Noyce Foundation
Once Upon a Time
Examine the relationship between time and geometry. A series of five lessons provides a grade-appropriate problem from elementary through high school. Each problem asks learners to compare the movement of the hands on a clock to an angle...
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages
A lot of secrecy shrouded the creation of the atomic bomb. Readers uncover some of that secrecy using an educator's guide for the novel The Green Glass Sea. Three weeks of lesson plans feature discussion questions and reading...
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to Counting by 7s
Everyone takes a different journey through grief. A series of lesson plans for the novel Counting by 7s introduces readers to the main character who loses her parents in a car crash. Discussion questions and writing prompts combine...
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to Al Capone Does My Shirts
It's hard to imagine that life on Alcatraz could be dull. A series of intriguing lessons take readers through the novel Al Capone Does my Shirts. Pre-reading questions introduce the text and a range of suggestions, from comic strips to...
Curated OER
Clean Energy: Hydro-power
Students read about and discuss renewable and non renewable energy and identify how a dam produced energy using hydro-power. In this water energy lesson plan, students look at diagrams and pictures of water energy technology.
Curated OER
The Digestive System
Discover how the human body's digestive system works with a brain and stomach friendly activity. Scholars taste test a variety of foods to find out how they behave once in the mouth. Class members then play a game called Move That...
ReadWriteThink
Dear Librarian: Writing a Persuasive Letter
Everyone deserves to read a great book! Here, pupils write a persuasive letter to the school's librarian detailing their favorite story and why it should be found on the shelves. Class members' persuasive reading passages are shared with...
National Council of Teachers of English
Writing Acrostic Poems with Thematically Related Texts in the Content Areas
Scholars scour thematically aligned texts to gather a bank of words they can use in an original acrostic poem.
For the Teachers
Fact vs. Opinion
Many informational texts are written as factual, but can your learners determine when an opinion is presented as fact? Have your kids read several articles on the same topic and record the statements that contain either facts or...
West Contra Costa Unified School District
The Power of Ten: Building a Magnitude Model
Add visual representation to teaching place value with a magnitude model. Using adding machine tape, pupils build a linear place value strip from 1 to 100.
Curated OER
Field Guide to Schoolyard Insects and Their Relatives
Sometimes all you need to complete your perfect lesson plan is an awesome hands-on learning experience. Here is an extension activity that is sure to excite your learners. They'll head outside to observe the local insect community. When...
Curated OER
The Five Classes of Vertebrates
What a terrific lesson! Learners discuss the animal kingdom, and classify them as vertebrates and invertebrates. They also identify them as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. There is even a taxonomic breakdown of popular...
BioEd Online
Spiders in Space
Does a spider spin its web differently in space? What other ways might microgravity affect an arachnid? Pick a topic to research, plan an investigation, and follow astronauts on the International Space Station as they perform some of the...
Curated OER
Misleading Graphs Lesson Plan
Students design and build water balloon catchers from random scrap materials, while taking into consideration a multitude of variables including: cost, maintenance, total capacity, etc.
Curated OER
Fraction Conversion 2 (With Percents)
Fifth graders determine how to convert fractions, decimals, and percents. In this conversion lesson, 5th graders use an on-line applet to practice making these conversions. They review how to make the conversions in a whole class lesson...
Curated OER
Histograms and Bar Graphs
Young scholars examine the use of bar graphs and histograms. For this data representation lesson, students investigate the proper use of bar graphs and histograms to represent data. They learn the proper geometric definitions, experience...
Curated OER
Probability and Geometry
Students examine the relationship between probability and geometry to solve problems. In this geometry and probability lesson, students investigate the effect of changing percentages on a spinner to the probability of landing on a...
Curated OER
The Urban Heat Island Effect - Lesson 2 (Grade 5)
Fifth graders use the scientific process to examine how when various surfaces are exposed to similar environmental conditions, surface temperatures may vary. They conduct an experiment to show the relationship between surface and...
Japan Society
Our Family and Other Families: Using Totoro to Teach Family Structure
What do families around the world have in common? Explore this theme through the popular animated film My Neighbor Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki. Over the course of two days, pupils view the film, pausing to discuss their own families and the...
Curated OER
Showing Off on Summer Vacation
Fifth graders write a descriptive narrative about summer vacation. The use of this topic helps the instructional activity to have a high engagement level. Technology is infused in the instructional activity with the use of computers to...
Curated OER
Main Idea with SENTEO Component
Students explore "main idea." In this main idea and details reading comprehension instructional activity, students view a Brain POP video about main idea and then identify sentences displayed on the SMART Board that would be included in...
Curated OER
Area & Perimeter Assessment And Practice
Using a pre-test, this lesson starts by establishing differentiated learning groups. Each group practices determining area and perimeter using interactive web sites small groups are then pulled aside and given additional support as...
Curated OER
"How To" Speeches Using iMovie
Challenge your pupils with this innovative how-to activity. Instead of simply having learners write an essay describing how to do a particular activity, this lesson has them create an iMovie describing a process.
Curated OER
Writing Fables
Young scholars develop a working skill of using graphic organizers for writing. The lesson notes that the best kind of organizer is one that is engaging to the appropriate audience. The assessment follows the rubric given in the lesson.