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You CAN Make a Difference!
Young scholars identify environmental issues affecting their community and determine ways they can address the issues. They explain that they can be catalysts for change regarding the environment in their own communities.
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Glacial Change
Students research the ways in which scientists study glaciers and glacial change. They interpret real time data and calculate the estimated global sea level rise potential. A very good lesson to illustrate global warming.
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Reporting Live From...
Students examine the many disasters in West Virginia. In this US history activity, students write about and give an oral presentation of one of the disasters as if they were reporters.
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Seepy Sandwich
Students explore Earth science by participating in a pollution activity. In this water infiltration lesson, students utilize a water sprayer, food coloring and slices of bread to simulate how pollution can spread into our drinking water...
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Energy Conservation Lesson 1: Fossil Fuels and the Ticking Clock
Students explore energy production by participating in a class discussion. In this renewable energy instructional activity, students discuss the differences between solar, coal, wind and fossil fuel energy sources and why some are better...
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International Dance Day: Reading and Activities for ELD
A brief passage about International Dance Day, April 29, is accompanied by an array of language activities based in sound ELD practice: cloze exercise, phrase matching, word jumble, multiple choice, sequencing, interview, group...
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A Garden of Verses: Poems About Class Gardens
Students explore botany by participating in a language arts activity. In this garden poetry lesson, students read the classic poem "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" and discuss the imagery and rhyming methods used. Students examine their own...
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How To Grow Red Seaweed
Students explore ocean biology by participating in a plant growing activity. In this seaweed lesson, students identify the importance and uses of seaweed in the ocean and examine different seaweed samples. Students utilize an aquarium,...
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Make a Sundial
Students explore space science by conducting a sun experiment in class. In this time telling instructional activity, students discuss how the sun sits in our sky at exact times each day and how astronomy is based on our perspective of...
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Make a Windmill
Learners explore Earth science by conducting an energy experiment in class. In this windmill lesson plan, students identify how wind has been used to pump water throughout history and the latest developments wind energy has produced....
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Native American Clay Pots
Students explore world culture by conducting an art project in class. In this Native American culture lesson, students identify the types of materials American Indians utilized in their artistic endeavors, specifically clay. Students...
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Watershed Protection
Students explore environmental care by participating in an Earth science activity. In this clean water lesson plan, students discuss what a watershed is, how they become polluted, and how it affects the overall quality of drinking water....
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Grass as Biomass
Students explore energy properties by listening to a sustainability lecture in class. In this biomass lesson, students identify what biomass is, how it can be transformed into a usable energy and how it complements the energy cycle....
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Descriptive Prompt: Precise Language
Incorporate sensory details into a piece of descriptive writing. First, elementary and middle schoolers improve a piece of writing by using precise, vivid language, as well as appropriate word choice. They then listen to a variety of...
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Varied Beginnings: Research Process / Narrative Writing Techniques
What's the best way to start a story? Learners write a memoir using effective openings. They research the process and work through a list of hooks to use in their writing. They use at least two hooks to begin their personal memoir. A...
Polk Bros Foundation
I Can Compare and Contrast
Work with your class to fill out this Venn diagram. Pupils can compare and contrast any two things and then write a short paragraph about the relationship demonstrated in their diagram.
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Get to Know a Fish
Students discover the anatomy of a fish by identifying its body parts. In this oceanography lesson, students view a live fish in their classroom and draw a poster of the fish one body part at a time while identifying it. Students...
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Forest Succession
Students research environmental change and why forests cannot stay the same for long. In this environmental growth lesson, students discuss the life cycle of a tree and examine tree cookies to discover the age of these specimens....
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Help Others on Boxing Day
Students discover Boxing Day and participate in an activity about giving to people in need. They collect canned goods and/or clothing to give to those in need and decorate boxes for the donated goods.
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The People's Design Award
Young scholars analyze, critique, and evaluate information from various sources and learn about the design process. In this design lesson, students critique work submitted to People's Design Award and create a design of their own to...
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African American Scientists
Students study several important African American scientists and explore their lives. They recreate scientists' experiences through journal entries.
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The Immigrant Experience In America
Students study immigration, Ellis Island, and tenement life from 1890 to 1924. Each student create an identity of an immigrant and write an essay in the first person. Essays describe what they found when they arrived in New York City.
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Rain Forest Reporters
Students research and write articles for an imaginary scientific magazine about rain forests. In this rain forest instructional activity, students research both ecosystems and magazine writing styles. They act as reporters and editors of...
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Building a Volcano
Learners research volcanoes and then build one out of salt dough. Before the final step is completed, they find main ideas about volcanoes, write sequential steps to building, use correct grammar, to gain knowledge about them. There is...