ProCon
Voting Age
Should age matter when it comes to voting? Scholars read an article discussing the pros and cons of lowering the voting age to 16. They then consider both the advantages and disadvantages of having younger voters. After thinking about...
ProCon
Is Homework Beneficial?
Does homework improve student achievement, or does it increase stress? Scholars use the included debate topics website to prepare for a class discussion or debate about whether homework is advantageous. After reading a brief background...
Cornell University
Math Is Malleable?
Learn about polymers while playing with shrinky dinks. Young scholars create a shrinky dink design, bake it, and then record the area, volume, and thickness over time. They model the data using a graph and highlight the key features of...
Curated OER
Patterns and Algebra - Modeling
Seventh grade math is so much fun! They solve 10 different problems that include using patterns to complete a table, describe the pattern, and identify the specific term in the pattern for each. Then they give a description of the...
Cornell University
What Happens When We Excite Atoms and Molecules?
Excited atoms lead to exciting lessons! Learners use heat and light to excite both atoms and molecules. They display their learning in the form of Bohr models depicting the excited state of the atoms.
NASA
Connecting Models and Critical Questions
Scholars use data to analyze and determine which sets of information need to be counted. They create a model to explain differences among chemical elements using graphs to prove concept mastery.
Curated OER
Graphing the Forecast - Line Graph or Bar Graph?
Sixth graders compare and contrast bar and line graphs. Using a weather forecast of the area, 6th graders record the high and low temperatures in a table. Students determine and justify the most appropriate graph to display a given set...
Cornell University
Isotope Rummy
Thanks to this game, teaching isotopes will never be the same. Physical science scholars work their way toward understanding isotopes in an entertaining game. Pupils play rummy in groups while practicing good sportsmanship and creating...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 1: Functions and Their Inverses
Undo a function to create a new one. The inverse of a function does just that. An inquiry-based lesson examines the result of reversing the variables of a function, beginning with linear patterns and advancing to quadratic and...
CCSS Math Activities
Smarter Balanced Sample Items: 6th Grade Math – Target G
Making money and saving money turn into high interest topics for sixth graders. Grade 6 Claim 1 Item Slide Shows use these topics in a presentation with math practice problems. The questions require applying knowledge of algebraic...
Towson University
Mystery Tubes
How do scientists know they're right? Truth be told, they don't always know. Explore the scientific process using mystery tubes in an insightful activity. Young scientists discover how to approach and solve problems in science, how ideas...
PHET
AM Radio Ionosphere Station
Tune in! Young scientists use an AM radio at home to monitor solar output. The long-term project would be ideal in a flipped classroom or as an out-of-class project.
Science Matters
Earthquakes and Volcanoes Pre-Assessment
See how much your class knows about earthquakes and volcanic activity and how these events shape geologic features. The first lesson in the series of 20 is a pre-test to find out what pupils already know. It includes 10 vocabulary...
Towson University
The Crucial Concentration
Which sports drink provides the best pick-me-up after the big game or grueling workout? It may not be the one you'd think! Food science is the focus in a surprising lab activity. Pupils use colorimetry to determine the amount of protein,...
Education Fund
Fear the Scarce Resources
In a life or death situation, what resources would you choose to survive—and why? A zombie attack simulation teaches learners the concepts of scarcity and resources in regards to economics. The hands-on activity requires individuals to...
Inside Mathematics
Coffee
There are many ways to correlate coffee to life, but in this case a worksheet looks at the price of two different sizes of coffee. It requires interpreting a graph with two unknown variables, in this case the price, and solving for...
Cornell University
Sound Waves
How does sound travel through different mediums? Scholars explore this question by creating and observing sound waves as they learn the difference between transverse and longitudinal wave motion. Using their new knowledge, class members...
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Eruptions: Old Faithful Geyser
How long do we have to wait? Given several days of times between eruptions of Old Faithful, learners create a graphical representation for two days. Groups combine their data to determine an appropriate wait time between eruptions.
Kenan Fellows
Reading Airline Maintenance Graphs
Airline mechanics must be precise, or the consequences could be deadly. Their target ranges alter with changes in temperature and pressure. When preparing an airplane for flight, you must read a maintenance graph. The second lesson of...
Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—Eighth Grade
Middle schoolers are likely very familiar with the concept of bullying and cliques. Discuss their experiences and brainstorm ways to handle peer conflict and feelings of exclusion with a poem that focuses on bullying, and a second lesson...
Curated OER
Even/Odds Game
Using a game format, learners review what they know about theoretical probability. As they roll tetrahedron dice, they record their results as odd or even. Afterwards, they discuss their findings.
CCSS Math Activities
Smarter Balanced Sample Items: 6th Grade Math – Target F
Why does one person need 58 peaches; isn't that a bit excessive? This classic math dilemma offers pupils a chance to turn a word problem into an algebraic equation. Grade 6 Claim 1 Item Slide Shows includes this problem as part of a...
Virginia Department of Education
Classifying Angles
Don't be obtuse, this geometry unit is the just the right resource for educating the acute young minds in your class. From classifying and measuring angles, to determining the congruence of shapes, this...
Macmillan Education
Card Games: Irregular Verbs
Who says learning grammar can't be fun? Focusing on commonly used irregular verbs, this pair of card games helps young grammarians learn different tenses for verbs that fail to follow the regular rules of conjugation.