North Carolina State University
Exploring Genetics Across the Middle School Science and Math Curricula
Where is a geneticist's favorite place to swim? A gene pool. Young geneticists complete hands-on activities, experiments, and real-world problem solving throughout the unit. With extra focus on dominant and recessive genes, Punnett...
Federal Reserve Bank
Invest in Yourself
What are the different ways that people can invest in their human capital for a better future? Pupils participate in an engaging hands-on activity and analyze data regarding unemployment, the ability to obtain an education, and median...
Curated OER
TE Activity: Bubbling Plants
Students study a way to quantify the process of photosynthesis during a given time using the Elodea plant. They design a hypothesis that they test in the hands on activity. They compare the amounts of photosynthesis that occur during low...
Curated OER
Ten by Ten
Learners participate in hands-on activities using a hundreds chart and counting toes and fingers. They discover the patterns that are created when counting by ten. After a lecture/demo, students practice by using a worksheet embedded in...
Visa
Living On Your Own
Learners gain a realistic understanding of what is required for independent living. They begin by setting up a budget based on needs and lifestyle, and then use worksheets and a presentation to practice such skills as reading a...
NOAA
Methane Hydrates – What's the Big Deal?
Have you ever tried to light ice on fire? With methane hydrate, you can do exactly that. The ice forms with methane inside so it looks like ice, but is able to burn. The lesson plan uses group research and a hands-on activity to help...
Curated OER
Genome: The Secret of How Life Works
What do you have in common with a fruit fly? About 60 percent of your DNA. The resource, divided into two units, is intended for grades four to eight and another for high schoolers. Both units include eight lessons covering the...
Curated OER
Elementary Keyboarding Activities
Listen to the sound of children's fingers flying across their keyboards as they perform these fun typing lessons. From creating alphabet books and multimedia presentations to researching presidents and writing class...
Voyage Solar System
Round and Round We Go — Exploring Orbits in the Solar System
Math and science come together in this cross-curricular astronomy lesson plan on planetary motion. Starting off with a hands-on activity that engages the class in exploring the geometry of circles and ellipses, this lesson...
Curated OER
In the Ballpark
Students practice estimation skills with the video series "Interactions: Real Math, Real Careers". They complete a hands-on activity for estimating large numbers.
Curated OER
A Honey of a Hexagon
Learners explore how bees make honey and why the hexagon is the best basic pattern for the honeycomb through the use of a video and hands-on activities with honeycombs and geometric shapes.
Curated OER
Exploring Geometric Figures
Tenth graders explore mathematics by participating in hands-on daily activities. Learners identify a list of different shapes and classify them by shape, size, sides and vertices. They utilize tangrams and geometric pieces to gain...
Curated OER
Patterns and Possibilitiies
Students gain an understanding of the value and importance of patterns in mathematics. Through video, interaction and hands-on activities, students identify concrete and abstract patterns incorporating logic and deductive and inductive...
Curated OER
Counting Money Activity
Second graders explore commerce by practicing monetary transactions. In this consumer math activity, 2nd graders practice using math functions to add and subtract different amounts of money. Students identify the different monetary units...
Curated OER
TE Activity: A Tornado in My State?
Students study data about tornadoes in the United States while completing a worksheet. They develop a bar graph showing the number of tornadoes for the top ten states in the US. They find the median and mode of the data set.
Curated OER
Ocean Exploration: Shapes and Patterns Under the Sea
So many shapes in our vast oceans. Young explorers can discover new shapes in a variety of ways in this lesson. One way is having free exploration with a pattern shape kit handed out by the teacher. Another is by viewing a...
Teach Engineering
Energy Systems
Is electricity created in the outlet? Using posters of several energy systems, collaborative groups identify and describe the parts of their systems. The groups also look at the environmental impacts of the systems and present...
National Security Agency
Money Maters: Integers are Integral!
A thoroughly-written lesson plan and a plethora of worksheets about integers comprise this resource. Neophyte number crunchers learn to recognize integers, add and subtract them, and apply the concepts to the designing of a personal...
Kenan Fellows
A Farmer’s Challenge to Breed to the Greatest of Grapes
What does your class know about GMOs? Are they savvy to selective breeding? Challenge young minds to engineer the greatest crop of all time using a hands-on genetics unit. Learners discover the good and bad details of selective breeding,...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Rocks & Minerals
Take young geologists on an exploration of the rock cycle with this six-lesson earth science unit on rocks and minerals. Through a series of discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on investigations your class will learn...
US Apple Association
Apples: A Class Act! (Grades 4–6)
Middle schoolers have a bushel of fun as they engage in activities and research core facts about apples. Packed with suggestions for in-class activities and out-of-class research, the colorful 6-page packet is sure to satisfy hungry...
Curated OER
Swinging Pendulum
Learners engage in an activity which demonstrates how potential energy (PE) can be converted to kinetic energy (KE) and back again. Given a pendulum height, students calculate and predict how fast the pendulum will swing by understanding...
Curated OER
How Many Is Too Many?
Students explore the population explosion. They view a video depicting the exponential growth of human population. Students research the internet to project future population data. They perform hands-on, multimedia activities to study...
Curated OER
The Ultimate Classroom: R & D
Redecorate a classroom on a budget. Middle schoolers rebuild a classroom after a disaster. They conduct Internet research to determine construction supplies needed and the most cost effective way to reach the predetermined results. They...