Unit Plan
MENSA Education & Research Foundation

The Cell: the Building Blocks of Life

For Teachers 5th
Do you have early finishers asking what they can do next, or any budding scientists eager to learn more about plant and animal cells? Then here is a cell unit for you! The packet provides scholars with everything they need in order...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mythological Word Origins

For Teachers 9th - 10th
No wonder the ship was called the Titanic. An investigation of Norse, Roman, and Greek Mythology provides insight into mythological characters and corresponding words in the English language. A close look at roots, prefixes, and suffixes...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

History of the Universe

For Students 3rd - 5th
Your pupils may believe that you and their parents are the oldest things in the universe, but surprise! There are elements of the universe that are even older. Elementary scientists create a class timeline to demonstrate the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Power of Words in Charlotte's Web

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
"How can a few good words save a pig's life?" Posed with this question, your ELD learners explore E.B. White's Charlotte's Web in a meaningful, valuable way. By analyzing specific word choice from the book, especially the excerpts...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

For Teachers K - 1st
Wow! Here is a most-impressive series of lessons and activities that revolve around the classic story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The purpose of the lessons are to provide an agricultural theme in the reading, writing, and science...
Lesson Plan
Statistics Education Web

Types of Average Sampling: "Household Words" to Dwell On

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Show your classes how different means can represent the same data. Individuals collect household size data and calculate the mean. Pupils learn how handling of the data influences the value of the mean. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beach Combing: Evidence of Life

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students comb the beach and gather remnants of unfamiliar life forms to make speculations about the origins of their discoveries. In this environments awareness lesson, students work in groups to search for evidence of life on the beach....
Lesson Plan
Illustrative Mathematics

Banana Pudding

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Making banana pudding despite misplacing your one-cup measuring cup is easy as long as you can find your quarter-cup measuring cup! This real-life activity provides a good opportunity for learners to interpret division of a whole...
Lesson Plan
Illustrative Mathematics

Who is the Tallest?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
A simple question, with a not-so-simple answer. Working with whole and mixed number measurements in inches, feet, and yards presents a problem with many possible solutions. A great activity that challenges the minds of young...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Radioactive Decay and Half-Life

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Explain the importance of radioactive half-life as your high school biologists demonstrate the concept by performing a series of steps designed to simulate radioactive decay. Pupils use pennies to perform an experiment and gather data....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cultural Representation of Skeletons and Bones

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study cultures and beliefs about the final life cycle.  In this culture lesson students complete several activities on the origins of Halloween.
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

US Population 1790-1860

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Your young population scientists analyze a table of values, write a model to represent the real life data, finish the table of data and predict future populations in a collaborative, real-life activity.
Interactive
National Constitution Center

Explore Rights Around the World

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
How has the American Bill of Rights influenced the rest of the world? An interactive web activity helps individuals see the similarities between countries' bills of rights. A text-to-text tool compares the American Bill of Rights to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thirteen Original Colonies

For Teachers 5th - 12th
An outstanding lesson on the Thirteen Original Colonies, and the settling of Pennsylvania by William Penn is here for your learners. Valuable discussion takes place regarding how the colonies were settled, and some excellent handouts are...
Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian In Your Classroom: The Music in Poetry

For Teachers K - 12th
Take poetry off the page and put it into terms of movement, physical space and, finally, music with this series of three lessons from the Smithsonian Institution. This resource introduces students to two poetic forms that originated as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aquatic Roots

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scientist use reference materials to research various local aquatic plants and or animals to find out whether they are natives or exotics. They investigate their impacts on people, other animals and the environment. Students...
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

James Madison: Madison Was There

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Madison was there! Scholars go on a journey to discover the person behind the founding father label as they explore James Madison's role in the formation of the United States government. The culmination is a writing assignment and...
Lesson Plan
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NOAA

Sediments

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Calcareous ooze ... what an interesting name! The 15th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on sediments found on the ocean floor. After viewing the slideshow lecture,...
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Making a Battery

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Don't be shocked when your class has a blast making their own batteries! Science scholars examine a dry cell battery, then design and construct a wet cell battery. The activity guides them through the parts of a battery, the variables...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gaia: The Wisdom of the Earth

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Learners are introduced to Gaia theory of natural homeostasis. They graph Earth's temperatures over time, construct terrariums or monitor the outdoor environment. Related videos titles are suggested, but may be outdated. The objectives...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Look Through My Antonia's Eyes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Thoroughly delve into My Antonia by Willa Cather with a plethora of activities. Engage scholars with videos and web sites in this week-long unit that explains the historical context and creates pioneers in the field of research. An...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

once and future MOON

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Beyond the phases of the moon, this comprehensive lesson plan covers geologic history and geology. Amateur astronauts examine photos of the lunar landscape, experiment with the creation of craters, and delve into information about the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Borrowing Narrative Skills from Mr. Fletcher: Using a "Prompts in Reverse" Technique to Inspire Your Writers

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Help your class find their writing voices with this lesson which uses the work of Ralph Fletcher to guide a "Prompt in Reverse" activity. Using the chapter "First Pen" from Fletcher's Marshfield Dreams, learners decipher what they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Theories: Lamarck and Darwin

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers compare the evolution theories of Lamarck and Darwin. They use self-assessment and a video to increase their knowledge of evolution theories. They research questions and present them to the class.