Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

This Is How the World Ends: Coronal Mass Ejections/Space Storms

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Is this the end of the world as we know it? Pupils prepare for a coronal mass ejection during a instructional activity from the K20 Center. The activity combines video and Internet research in a collaborative assignment that focuses on...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Shanking A Shark: Shark Dissection

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Sharks are so cool, they have their own week! Take young zoologists on a journey into one of the most amazing creatures on the planet. A lesson plan the from K20 Center engages them in a full dissection. After the lab, participants...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Parched Plains: Weather And Climate

For Teachers 6th - 8th
How do meteorologists differentiate between droughts and dry spells? Introduce the concepts of weather forecasting and prediction with an insightful research-based lesson plan from the K20 series. Partners synthesize individual research...
Handout
PBS

Democracy in Action: Freedom Riders

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
This is a must-have resource for every social studies teacher covering the civil rights movement. Through an engaging video and detailed viewing guide, young historians learn about the Freedom Riders, and discover how everyday...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Accidents Happen: Seat Belt Laws, Enforcement, and Usage

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Start with a NOVA video about car crashes, crash test dummy footage, or other video about seat belt use. Or have groups review attached data about seat belt usage (by state) and share their conclusions. Learners then devise a method to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Surviving AIDS

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Enhance your middle and high schoolers' research skills with this lesson. After viewing a video clip about HIV and AIDS, high schoolers identify the facts and issues surrounding the disease. They work together to create a newspaper...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Much Will You Have When You Retire?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine how a 401(k) plan operates. They discover the implications of retiring early or late. They use the internet to research different retirement plans. Handouts are included.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Insurgency In Iraq: A Quandary for the U.S.

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read articles, conduct Internet research and participate in a mock debate to explore the pros and cons of withdrawing from Iraq or remaining in conflict with the insurgency. They consider the difficulties of consensus building...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Everest The Death Zone

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students watch a video about climbers on Mount Everest. In groups, they complete experiments in which they determine the concentration of oxygen in the air. They make predictions before beginning the experiment and complete a worksheet...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oil Crisis: What Would You Do?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The dynamics between the economies and politics of the United States and the Middle East are here to study. Upper graders read and discuss scenarios relating to OPEC and the current oil crisis, then in small groups role-play members of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is the Nature of Science?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Conduct a survey about the nature of science with your high schoolers. They will record their responses in a table and then discuss the implications of scientific theory. Note: There are activity sheets, and forms included with this lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Progressive Era: Public Pressure and Government Actions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read sections of the novel, "The Jungle". They identify the problems of the meat industry during the Progressive Era. They discuss food concerns of today and make connections between the two time periods.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 5: Technology: Conveniences and Consequences

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students identify positive and negative impacts of technology. In this technological advancements activity, students consider how toxic pollution affects the Earth and its inhabitants. Students participate in 3 activities that allow them...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

NOVA Online/Pyramids/Explore the Pyramids

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Much like an app, this resource combines 360 degree images and photos to permit users to take a interactive, virtual tour of the pyramids, the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, and more. Users can zoom in on features, rotate images, locate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Miss America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The first part of this article by PBS on the Miss America pageants can be used in a health class when it's time to talk about body image. There are links to related articles. There are some great questions for discussion. There are ideas...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Crocodiles

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Work on research procedures in this lesson, which prompts writers to collect and evaluate information pooled from a number of sources. They work in teams to collect information about crocodiles from different sources. They compare the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lost on Everest

For Teachers 5th - 12th
What would it be like to be stranded on Mount Everest? Curious learners view a video clip, test common fabrics to see how they stand up to cold, and develop/answer discussion questions. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Truth, War and Consequences"

For Teachers 9th - 12th
View a film called "Truth, War and Consequences," available for purchase on PBS, with your class. They answer comprehension questions and practice their critical thinking skills as well. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Persuaders

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Have your upper graders watch the documentary, "The Persuaders" as they explore how advertisers try to gain potential customers. The video is followed by a discussion and close examination of new marketing trends and strategies.
Lesson Plan
Frontline

Obama's Deal

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Government classes benefit from examining how a bill passes through Congress, while they focus on the compromises made by Obama's administration regarding health care reform. This includes an online video and a couple of handouts. The...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Technology: Conveniences and Consequences

For Teachers 8th - 12th
It's a delicate balance—using technology to improve our lives while still protecting the environment, and ourselves, from the hazards of technology use. Class members examine statistics about the increase in media use, complete a survey...
Article
PBS

Sherpas on Everest

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Every successful climb of Mount Everest can be attributed to the assistance of the local Sherpas. A short, informative article explains the history behind the Sherpa's involvement in Mount Everest expeditions, the physiological reasons...
Article
PBS

Tiger of the Snows: Tenzing Norgay

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa man who made history when he reached the summit of Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, is the focus of an informative article. Class members read about Norgay's perspective on the way up the mountain, the...
Lesson Plan
PBS

NOVA Cloud Lab Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A sign that washed away from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 beached itself 3,595 miles away in France. This artifact and others from around the world help scientists understand water currents and the far-reaching impact of hurricanes. Scholars...