Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Mars Opposition Dance

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Your class will watch as one child orbits the sun as Earth, while another orbits as Mars. If the timing is right, they will see the repetitive dance between the two planets and discover how often they are opposite from each other. For...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

What's on a Penny?

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
As a lesson on scientific observation, have your class investigate the features of a penny and a nickel. Working in pairs, they practice writing detailed descriptions using their senses and a ruler to gather information. This is an...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
How many times have you traveled around the sun? Aspiring astronomers grasp what a year is and they differentiate between orbit and rotation by walking around the sun right within your classroom. Place a lamp in the center of the room to...
Lesson Plan
3
3
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Moon Phases

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
We are the world! Each of your class members models Earth and holds a styrofoam ball to see its phases. Thorough teacher background information and a detailed lesson plan will make this a cinch to teach. If you do not want to purchase...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Longer Days, Shorter Nights

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
A lamp, four globes, and some signs taped around the room are all you need to set up a solar system simulation for teaching how Earth's tilted axis creates the seasons. (Sticky dots are also needed, but not mentioned in the materials...
Lesson Plan
3
3
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Earth's Rotation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
After completing the activity, "Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year," zoom in on Earth's rotation using the same simulation setup and this outline. Each class member dons a map of the Western Hemisphere and plays the part of...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Birthday Stars

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Space explorers take a virtual trip around the sun right within your classroom! They stand in a circle facing away from the "sun" (a lamp) in the center of the room. As they move according to your instructions, they view different...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Ice is nice, and its condition on the planet has a significant effect. Junior geoscientists experiment with ice melting in both water and on land to discover how each affect the rising sea level. This detailed lesson outline even...
Interactive3:10
Scholastic

Study Jams! The Senses: Hearing

For Students 4th - 9th Standards
How does this sound? It's a rockin' video starring two teenage girls talking about music, hearing, and the ear. Listeners hear that the ear does not only gather sound waves, but also helps us maintain balance. They also will get an...
Interactive
Scholastic

Study Jams! Roots and Stems

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Six slides come with information about roots and stems. In addition to the slide show, find a seven-question, multiple choice quiz and vocabulary guide. As a homework assignment, get your class to view the slides, take the quiz, print...
Interactive
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1
Scholastic

Study Jams! The Digestive System

For Students 4th - 9th Standards
Mostly made up of colorful diagrams, this presentation winds through the digestive system. Beginning with the mouth, passing by the liver, and then leaving the body, viewers examine the length of the digestive system on captioned slides....
Interactive
Scholastic

Study Jams! Invertebrates

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
Stringed instruments play as viewers explore ocean invertebrates through nine nicely flowing slides. The captions describe the eight phyla: cnidaria, flatworms, roundworms, segmented worms, mollusks, arthropods,and enchinoderms. During...
Interactive3:53
Scholastic

Study Jams! Biomes

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Do you know the difference between a biome and an ecosystem? Teach elementary ecologists exactly what a biome is with this captivating cartoon! It discusses six biomes: taiga, tundra, deciduous forest, desert, tropical rainforest, and...
Interactive3:22
Scholastic

Study Jams! Plant Adaptations

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Mia video chats with Sam from Hawaii! They talk about plant adaptations that allow them to live in particular environments. Examples include the flexible stems and leaves, or floating seeds and flowers of aquatic plants. The adaptive...
Interactive3:19
Scholastic

Study Jams! Food Webs

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Rhinozilla is back to take your lesson plan on trophic levels a step higher! After showing the video on food chains (available through the See All Related Jams button), add to it by showing this one. It deals with omnivores and food...
Interactive3:03
Scholastic

Study Jams! Photosynthesis

For Students 4th - 7th Standards
One friend explains to another that plants combine water and carbon dioxide with the energy of the sun to produce sugar and oxygen. She mentions the roles of the roots, chloroplasts, and stomata in an engaging video that reviews how...
Activity
Curated OER

Human Body Series - Bones, Muscles, and Joints

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Strengthen understanding of the musculoskeletal system with a structured lesson! Begin with a discussion of bones, joints, and muscles. Have small groups read assigned articles and watch videos to gather information and then write a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Body Series - Cardiovascular System

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Pump up your class while studying the cardiovascular system with this pair of activities. In one, learners record heart rates during different actions. In the second, they read kid-friendly heart health articles online and then write a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Body Series - Digestive System

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
With articles entitled, "What's Puke?" and "What is a Fart?" this digestive system instructional activity is sure to be a gas! Elementary anatomists do a belly dance to illustrate how food moves through the digestive system and then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Whale of Importance to the Arctic People

For Teachers 1st - 6th
The bowhead whale of the Arctic region is of great importance to the people that live there. Your class will brainstorm all they know about this wonderful whale and create an informational video, which they will share with the children...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Teaching the Life Cycle of a Butterfly Using the Kinesthetic Approach to Learning

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
The power of movement and silence is learned as small groups create a drama showcasing the life cycle of a butterfly.
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Staying Warm in Antarctica!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Has your class ever wondered how animals and scientists stay warm in the Polar Regions? Kids will investigate to understand the three types of heat transfer and how heat transfer affects those trying to stay toasty in sub-zero...
Lesson Plan
National Geographic

Expedition Clothing Then and Now

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Introduce your class to the Everest expedition to reenact a 1924 climb by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. Discuss and show pictures of the types of clothing worn at that time and compare it to today's state-of-the-art climbing gear....
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Growing Learners: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Investigating Plants and Flowers

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Engage young scientists in these inquiry-based lesson ideas to spring into learning about nature.