Curated OER
National Museum of Natural History
Students explore U.S. history by participating in a class field trip. In this museum lesson, students attend a field trip to the Natural History Museum and identify cultural stories and art pieces they enjoy. Students collaborate in...
Curated OER
The Effect of Natural Selection on Genes, Traits and Individuals
Rotating through five stations, evolutionary biologists explore the question of how changes in DNA facilitate the changes in a population over time. High-quality, colorful cards of animals, skeletons, skulls, and DNA sequences can all be...
Curated OER
Archaeology 101
Let's go on an archaeological dig! Here is a lesson that allows your young scientists to do just that! You fill up an empty water table or tray with sand, and bury miscellaneous objects. Pupils use spoons, sifters, and brushes to find...
Curated OER
The Museum Idea
Students evaluate and record the various types of museum careers. In this The Museum Idea activity, students create a bicentennial time capsule, design a Museum of me, and make a classroom mini museum. In addition students visit a local...
New York City Department of Education
Egypt
This six-week unit encompasses all subjects with a focus study on world history and the development of ancient civilizations. As gifted and talented students dive into the interesting yet challenging topic of Egypt, they...
Curated OER
From Curiosity Cabinet to Museum Collection
Students study binomial nomenclature and museum-based research. They create a curiosity box, label the objects in their curiosity box , develop a classification scheme for the objects, and create a database of all objects collected by...
Curated OER
Introduction to the Nature Journal
Students create nature journals. In this introduction to the nature journal lesson, students discover the uses of nature journals and begin their own. Students are challenged to use vivid, concise terms in their descriptive language....
Curated OER
Conquering History
Pupils explore examples of ancient warfare and discuss the various uses of ancient military technologies. Students investigate the origins of biological and chemical weapons and create a classroom exhibit depicting technology and...
Brooklyn Museum
"Workt by Hand": Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts
Just like a painting or the symbols on a flag, quilts can express ideas that reflect a cultural context, space, and time. The class discusses the history of quilt making throughout US history and what different types of quilts mean. They...
Curated OER
Out and About: Minibeasts
Students get up close and personal with invertebrates. In this mini-beasts lesson, students may visit the Natural History Museum, the Bramley Frith Education Centre, the Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World online or in-person to...
Curated OER
Yerbas y Remdios: A New Look
Students explore human health by participating in a medicine class activity. In this herbs instructional activity, students identify plants which Native Americans used throughout history to cure illnesses. Students research specific...
Curated OER
Museum Adventure WebQuest
Young scholars discover the background and properties of minerals. They examine fluorite and record data after testing it. They use the internet to help them discover information about minerals.
Field Museum
The Case of Darwin's Finches
One of the most striking pieces of evidence for Darwin's Evolution of Species was his observations of finches and how their beaks differed from island to island, depending on their primary food sources. So what would happen to the theory...
Curated OER
Building Up, Breaking Down
Students investigate how rocks are modified into construction materials. In this building up and breaking down lesson plan, students explore what happens to building materials over time and how people modify natural materials. Students...
Curated OER
Celebrate Native American Heritage
Students examine Native American heritage. They explore a museum of Native American culture and explore their food, dress, and customs. They also explore the Native Americans role in the first Thanksgiving.
Curated OER
Ancient Mediterranean Trade Fair
Sixth graders begin the lesson plan by discussing how artifacts are located. In groups, they define the terms supply, demand, resources and trade and discuss how the United States is affected by International trade. They use this...
Curated OER
The Greatest Show on Earth: The World's Smallest Animals
Students create instruments to capture different types of insects. In this The Greatest Show on Earth: The World's Smallest Animals lesson, students compare the attributes of certain insects and record the data on a chart. After catching...
Curated OER
Looking at French Decorative Arts: The Quest for True Porcelain
High schoolers study the effects of production and consumption of goods on French society during the porcelain period. For this history lesson students research the trade history of porcelain from Asia.
Curated OER
Impressionism
Eighth graders conduct Internet research as well as visit museum Web sites to become acquainted with the period of Impressionism. After completing their research, they sketch ideas for a landscape painting in the Impressionist style...
Curated OER
Sizing Up the Supersize Croc
Students examine and compare traits of humans and crocodiles. In this crocodile lesson students use a ratio to estimate the height of a person and compare that to a crocodile.
Montana Natural History Center
Studying Grassland Ecosystems
At first glance, grassland ecosystems might seem dull and uninteresting, but once you start to explore it's amazing the things you'll find! Through this series of engaging lessons, activities, and experiments, elementary students examine...
American Museum of Natural History
The Amazing Mundo
Rocks and minerals are great on their own, but they also turn into some pretty amazing stuff! An online lesson explains the different types of materials we get from rocks and minerals, including glass, plastic, and coins. An embedded...
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Volcanoes!
Give young geologists an up close and personal look at volcanoes with a series of hands-on earth science lessons. Whether they are investigating the properties of igneous rocks, building their own volcanoes, or making...
Curated OER
Hunting Invertebrate Fossils in the Classroom
Students acquire a general knowledge of fossils and paleontology, the study of evidence of life in the past and identify the major invertebrate groups (phyla) commonly found in the fossil record.