Curated OER
Using Chopsticks
Students students practice using chopsticks and play a game to improve skills. They discuss what they experience.
Curated OER
Chopsticks
Young scholars investigate the purpose and history of chopsticks and their use as a way of eating. In this social studies instructional activity, students gain insight into other cultural practices and learn to use chopsticks. Young...
Curated OER
Disposables and Deforestation
Ever think about the impact those cool disposable chopsticks have on the environment? Read about a group of students in Beijing who created a forest using nothing but tossed out chopsticks. Find out how this artistic endeavor is making a...
Curated OER
Traveling on the Sea of Gold: An Adventure in Japan Through Literature
Students explore the geography and culture of Japan through the story "Sea of Gold" by Yoshiko Uchida. They draw a travel poster of Japan, label a map of Japan, use chopsticks to eat Cheerios, read and discuss various books about Japan,...
Curated OER
Culture of China
Second graders explore the oral language of the Chinese, retell folk tales, and eat with chopsticks. They view a slide show of China to examine what life is like in China. They memorize three Chineses phrases and note three differences...
ARKive
Biodiversity and Evolution – Darwin’s Finches
Teens experience natural selection firsthand (or first beak) in an activity that has them act as finches foraging for food. Using different household items to act as different beak styles, your little finches will collect as much food...
Curated OER
The Fastest Pig in the West in the Classroom: Chopstick Tax
Students explore Chinese culture by reading a story with their class. In this Chinese economics lesson, students read a chapter from the story The Fastest Pig in the West and define the chopstick tax that was enacted in China. Students...
Curated OER
Chopsticks and Chinese Food Culture
Sixth graders discover why food is an important part of a culture. As a class, they practice the table manners used in China and identify the underlying values. They develop the skills to properly use chopsticks to end the lesson.
Curated OER
Ocean Exploration
Students explore whales. In this animal adaptation and whale lesson, students access prior knowledge about whales from previous lessons, then use background knowledge to predict the eating strategies of a baleen whale and a toothed...
Curated OER
You're Wearing Your Plants!
Students examine the many uses of plants and trees by looking at their clothing. They make lists of products that come from plants and trees and their uses.
Education Outside
Divine Dumplings
In a lesson that combines cooking, language arts, and social studies, learners create a delicious plate of dumplings for everyone to enjoy. After an initial discussion in the opening circle, pupils go to the cooking station and work...
Curated OER
Multiplication: Bugs Can Multiply, So Can I!
Develop multiplication skills with your class. Youngsters will visualize multiplication as repeated addition. Then they will create a multiplication bug book and discover arrays as a strategy for multiplication problem solving....
Curated OER
A Simple Model for Natural Selection
Do you have what it takes to survive as a fit predator or will elusive prey lead to your extinction? Find out in a creative natural selection activity. Using different colors and shapes of grains to represent different species and...
Curated OER
Beans, Beaks and Bears
Students explore evolution. After watching a video on evolution, students perform a variety of experiments using beans which illustrate the concept of evolution.
California Academy of Science
Academy Seafood Market and Fishery
What fishing method is the most sustainable? Find out through a fun, but meaningful game in which your little fishermen use different techniques to see what they catch. After the fishing activity is over, there are several discussion...
PBS
Helping Hand
Reach out and grab something. Given the task of picking up objects at least two feet away, pupils design and build a grabber. The last activity in a series of five challenges requires learners to use information about fulcrums and levers.
Curated OER
Nutrition: A Thematic Unit
Young learners explore nutrition and the food groups in these two mini-lesson plan ideas. First, kindergarteners have a discussion about their health and how different foods contribute to it before making their own personal food pyramid....
Curated OER
The Japanese Way
First graders complete a two-week introductory unit on Japan and Japanese culture. They compare/contrast Japanese and American lifestyles, watch videos, design an original kimono, eat Japanese food using chopsticks, fold Origami shapes,...
Have Fun Teaching
Compound Word List
Never run out of compound words to teach your pupils by keeping this list nearby! All 16 pages are made up of lists of words organized alphabetically.
Berkeley Engineering and Mentors
Darwin's Finches
Try a twist on the old finch beak and chopsticks activity by using M&Ms on a Twister mat. Spoons, knives, forks, and chopsticks represent beaks and are randomly assigned to your little birds, who must collect as much food as possible...
Curated OER
Fill The Bill
Students identify and describe five different types of beaks. Using that information, they explain how each of them is adapted to feed on different foods. In groups, they travel around the room to various stations in order to practice...
Curated OER
Bird Bodies
Students read about and explore the different types of birds. They discuss how all birds are alike and what makes some different from the others. They experiment picking up "food items" using different tools that represent different...
Curated OER
Learn How Baby Birds Survive
Students role play baby and mother owls. They learn how owls are fed and figure out which type of beak will work for different kinds of food. Students do this by using chopsticks, tweezers, forks and toothpicks to try and pick up...
Curated OER
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: Grasping the Idea of Evolution
Students compare and their performance of a series of tasks using their thumb and fingers to their performance of the same tasks without the use of their thumb. The class discussion that follows the activity defines and discusses the...