Curated OER
Inside the Crater
Learners explore and analyze what's inside the crater of an active volcano. They research the history of powerful eruptions and how they have helped to make our planet what it is today. Each student then illustrates, designs and...
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Insect or Arachnid?
Students compare and contrast the characteristics of insects and arachnids through research, observation, and discussion. They write accurate statements describing insect and arachnid life cycles and anatomies. Afterward, they listen as...
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Art: Hot Air Balloon Replicas
Learners investigate the science behind hot air balloon flight. In a lecture and demonstration, they observe how helium-filled balloons are affected by the wind. Using basic household items such as newspaper, paper cups, and balloons,...
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Glowing Constellations
Students conduct their research to creating an artistic image that shows what their constellation represents. They demonstrate their ability to represent data in their own artistic manner. Afterward, they recognize constellations both...
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The Solar System
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concept of the solar system and they conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to create the context for class discussion and material to create...
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Fragile Reefs
Students research how coral reefs form, where they are located, and what plant and animal species find shelter in reefs, build and display diorama to represent coral and animals that live in coral reef, and participate in discussion...
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Flying Bird Fact-Finds
Students investigate how to recognize, feed, and shelter backyard birds, design paper birds similar to one local species, and design and construct three-dimensional mobiles to display interesting facts and information they gather about...
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Falling Leaves Poetry Spinners
Why settle for autumn leaves as classroom decorations when you could use autumn poetry? After taking a nature walk and collecting fall artifacts, including seed pods and fallen leaves, learners demonstrate the movement of the season with...
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Erase Threats to Endangered Animals
Students research endangered animals, identify threats to their survival, and brainstorm ways to erase those threats. They use measuring skills and problem-solving strategies to create and bind informational books.
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Eight Arms & Counting
Students identify the unique characteristics of the octopus. Then they fashion a model of this unique sea creature. Students also imaginatively decorate their model octopus. Finally, they research the different functions of the octopus's...
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Earthquake Detector
Students investigate earthquakes and describe the interactions inside the Earth that cause them to occur. Then they research the equipment and systems for detection and measurement of earthquakes. Students also build and engage in a...
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Diving Whale Sculpture
Students identify two types of whales: toothed whales and baleen whales, and understand that whales come to the surface for air. Then they recognize that whales are mammals (they nurse their young and are warm-blooded). Students also...
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Diving the Deep
Children research plant and animal components of marine ecosystem, visualize undersea life, and picture themselves wearing scuba-diving equipment needed to explore underwater. Students then create underwater scene in which they explore...
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Desert Drama
Young scholars read both fiction and nonfiction books with desert themes. Then they write desert stories and reports, reviewing texts for information to include in writing. Students also design desert scenes with details and setting...
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Deep Inside a Cavern
Students describe how different types of caves and their physical features were formed. They distinguish between stalactites and stalagmites (stalactites grow down from the roof of a cave and stalagmites grow up from the floor)....
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Barrels and Buckets: Access to Water - What Would It Be Like to Live in Africa?
Learners compare water access in the United States with that of Africa. In this water access lesson, students located Ghana and Kenya on a globe before reading Peace Corps Volunteer accounts of the difficulty of accessing clean water....
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Carbon Atom Mobile
Students research the element of carbon, its composition, and the importance of carbon to life on earth. Then they design model mobiles of carbon atoms to demonstrate their understanding of the configuration of protons, neutrons, and...
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Butterfly Snack Shack
Learners research butterflies and their life cycle, record facts about butterflies such as what they eat, where they rest, and how long they live, gather information about how to attract butterflies to their yards and gardens, and create...
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Bringing Rain
Students research folklore and scientific information about rain and water cycles. Then they communicate their understanding of water cycles by creating mobiles showing each stage. Students also write their own folk tales, explaining the...
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Birth of Islands
Students conduct research in groups to build real or imaginary islands, accurately presenting its location on earth, its features, climactic conditions, how plant and animal life reached the island, and what life is found there. They...
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Studying our Senses
Who would not want an opportunity to taste jellybeans in class? During this investigation, life science learners hold their noses as they take a taste test and find that our perception of flavor is connected with our sense of smell. In...
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Template for Science Jeopardy
A pre-programmed Jeopardy-style presentation awaits your personalization. You get to choose the topics for the five different categories and create your own questions for each. Just plug them into the correct spots on each slide and you...
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Food Chain
Fourth graders explore the concept of food chains. In this food chain lesson, 4th graders discuss what different animals eat and how they are all connected. Students explore a garden and the environment around them to find examples of a...
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Bird Brilliance!
First graders explore natural resources and search outdoors to find materials to create a bird's nest. In this bird's natural resources lesson, 1st graders listen to a book about birds and reflect on the various things birds use to...