Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hearts in Motion

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars participate in cardiovascular activities. In this physical education lesson, students are divided into groups and brainstorm activities to get their heart rate up. Young scholars demonstrate the activity for classmates.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kitty Tunes

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students compare cat calls. In this wildlife lesson, students listen to cat calls and compose their own raps that feature the calls of Florida panthers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mittens! Mittens

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the warmth of different mittens.  For this cold weather clothes lesson, students decide which pair of mittens are the warmest. Students record and discuss their results. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Friendship Hearts

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create friendship hearts for Valentine's Day. In this holiday lesson, students make paper hearts out of construction paper. They write compliments for other students and hang it on crepe paper above their desk. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Celebrating Heroes That Surround Us

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the concept of a hero. They write in journals to find definitions and create hero symbols. Also students conduct research to create a banner of quotations made by famous heroes who fall under the definition generated...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Ancient Greek and Roman Festival

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders label a map of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations and do a written report on one element of these two cultures. They participate in discussions of food, farming, daily life and government (among others). Students use the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Family and Me

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders observe and record the activities of the ant colony at various times of the day. They report on observations and discuss the role of cooperation and contributions to a family unit. They compare the social structure of ants.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lessons from The Lorax

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students read and watch a video of The Lorax by Dr. Suess. As a class, they answer a set of questions about how the environment was affected by industries. They also brainstorm a list of possible solutions to help curb the pollution.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Multiple Intelligences and The Illinois & Michigan Canal

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders engage in a wide variety of cross-curricular activities designed to give them a thorough understanding of the history of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. There are a very nice set of activities included in this plan!
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Acadie -- Alive and Well!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students examine the culture of Acadian through the paintings of Robert Harris. Using the internet, they read examples of Acadian history through primary source documents. As a class, they continue to share stories orally by pretending...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spy on a Spider

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students view slides or live specimens to name and describe the distinguishing features of groups of arthropods, especially spiders and insects. They complete worksheets, observe webs and then search for and record where spiders can be...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creatures from Planet X: Spiders

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students are given a description of some fascinating animals from "Planet X". They follow the descriptions given to illustrate one of these animals paying careful attention to introduced vocabulary such as 'appendages', 'receptors', and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simply Unique

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners identify, compare and contrast simple machines and their functions. They work together in groups to complete experiments using the simple machines. They write in their journals to reflect on the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rain Forests

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students watch a PowerPoint presentation about the layers of the rainforest. They create a paper rainforest in the classroom. They take notes from the presentation and write a paragraph to include in a layer book. They create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lessons From the Lorax

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students read and discuss Dr. Seuss's The Lorax. They explore the changes the characters could have made to preserve the environment and relate the plot to real-world places and events.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why We Communicate

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Young scholars identify the three common reasons for communication: information, persuasion, and entertainment. They create media messages for different purposes and develop a purpose of message shapes and how it helps shape the message.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bird Banter

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Learners listen to examples of common bird songs of birds found in Illinois. As a class, they discover the importance between the differences in songs and calls. They practice making their own bird calls and songs to end the lesson plan.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cultural Characteristics

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students are introduced to the various types of cultures found in the world. Using the internet, they research a culture they are interested in and answer comprehension questions. In groups, they demonstrate in a PowerPoint presentation...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Habitats

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore animal lifestyles by researching their characteristics. In this animal habitat lesson, students read the story Over in the Jungle and analyze the animal illustrations in the book. Students create clay animal characters...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mexico

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Learners complete a unit about the geography and culture of Mexico. They compare and contrast the weather of their own city and Mexico, read books about Mexico, count in Spanish, color in a flag of Mexico and the Mexican Coat of Arms,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Famous Figures in History

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students investigate famous people in U.S. history. In this American history lesson, students read about famous people such as Helen Keller and Einstein. Students think of ways they might become famous.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Regions: Meet the Experts Presentation

For Teachers K - 4th
Students gather information and create a web site on prairies and plains using a variety of resources, including the internet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Do Salt Trucks Do?

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students predict what will happen to ice when salt is put on it. They make observations and discuss what actually happened to the ice. They relate their experiment to the salt trucks they see on the street.