Curated OER
Everyone Has Interesting Stuff: Talking Objects Teaching with Objects in the Classroom
What fun! Have your class compose a narrative piece from an object's point of view. They research the object, its origin, and its history, then write their story. Stories can be shared with the class or read to children in a younger grade.
Mary Pope Osborne, Classroom Adventures Program
Mummies in the Morning Egyptian pyramids, hieroglyphics
Visit the Magic Treehouse and take your class on a trip through time with a reading of the children's book Mummies in the Morning. Using the story to spark an investigation into Egyptian culture, this literature unit engages...
Curated OER
How to Score in the Word Series
Students examine an object in the classroom and write a description of it employing exciting language. They brainstorm and outline ideas for an original article about an event they participated in or attended.
Curated OER
Applied Science: Exploring Shapes in Nature
Explore geometry with your young mathematicians! First, have them color in different two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Then take them on a walk around the classroom. Can they identify different shapes using the target...
Curated OER
Everyday Objects
Students reflect in their journals about an everyday object they take for granted. After reading an article, they examine what a cook's tools can reveal about their life. In groups, they research everyday objects and write a museum...
Curated OER
Where In the World Am I?
Learners identify their location in the world after studying latitude, longitude, relative location, and absolute location. They use assigned web site to find information to make a flipbook that answers questions about their location in...
NOAA
Come on Down!
What do we do when a dive is too dangerous for humans to accomplish? Send in the robots! Middle school scientists get acquainted with several different models of submersible robots in the second lesson of six from NOAA. Lab groups then...
Curated OER
Are Our Classroom Materials Gender Biased?
Students explore equality by analyzing their own classroom belongings. In this gender bias instructional activity, students investigate their classroom and identify objects as either male or female biased. Students collaborate while...
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
Number Search in Monterey Bay Aquarium
Youngsters search for an animal with body parts for each number from one to ten during a field trip to an aquarium. They count rays, fins, feet, gills, eyes, spots or anything. When they get back to the classroom, they compile their...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Conversing with an Object
Students sharpen their creative writing skills by writing dialogues with unfamiliar objects while visiting local museums. They select an object in the museum, such as a painting, and create conversations between the people or animals...
Curated OER
Compare Human-made Objects with Natural Objects
Learners examine and observe how many human-made objects get their basic design from things in nature. They listen to the book "Nature Got There First," compare/contrast hollow bones with drinking straws, bird beaks and tool pliers, and...
National History Day
Heroes Who Made a Difference: Memorializing a Distinguished Service Cross Award Recipient
Ever wonder how to memorialize World War I heroes in the classroom? Activities in a high-quality social studies resource prompt middle schoolers to research Internet sources, complete a graphic organizer, and write an editorial feature...
Curated OER
Finding Polygons in Cubist Art
Fourth graders explore geometric properties and relationships in a two-dimensional work of art. They first search for and identify polygons in a Cubist painting and then use polygons to create their own Cubist portrait of a classmate.
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...
Curated OER
Drawing Movement
Students analyze visual arts by creating drawings in their classroom. In this art analysis lesson, students identify the paintings of Keith Haring by researching the web. Students utilize paper and oil pastels to create paintings...
Curated OER
"Fall"owing Changes in the Season
Students create a whole class A-B-"C"eason Book. Each student is responsible for creating a "letter" page relating to changes, adaptations, or other fall concepts. After hard copies of the class ABC books are created, the teachers using...
Curated OER
Treasure in the Trash
Learners decode archaeological artifacts in order to recreate an event, using discarded objects as a model for real-life artifacts. They apply this model to reconstructing historical or literary events from artifacts they create.
Curated OER
Exploring Geometry in the Real World
Students find real-world examples of a variety of geometric shapes. They conduct research, record observations, and write descriptions. They create a classroom cityscape and highlight the information they gathered. They present an oral...
Curated OER
Artifacts 2: Artifacts in Context
Students explore world history by completing artifact worksheets. In this archaeology lesson, students identify the importance of finding clues when researching historical information by utilizing artifacts. Students research the...
Curated OER
Ideal Objects
Students make connections between two design objects intended for different purposes and analyze the social and political meaning in the designs. In this design analysis lesson plan, students complete image based discuss activities....
Curated OER
Fire Safety in the Home
Students discover the importance of fire safety. In this fire prevention lesson plan, students identify problems in a house that could lead to a fire and draw their own homes that include the appropriate fire prevention tools. The...
Curated OER
I Spy (Camouflaged Animals in Art!)
Make connections about animal characteristics and the animal's environment. In this animal characteristics lesson plan, students use a piece of art as a springboard for a discussion about animals and camouflage. Students choose an animal...