Smithsonian Institution
Water/Ways: The Poetry of Science
Water is the source of life. It appears in poetry in both peaceful and torrential descriptions; it appears in earth science in its liquid, gaseous, and solid states. Combine these interpretations of our planet's most precious and...
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Mealworms
Crawl into the world of the darkling beetle with this scientific investigation. Watch as the insects move through the larval, pupal, and adult stages of life, recording observations along the way. Discuss the necessities of life as young...
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The Life Cycle of the Mealworm
Fourth graders provide a habitat for live mealworms and observe their life cycle. In this animal life cycle and scientific inquiry activity, 4th graders create a habitat for a live mealworm and observe and record related data as it...
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Teaching Science to English Language Learners
Use these hands on lesson plans to make science more accessible for English Language Learners in your classroom.
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Investigate Science Using Crayfish
Young scientists discover the importance of scientific investigation by observing live crayfish. They carefully observe the patterns of crayfish in different environments. Then they discuss their conclusions and define what all living...
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Math for the Frontier
Make history come to life by using the Frontier House series to engage students in the past. Your class will "prepare" for a trip to 1833 Montana. They will learn about homesteading, frontier life, inflation, and cost of living. Using...
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Touch and Discover
Young scholars identify the physical properties of items using the sense of touch. In this touch and discover lesson, students describe items. Young scholars sort items using a Venn diagram.
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Energy Generating a Culture: Early American Coal Miners and Coal Mining Culture
Young scholars calculate how much coal they use based on their electric power usage. In this environmental science lesson, students trace the history of coal mining in US. They write a letter to USPS to encourage them to create coal...
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Dolphins
Students explore sea life. In this cross curriculum fine arts, science, and P.E. "dolphins" activity, students sing songs and play games about dolphins, perform water experiments, create mosaics, and use their five senses to explore sand...
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Special Place
Students observe and describe a "special place" chosen along a nature trail. In this habitat observational skills and writing instructional activity, students take a walk on a nature trail and choose a spot to sit and meditate. Students...
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Draw an Alien in Natural Habitat
Students apply prior knowledge of living things, structures of living things and how living things sense and respond to their environment. In this habitat instructional activity, students review the basic needs of organisms to survive....
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Animal Characteristics
Students investigate the characteristics of animals by creating a chart. In this animal life lesson, students create a KWL chart listing all the different animals a class can name. Students take a field trip to a science facility to get...
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Birds of a Feather
Students investigate birds and complete a variety of bird-themed activities. They read books and observe birds noting their physical characteristics, development and life cycle stages.
Penguin Books
A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Mary Shelley ’s Frankenstein
Contrary to popular belief, the monster's name in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is not Frankenstein. A teacher's guide for the novel helps readers make sense of key details in the text, define vocabulary words, and discuss prominent...
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I Wonder...
Students review information they have gathered from previous lessons. They create their own experiments and carry them out. They reflect on the project as a whole.
Agriculture’s Lasting Heritage
Apples Around Us
Apple tasting launches an investigation of the story and travels of John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed. After listening to his story, class members craft a summary of the tale, chart his journeys on a map, and sample different...
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Our Zoo Friends
First graders plan and create a model zoo depicting the natural habitats of animals. Their models include animals and a display of written factual information about the animals. Students present their project by conductig a tour of...
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Physics of Sound: How We Hear Sounds
Learners examine the way they hear sounds. In groups, they label and identify the functions of the different parts of the ear. After reading a book by Helen Keller, they research the mechanisms of sound and how sounds are different...
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Electricity--More Power to Ya!
Fourth graders use research tools to access and synthesize information. They gather and manipulate data using technology. Research and study the components of an electrical circuit. Create a brochure that demonstrates knowledge of how to...
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Give a Hoot - Don't Pollute at Black Bayou Lake
Fourth graders visit Black Bayou Lake refuge to observe the effects of land and water pollution. They photograph examples of pollution. They list the effects of land and water pollution. They write a persuasive letter to convince others...
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Information Reports
Students practice essay skills. In this essay skills lesson, students select an essay subject and take notes for their topic. Students create a web for their essays. Students organize, write, revise, and publish their essays.
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Sentence Completion 9 Low-Advanced SAT Level
The explanations sheet is the key to a instructional activity that asks learners to choose the best words to complete sentences. The answer and explanations pages not only identify the correct response but offer an extensive explanation...
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The Sound of Calm
Students examine the relationships that exist between ocean currents, wind and climate. Using those relationships, they discuss how they affect the oceans. They create their own music to represent the sounds of the ocean and share them...
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Food Web Follies
Seventh graders cut and paste animal pictures to create a food web and trace the path of energy. They write a paragraph explaining the importance of photosynthesis in all food webs.