Colorado Unit Writing Project
Simple Machines
Planning an elementary science unit has never been simpler! These twelve lessons guide young scientists through an exploration of simple machines and their many uses in the real world before asking them to apply their learning...
Curated OER
Household Tools
Students explore parts of a system. In this simple machines lesson, students discover that simple machines are composed of two or more systems. Students examine household tools and assess the parts of the system.
K12 Reader
Converting Energy to Motion
Combine science and reading skills with a reading comprehension exercise. Kids read four paragraphs about energy conversion and answer some reading comprehension questions about the information they have read.
Curated OER
Listening to Learn: Podcasting as an Assessment Tool
Learners use podcasting and iPods to take tests rather than reading. In this podcasting lesson plan, students learn how to use a podcast rather than have a test read to them.
PAW Scotland
Life Cycle Spinner
Your learners can make a spinner that shows each phase of the life cycle. They'll draw or glue images that illustrate each phase of the life cycle, and then they'll cut out the top circle to create a spinner.
Virginia Department of Education
Weather Patterns and Seasonal Changes
Get your class outside to observe their surroundings with a lesson highlighting weather patterns and seasonal changes. First, learners take a weather walk to survey how the weather affects animals, people, plants, and trees during...
August House
The Archer and the Sun
Reinforce reading comprehension with a instructional activity about The Archer and the Sun, a Chinese folktale. Kids learn some background information about Chinese culture before reading the story, and answer literacy...
K12 Reader
What’s the Forecast?
A reading comprehension passage is illustrative for both language arts and earth science skills. Using context clues, learners find out how to predict the weather using various tools. They then answer five reading questions about what...
Curated OER
Air and Weather
Second graders study Earth's materials. In this air and weather lesson, 2nd graders note changes in the weather and examine tools that help us study the weather. Students analyze how changes in the environment make changes in the...
Curated OER
Race the Track! Design Challenge
Students use the design process to investigate physical science. For this force and motion lesson, design a track to achieve a specified outcome. Students complete additional experiments with speed and distance. Students...
Curated OER
Building Brilliant Bar Graphs
Everything you need for a mini-unit on bar graphs is included in this lesson plan! It outlines three lessons and includes worksheets. Learners taste pretzels, shoot baskets (switching off hands), and grab candy, graphing results...
John Lentine
Butterflies and Bugs
Symmetry, line, shape, art, and math are all connected through a fun hands-on craft. Included are instructions to a classic activity, where learners create butterflies to show symmetry in nature and then discuss symmetry in math. It is...
Curated OER
Round-Robin Reading Quiz
Small groups of learners read text round-robin style, and then work individually to answer three questions based on the text. Next, they share their questions and responses and add ideas from the group. The reading strategies detailed...
Curated OER
Investigating Crickets and Their Body Parts
Second graders investigate the body of a cricket. In this biology lesson students use tools to gain information about the insect the cricket. Students observe and identify features and describe how these features help the cricket live in...
Curated OER
Creepy Crawlies
Second graders study the world of insects. They join Greenpatch Kids, an organization of young people who are interested in nature and want to protect our environment. In addition, the students assess use of technology as a valuable...
Curated OER
Importance of Fresh Vegetables and Fruits in Our Diets
Students explore the importance of fruits and vegetables in our diets. In this science lesson, students discuss various types of fruits and vegetables. Students play the good health=good diet game. Students discuss types of fruits and...
Curated OER
Recycling and Composting
Learners set up composting sites that allow food scraps and paper to be recycled by nature. They are introduced to one aspect of recycling; composting. Students see how God recycles as the worms change garbage into something that brings...
Education Outside
Seed Saving
After a discussion of the factors that affect seed germination, class groups harvest and preserve seeds from the school garden.
Curated OER
Are You One Of Us?
Students discover how to classify things based on their similarities and differences. Students give the characteristics of insects and create a classification list. Given examples of various types of insects, students classify them...
Curated OER
The Magic of Cranberries
Young scholars research climatic and soil conditions for growing cranberries and illustrate how cranberries grow. They research how cranberries are used past and present and create an a-b-c book on cranberries.
Curated OER
Making E-Books in the Kindergarten Classroom
Students produce e-books using themselves and their physical surroundings to demonstrate content standards, such as number sense or color recognition. They provide evidence using a digital camera, props, and the presentation tool.
Curated OER
Work Made Easy
Second graders maneuver placement of the fulcrum on the lever to see how to lift weight most easily. They role-play as archaeologists with the task of lifting a heavy rock from the dig site. They write in science journals about what...
Curated OER
Clouds
Students study how to use the Internet as a static information collection tool, to enhance the literature stories on the weather and study how to use the calculator.
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students study the water cycle and states of matter. In this water cycle instructional activity, students observe ice for a period of time and record their observations. Students create a Venn Diagram comparing water in solid form and...