are you looking for lab sheets to go with your class experiment on plant response to light? You are no longer in the dark! This is a lesson that was written for a unit on light, but could easily be used to demonstrate plant behaviors in...
Curated OER
Let's Review for Better Achievement
Seventh graders create goals using two or more skills they have identified to help them improve academic achievement. They discuss the question: What choices do you make that affect your grades? Students listen to the story of Sam the...
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Assessment for the California Mathematics Standards Grade 5
Test young mathematicians' knowledge with an assessment aligned to California's fifth grade state standards. The exam covers a multitude of concepts including fractions and decimals, positive and negative numbers, measurement; and...
Curated OER
Social Studies 11: Canada
You'll find questions regarding government, immigration, ethnic issues, suffrage, and turn-of-the-century history to complement any lesson on Canada. There are 17 questions in need of full-paragraph answers. A great resource to finish a...
Teach Engineering
Heart to Heart
Begin a unit on the heart, the parts and the function of the heart, and about heart disease with a resource that includes a lecture, a PowerPoint presentation, and research information. The lesson is the first of a four-part series...
Smithsonian Institution
Stamp Stories of Westward Expansion
What a fantastic project idea for discussing not only the history of America's expansion into the West, but for reviewing any major unit of history in your class. Pupils build stamp collections to visually represent themes of the...
Teach Engineering
Beating the Motion Sensor
I bet I can cross the room without having the lights come on. Class members set up an experiment in which they try to determine what materials will mask motion detected by a sensor. Groups predict how materials will interact with...
C-SPAN
The Role of the Executive Branch in Policy Making
Although the president of the United States does not have the power to pass laws, they can propose legislation, veto bills passed by Congress, and issue executive orders that bypass Congress. Six video clips show middle schoolers these...
G. Turrell
Science Activity 2: Light & Sound
Little learners experiment with sunlight and map out how light travels. Using a mirror and slotted card, they find out about items that can reflect or absorb the light. They experiment with a variety of materials to find out how light...
BioEd Online
Butterflies in Space
How does gravity affect the life cycle of a butterfly? Learn first-hand what types of investigations astronauts perform in space by following along with one of NASA's experiments. Create butterfly habitats in the classroom with specific...
BioEd Online
Muscle Fibers
What better way to learn about muscle than by dissecting one? Using cow muscle (beef), learners compare bundles of yarn to muscle fibers as they explore each. The supplemental reading about astronauts losing muscle mass in space and what...
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Assessment for the California Mathematics Standards Grade 2
Test scholars mathematic skills with an assessment addressing addition, subtraction, multiplication, place value, measurement, geometric shapes, expanded notation; and their ability to compare numbers, write number...
Curated OER
World War II
Offering a comprehensive overview of the beginning of World War II, this resource could be a useful addition to a unit on this topic. It could be used as a way to lead a discussion on the war, or as a review tool before a test. Either...
Noyce Foundation
Cat Food
Determine the right mix of cans of cat food. The resource consists of an assessment task to determine the cost to feed two cats for a specific number of days and requires scholars to interpret remainders within a context....