National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
A Rose By Any Other Name
In part one, your astronomers read an interview dialogue between a reporter and Dr. Maria Ocasio, the chair of the group that assigns names to celestial objects. The topic in question is Pluto's status. Learners research Plutinos and...
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Deaf and Diverse
Middle schoolers examine deaf culture and the role that American Sign Language plays in forging a sense of community.
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The Sense of Hearing
Students study the cycle of how we listen and hear our own speech. They examine sound waves, and the role of the nervous system in hearing. They investigate the cues besides lipreading that deaf people rely on for comprehension.
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Eric Carle Collage
Learners gain appreciation for the work of Eric Carle. They speculate about a work of art, what materials, techniques and skills were used. They study Carle's work to determine how he did it and explore various water color techniques.
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Miriam Schapiro Action Figures Collage
Students create a background with a marbling technique. They plan and create a figure from assorted papers, mixing solids and patterns. Students glue the figure to the background, and embellish negative space with glitter.
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Investigating Chemical and Physical Changes
Students explore physical and chemical changes by looking at how different powders react to a variety of substances. They observe and identify the difference between physical and chemical change using a mystery powder.
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The Identification of Bacteria
Students are given a two week period to put to use the knowledge they have gained while studying bacteria. As a culminating activity, students each receive three unknown bacteria to identify.
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Open Sesame: A Magical World of Reading
Third graders, through six lessons, study tales of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Aladdin and the Lamp from The Arabian Nights.
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Africa: Small Sounds From a Big Country
Students explore the music from Burundi, Zimbabwe, and Pygmy cultures. They listen to and discuss music from the African cultures, analyze the musical elements, write a song, and perform music.
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Ocean Life
Students explore the topics of ocean water salinity, ocean life zones, marine life classification, and ocean food chains. They observe demonstrations, conduct experiments, complete quizzes and handouts, and analyze key vocabulary.
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Learning Empathy Through Art
Students create poems based on the Haiku form and research about WWII. Class discussion and classroom readings of student work finish this lesson. Emphasis is placed on Standards in the Arts.
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The Energy Debate - Stoichiometry
Students determine crude oil can be separated into useful fractions by a process of fractional distillation. They write a balanced equation for the reaction between a hydrocarbon and oxygen.
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A Center Approach to Poetry
Students experience the different types of poetry in order to classify them. In this poetry lesson, students discover the multiple types of poetry while reading in the library. Ultimately, the students create their own poetry and share...
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Looking and Learning in the Art Museum - Lesson 1
Explore the artistic elements in artworks with an original and reproduction instructional activity. As learners recognize the difference between an original and a reproduction, they discuss the artist elements used in the...
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Circular "Mandala"
Students create a nonobjective design from a magazine photo (or personal photograph) using a view finder. By using colored pencils the drawing use layers to recreate the colors in the magazine picture.
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Keith Haring Painting Project
Students paint a picture based on the work of Keith Haring including Haring people. In this painting lesson plan, students also look and discuss the art of Keith Haring.
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Three-Dimensional Ceramic Sculptural Forms Inspired by the Paintings of Wassily Kandinsky
Pupils analyze / deconstruct elements of design used in Wassily Kandinsky's paintings in order to synthesize the elements into a three-dimensional form. Works may be functional or non-functional.
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Creating Artwork to Explain Environmental Change
Students review artwork that relates to the environment and communicates a value. They view and analyze art by Andy Warhol, Eric Carle and Albert Bierstadt and then create original pieces with an environmental theme.
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Masks Across Cultures
Middle schoolers examine various masks from different cultures. In groups, they review vocabulary related to expressing emotions in art. They work together to create a mask using the techniques described to them and representing a...
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Clouds
Students explore clouds. In this clouds lesson plan, students talk about, write about, and paint clouds to gain an understanding of clouds.
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Observations and Inferences
Students observe how to distinguish observations form inferences. In this examining inferences lesson plan students list observations relating to the activity and discuss the importance of them.
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Be A Nutritional Entrepreneur
Students research and define nutrition. They choose a definition of nutrition or a nutritional theme around which they design a restaurant. This activity helps students answer the question "What is a nutritionally balanced meal?"
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The "Write" Stuff: Third Grade Strategies and Conventions
Students analyze the writing process through the ten lessons of this unit. The expository lessons address topic and detail sentences, paragraph organization and development, note taking, reports and letter writing.
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Tall Tales: Read, Write, Draw and Sing
Students get to know the characters and events that shaped American folktales through writing, drawing and singing activities. Handouts and worksheets are included.