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Effects of Oil Spills on Environment and Marine Life
Students explore oceanography by conducting an environmental experiment in class. For this oil spill lesson, students discuss the human need for oil and what is at stake when we drill for oil in our oceans. Students read a book in class...
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Marine Debris
Students perform experiments to examine if debris float, or blow in the wind. The effects of these characteristics on the marine debris are then discussed. They determine how a material can influence what becomes marine debris.
Smithsonian Institution
Art to Zoo: Life in the Promised Land: African-American Migrants in Northern Cities, 1916-1940
This is a fantastic resource designed for learners to envision what it was like for the three million African-Americans who migrated to urban industrial centers of the northern United States between 1910 and 1940. After reading a...
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Designing a Germination Experiment
Students explore botany by participating in a seed experiment. In this plant nutrition lesson, students define several science experiment vocabulary terms like observation, treatment, and replicate. Students utilize soaked seeds in a...
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Personal Experience Narratives
Help your middle schoolers identify personal experience narratives in their own lives through telling stories themselves and from family members or other adults. They study personal experience narratives in Swapping Stories and compare...
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The Life Cycle of the Mealworm
Fourth graders provide a habitat for live mealworms and observe their life cycle. In this animal life cycle and scientific inquiry lesson, 4th graders create a habitat for a live mealworm and observe and record related data as it grows....
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Using Prior Knowledge from Personal Experiences-Understanding Duke Ellington
Students research the life of Duke Ellington. For this music history lesson, students draw comparisons between the early life experiences of Duke Ellington and themselves. Students work in small groups to compare Ellington's resistance...
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African American Experiences: Window to the Past
Students examine African life during slavery on the Internet. In this slavery lesson, students use the Internet to research slavery and create a scrapbook. Students review pictures of slavery and label them as primary or secondary sources.
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A Day in the Life of a Homeless Person
Learners examine the day in the life of a homeless person. In this humanitarian lesson, students examine the life of a homeless person while discovering the importance of social justice in our society.
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The Art and Science of Impressionist Color
Discover Impressionist painting as learners investigate the 19th century combinations of colors characteristically used. Students experiment with their own paintings, utilizing primary and secondary colors.
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Digital Storytelling
Scholars of all ages can use the various tools of technology to construct and illustrate a story. Utilizing this resource, learners work with a partner to brainstorm and draft a story based on personal experience. They use computer...
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What is Air?
Young scholars investigate air by participating in a class experiment. In this matter measurement lesson, students identify air as a gas which consists of mass. Young scholars utilize a windsock or balloon to measure oxygen and explore...
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Populations and Life Cycles
Students explore biology by researching ocean statistics. In this data analysis instructional activity, students conduct a snail examination experiment utilizing live pouch snails. Students collect data about the snails over the course...
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A Rat's Life
Here is a two-page worksheet on rats and mice. Learners answer nine true/false questions about rats and mice, then compose answers to seven short-answer questions about these two rodents. Finally, they must compose a fictional story...
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Pennies of My Life Part II
Youngsters write and construct their own autobiographies based on The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis. They engage in pre-writing steps, narrative writing, and peer editing. This is the second part of a two-part project...
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Water Cycle
Young scientists explore Earth elements by conducting an experiment. They define water vocabulary terms such as condensation and precipitation. In addition, they conduct a water experiment in which they build a terrarium, so they can...
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Fossil Fuels: Facing the Issues
Students explore energy by researching fuel usage on Earth. In this fossil fuel lesson, students define fossil fuels, the energy created by burning them, and the impact on the environment when using them. Students conduct pollution...
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Rubber Duckies and Ocean Currents
Students explore marine life by conducting a rubber duck experiment. In this water currents lesson plan, students practice identifying latitude and longitude coordinates on a map and define the currents of major oceans. Students discuss...
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Gandhi's Childhood Experience of Truth and Nonviolence
Fourth graders investigate philosophy by researching the life of Mahatma Gandhi. For this historical biography lesson, 4th graders examine the peaceful philosophy of India's most famous resident. Students participate in role-playing...
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Water is Life, Water is Poetry Seminar
Young scholars participate in a discussion about water and create water-inspired poetry. In this poetry lesson, students demonstrate a memorable experience involving water by constructing a poem.
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Under Pressure: How Deep Can They Dive?
Students explore geography by conducting an in-class experiment. In this deep sea exploration lesson, students identify the different zones of the ocean and utilize water bottles, masking tape and scissors to conduct a water pressure...
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What is Density?
Students explore physical science by conducting an in-class experiment. In this density activity, students define vocabulary terms dealing with physics and discuss their knowledge of density. Students conduct several "sink or float"...
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A Pixie Biography Report
Students practice biographical writing after completing research on the subject. For this journalism lesson, students read a story of an important person's life and discuss the important moments along the way. Students utilize their...
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Writing American Diaries
Young scholars examine the concept of historical perspective in writing. They read the diary of Sally Wister, a young Patriot from Philadelphia during the Revolutionary Era. Additionally, they must include different points of view in...