University of Minnesota
Virtual Neurons
It's electric! Young anatomists use Virtual Neurons software to build, control, and analyze complex nerve circuits within the body. Colorful and packed with content, class members enjoy interacting with the nervous system at a personal...
Curated OER
Animal Self-portrait Mosaics: A Visual Arts Elective
Out-lined here is a two-week procedure that has the class creating ceramic animal tiles that are metaphorical representations of their own personalities. They discuss animal images found throughout history, what they mean, metaphor, and...
Savvas Learning
"The Digestive Process Begins" and "Final Digestion and Absorption"
Want your class to digest text more thoroughly? Middle schoolers learn about the digestive system in the lesson and reinforce informational text reading skills through a variety of strategies. They engage in a close reading approach,...
Texas Heart Institute
Exercise: What Kinds of Activities Are Best?
What happens in the muscles during anaerobic and aerobic exercise, and how does this affect the heart and our overall health? A cross-curricular lesson that introduces learners to the lifelong benefits of exercise, including the ability...
Curated OER
References to Antiquity in Visual Arts (1848 - 1914)
Examine the Latin and Greek language and civilization during the 19th century by exploring the mediums available then. Students examine scenes related to Greek and Roman literature and compare and contrast them.
Curated OER
The Strength of the Muscular System
Seventh graders investigate the strength of the muscular system. They explore voluntary and involuntary muscle movement and discuss the types of muscles: cardiac or heart, skeletal, and smooth. They visit stations to answer questions...
Curated OER
Skeletal System
Seventh graders explore the functions of the skeletal system. They collaborate in small groups to determine the function of the skeletal system, the types of joints and movement, bone strength and growth, and bone injuries including...
Curated OER
Remembering the Respiratory System
Sixth graders analyze the components of the respiratory system. In this respiratory system lesson, 6th graders participate in hands on experiments and activities to identify the functions of the major organs of the respiratory system.
Curated OER
The Solar System
Learners describe the different bodies that make up our solar system, explain the place of our solar system within the Milky Way Galaxy and the universe, explain day and night and the Earth's movement, and describe the relationship...
Curated OER
The Nervous System Lesson
Students identify features of the nervous system. They explore the needs of the human body by explaining the importance of good health in relationship to the body and explain the functions and care of the human body and its organs.
Curated OER
Journey To The Solar System
Third graders engage in a lesson to find different facts and connect them to the concept of the solar system. They conduct research using the technology integration of the internet. Using the information the students create a classroom...
Curated OER
The Metric System
Students, via the newspaper, practice standard and metric measurement.
Curated OER
Making and Using a Gel Person to Teach Human Anatomy
Students investigate organs, anatomical planes and transverse sections of the human body using gel people. In this human anatomy lesson plan, students use gel molds, gel and food items to make models of the human body. They create a...
Curated OER
Drawing an Elephant-- Grid System
In this art instructional activity, students learn to draw a detailed picture of an elephant by using a grid system. Students use a grid to position each body part as they recreate the picture on their own grid paper.
Curated OER
The Heart of the Matter
Upper elementary pupils learn about the blood transportation system and anatomy of the human heart. They fill in an outline of the human heart (not included) focusing on the flow of blood to and from the heart. Using stethoscopes, they...
Curated OER
Air, Air Everywhere! Lesson 2: Acid Rain
Middle school environmentalists record the pH of four different liquids, including two aerosol cleaning products. They liken the products to acid rain and speculate in writing which might affect the human respiratory system. Although...
Curated OER
Writing Exercises; Belief Systems
This cross-curricular assignment could easily accompany a religious studies or imperialism unit. Prior research is required, as historians compare and contrast major religions and describe religious expansion with regard to contributors...
Curated OER
Lesson: Paul Chan: Alternumeric Fonts
Learning to analyze language, symbols, and codes is part of becoming a deep and critical thinker. Young analysts consider their ability to see hidden messages as they analyze the work of Paul Chan. There are two fully developed...
Curated OER
Decoding the First Alphabets: Not as Simple as A, B, C
Explore early writing systems and their significance in understanding the development of past civilizations. In groups, learners research early writing systems and then present their findings to the rest of the class. They teach their...
Curated OER
Reading Strategies
Good readers have internalized a system of strategies to understand text. While most reading programs explicitly teach these strategies, this presentation could be used as a discussion starter to help students understand such things as...
Museum of Science
Virtual Heart
No more beating the pavement to find a virtual model of the human heart. See one in continual real-time motion, and layer it to highlight electrical impulses, blood flow, and valve activity.
Curated OER
Scale Activities
How do you put something as large as the universe in perspective? Use a series of scale experiments. Classmates collaborate around four experiments to examine the scale of the earth-moon system, our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy,...
National WWII Museum
Picturing the War in the Pacific: A Visual Time Line
The Pacific theater was critical to the Allied victory of World War II. Learners deconstruct the sequence of events around the conflict using stunning photographs. After they finish, pupils consider what additional dates and images they...
Curated OER
Measuring Volume/Capacity Using the Metric System
There is more than one way to measure an amount, as learners discover by applying multiple measurement tools in these activities. Centimeter cubes, cylinders, beakers, and measuring cups are used to find the volume of regular and...