Smithsonian Institution
Strength in Solidarity: Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Campaign for Fair Food
Not all food is created equal. The lesson plan dives into the world of migrant farm workers to show their struggles to earn livable wages and better working conditions. Academics learn why the Coalition of Immokalee Workers was created...
Curated OER
Cows, Worms, and Compost
Students study decomposition. For this decomposition lesson, students discuss the background information about decomposition. Students then complete the 'Chew It Twice' worksheet.
Curated OER
Sustainable Dining
Learners evaluate the how their product choices impact the environment. They discuss the concept of sustainability in agriculture. Students give reasons for buying sustainable food products. A cost-benefit analysis concerning sustainable...
Curated OER
Next Year's Seeds
Fifth graders explore genetic traits. In this genetic traits lesson, 5th graders discover how traits are passed from parent to offspring while examining plants. Students problem solve real world applications.
Curated OER
Just What are you Eating?
Learners identify and articulate pros and cons of genetically modified foods (GMF) including references to scale of controversy worldwide. Students then identify where they might find GMFs in their diets, read different opinion pieces on...
Curated OER
Social Studies: The Black West
Students assess the influence of African Americans in the western United States from the sixteenth century to the present. They examine the Black-Spanish heritage, slavery and freedom on the frontier, along with African American...
Curated OER
The Chemistry of Fertilizers
Young scholars use a series of hands-on labs and activities, practice problems, discussions and writing assignments, students investigate about fertilizer chemistry as they break compounds into ions, make a fertilizer and test various...
Curated OER
Fish and Flowers
Students read and discuss a research article that explains the unlikely link between increased fish populations and increased plant pollination. They answer reading guide questions to discover this ecological relationship.
Curated OER
Native Americans of the Chesapeake Bay: Using Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Discover the rich Native American culture that existed at the time of early European exploration into the Chesapeake region through analysis of several primary and secondary sources.
Wild BC
Is Climate Change Good for Us?
Is it really that big of a deal if the global climate undergoes a little change? Young environmentalists consider this very question as they discuss in small groups the impact of different climate change scenarios on their lives, their...
Channel Islands Film
Island Cattle Ranching
Is cattle ranching on Santa Rosa island viable or non-viable? Rather than focusing on the issues of the transition of Santa Rosa island from a privately owned island cattle ranch to a national park, class members are asked to consider if...
National Institute of Open Schooling
Air Pollution
Seventy percent of the air pollution in China is due to car exhaust. Under the umbrella of environmental chemistry, learners extensively explore air pollution. From the makeup of our atmosphere to sources of major air pollutants, classes...
Cornell University
Insect Anatomy
Young entomologists discover insect anatomy in a very detailed unit plan. Offering background information for teachers about various insects, class members explore the differences between bugs and insects—and yes, there are many...
National Endowment for the Humanities
“Read All About It”: Primary Source Reading in “Chronicling America”
Can investigative journalism become too sensationalistic and accusatory, or is it vital for the survival of a democracy? Middle schoolers analyze primary source documents from early 20th-century newspapers as well as Theodore Roosevelt's...
Teach Engineering
Engineering and the Periodic Table
Elements, to the rescue! Scholars first review the periodic table, and then learn about the first 20 elements and their properties and uses in the fourth of six lessons in the Mixtures and Solutions unit. Applying their newfound...
Curated OER
Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers
Learn about the events that helped shape the United States of America. Elementary schoolers explore the Civil War with six different activities. Each activity has a different focus: literature connections, primary sources, vocabulary,...
Curated OER
WORM WATCHING
Students investigate how earthworms help build good soil. They examine the worms carefully to find the ringlike segments and swollen band at the front of the earthworm's body. Students take turns dampening the soil every day and adding...
Curated OER
Flowers and Plants
Students are assigned to bring five flowers. They explore flowers to distinguish different physical features of flowers. They compare and contrast different flowers to determine what features they have in common. Students develop an...
Curated OER
The President's Cabinet: Choosing the Right Person for the Job
Students examine the Federal Confirmation Process for filling cabinet members by completing a confirmation process flow chart. They research the process, and participate in a mock Confirmation Process.
Curated OER
WHO CARES FOR THE LAND?
Students explore the importance of natural resources. They are given copies of the story, "Who Cares For The Land," and students follow
along as the teacher reads it. Students identify the key points in the story. (Soil, water and air...
Curated OER
THE PEANUT WIZARD
Students read information about George Washington Carver and outline the information. They are given peanuts in the shell, students examine them and eat them. Students discuss the following questions: Why did George Washington Carver...
Curated OER
North Korea-A True Totalitarian Government
Ninth graders analyze the differences among various forms of government to determine how power is acquired and used. They need to have a strong background regarding the rise of totalitarian governments after The Great War and the...
Curated OER
Growing Gold
First graders explore a folktale from India. In this folktale lesson, 1st graders read the tale, Growing Gold and discuss facts about India. Students construct the national flag of India from construction paper. Students also participate...
Curated OER
The Desert is Theirs: Adapting to Our Environment
Students determine how animals and people adapt to the desert environment. In this desert lesson plan, students review vocabulary about the desert and how humans have to make changes to accommodate their environments. They listen to and...