Curated OER
"Hard Luck" La Salle
Fourth graders examine life of French explorer, La Salle, and how he impacted settlement of Texas and the establishment of Catholic missions in Texas; students write letters from the perspective of an explorer.
Curated OER
A Visit to Japan
Studnets complete a variety of activities as they develop an awareness and appreciation of Japanese culture: geography, food, homes, holidays, celebrations, education, games, etc.
Curated OER
To Protect and Preserve
Students discuss the impact of war on the Iraqi National Museum and the importance of protecting artifacts of cultural heritage. They write letters to the Milwaukee Public Museum to show support for funding for the protection of the...
Curated OER
Digital Poetry Books
Learners, after reviewing the writing process and assessing how to use a digital camera to take creative photos, create a Digital Poetry Book. They incorporate the use of Microsoft Photo Draw and Publisher for the creation of their...
Curated OER
Plasma 101
Students examine the definitions and characteristics of plasma. After reading an article, they analyze new technologies to study plasma. In groups, they create a poster on how the different types of plasma work and write letters to their...
Curated OER
Spanish in English
What do the words alligator, armadillo, and cockroach all have in common? Each one is an English word with Spanish origins. Introduce young etymologists to the joys of discovering word origins with a lesson that asks them to create a...
Curated OER
The Desert Alphabet Book
Students explore world geography by researching a science book with their classmates. In this desert identification lesson, students utilize a U.S. map to locate the geographical locations of deserts. Students create an oral report based...
Curated OER
Of Power and Politics
Learners consider the problems and issues that arise when a government has more than one person at the head of the government and explore the possibility of China's military chief's resignation by reading and discussing the article...
Curated OER
Tobacco and Organisms
Young scholars work in teams to design and carry out experiments which show the effects of tobacco / nicotine on organisms. They write reports which are submitted to "The Company" and prepare oral reports which are presented to the class.
Curated OER
Geometry Library
Fifth graders write and illustrate books to make a class library of math term books. They utilize vocabulary associated with geometry to make their books. For example, one character may be, Mr. A Cute.
Curated OER
Vivid Adjectives
Students review adjectives and play a game where students compete to see who can write the most adjectives for a given noun. They write a story about one topic and try to use a variety of adjectives in sequence tto describe a noun.
Curated OER
Our Savage Planet in the News
Students research volcanoes, storms, atmospheric conditions and extreme environments. They collect information and create a simulation of a science newscast. They watch a video and write a letter as an eyewitness to an avalanche.
Curated OER
Focus on Food Chains
Third graders collect and analyze data about food chains. They conduct Internet research about the habitat of a selected organism, write a narrative, and create a computer slideshow using Kid Pix computer software that illustrates the...
Curated OER
Operation Immigration
Fifth graders create a digital scrapbook depicting the life and journey of an immigrant to the United States. Individuals will use the internet as a tool to research immigration in the U.S., and videos and guest speakers help students...
Curated OER
Camp Expedition
Young scholars select an animal to research that lives in the camp environment. Students spend time using books and the Internet to research their animals, including size and appearance. Young scholars create a mural to depict the...
Curated OER
Fountain Pen Makes a Comeback in Scotland
Students read and discuss a news article about a school in Scotland that is using fountain pens to write with. They answer article comprehension questions, participate in a discussion about the importance of handwriting, write their...
Curated OER
Alphabetical Autobiography PowerPoint
Sixth graders produce an autobiography, They complete a PowerPoint including one graphic image on each slide, and a subtle or moderate animation. They include 26 slides for each letter of the alphabet, use note pages to present...
Curated OER
The Sonnet Challenge
Students are given information about two popular sonnet forms-English and Italian. They are given the rules for writing a sonnet. Students are asked what type of sonnet they would use. They are each given a sheet of paper and asked...
Curated OER
The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Collage Technique
First graders listen to the story The Hungry Caterpillar, then sequentially organize their own re-writing and re-creating of the story. They construct illustrations for their book using the collage technique Eric Carle used in his...
Curated OER
Working Together to Improve Our Community
Students from the fourth grade research a solution to a community problem and converse with eighth graders via email. Eighth graders study the political process and work with the fourth graders to present information to the public to...
Curated OER
My Car Has Potential
Seventh graders investigate how changes in the mass or height of a ramp can affect the change in potential energy. They discuss the concepts of work and energy, then using the four question strategy, they design an experiment that...
Curated OER
The Stroop Effect
Young scholars explore the specific areas of the brain that process different types of information. They examine processing conflicts. Students participate in a hands-on minds-on activity using the Stroop Effect. They design...
Curated OER
Surviving Extremes
Students examine the potential health dangers of mountain climbing in high altitudes and deep-sea diving. They write a health and safety column for a fictional magazine about extreme outdoor sports that explains the risks involved in...
Curated OER
Digging for Dirt
Students examine how trash is removed and evaluate statistics related to trash removal. In this trash removal lesson, students explore the different methods of trash removal and make an original diagram graphing statistical information....