Intel
Beat the Heat
Explore greenhouse effect and climate change through a 15-day unit. Scholars learn about these STEM concepts by researching, conducting surveys, experimenting, and collaborating with experts in the field. They frequently communicate...
Virginia Department of Education
Calculating Measures of Dispersion
Double the fun — calculate two measures of deviation. The lesson plan provides information to lead the class through the process of calculating the mean absolute deviation and the standard deviation of a data set. After learning how to...
Colorado State University
Why Are Clouds White?
Is it possible to change the color of clouds? A three-part activity explores the scattering of light by the water droplets that make up clouds. After observing a demonstration, curious scholars conduct their own investigations of the...
Chemistry Collective
Virtual Lab: Camping Problem I
Hiking chemists have an advantage! Young scholars use a virtual lab to conduct an experiment to create an exothermic reaction. The goal is to create enough heat to warm a meal during a hike in the rain.
Nuffield Foundation
Making Up Nutrient Agars
A resource rich in information—and nutrients. Learners create agars for the purpose of cell cultivation in Petri dishes. The lesson provides instructions on how to create agars for the cultivation of different microorganisms.
Teaching Ideas
Victorian Posters
Chimney sweeps, street urchins, and Queen Victoria — very different characters living in the very same era. A collection of images enhances any lesson on Victorian England, making a great addition to classroom decoration, slideshows, or...
United Nations
Peace Worksheets
Children are the voice of the future—and they are the best chance the world has for international peace. Help them secure peace in their lifetimes with a lesson based on the history of the United Nations, which includes a space for...
Insurance Zebra
Insurance Curriculum for Middle and High School Teachers
Liability, deductible, premium ... what do these words mean, and how do they relate to insurance? Scholars complete a pre-test, matching vocabulary activity, and insurance timeline worksheet and become familiar with these terms. Next,...
California Education Partners
Colorful Data
Scale up your lessons with a performance task. Young data analysts work through an assessment task on scaled bar graphs. They answer questions about a given scaled bar graph on favorite colors, analyze a bar graph to see if it matches...
Discovery Education
Weathering Cubes
Weathering is not necessarily a result of the weather. Scholars conduct an experiment to explore the effect of surface area and volume on the weathering process. They create their own sugar cube rocks using the same number of cubes—but...
EngageNY
Peer Critique of “Inside Out” and “Back Again” Poems
Class members closely examine the use of words in the poems "Inside Out" and "Back Again" to determine if different words would create more powerful poetry. They then conduct peer reviews of the poems they created and offer suggestions...
EngageNY
The Authorship of Shakespeare: “The Shakespeare Shakedown”
Pupils conduct a close reading of "The Shakespeare Shakedown" by Simon Schama, and identify evidence the author uses to support his claims. Finally, they discuss and answer text-dependent questions before completing a Quick Write about...
EngageNY
Using Search Terms for Further Research: Industrial Organic Food Chain
Class members conduct independent research to continue examining the consequences of the industrial organic food chain from Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Pupils learn about source credibility and effective search terms, then...
University of Waikato
Ocean Acidification and Eggshells
Eggshells and seashells have a lot in common. Learners use the similarities to conduct an experiment that models the effect of ocean acidification on marine animals. Using varying levels of acidic liquids, pupils make observations on the...
American Museum of Natural History
How Did the Universe Begin?
The Big Bang Theory is more than a television show. Pupils read how Edwin Hubble observed other galaxies and noticed that the galaxies are moving away from each other. Scholars learn about the idea of the big bang and what happened next...
EngageNY
Gathering Information about Screen Time: Assessing and Reading Internet Sources, Day 2
Calling all researchers! Using the resource, scholars continue conducting independent Internet research about a chosen research question. As they browse the web in search of articles to answer their questions, pupils paraphrase their...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Close Reading Part 2 of “Shrouded in Myth”
That was a good talk. Scholars learn about how to conduct a good discussion. They use chart paper and markers to record and discuss expectations for members when working in a group. They then take a look at vocabulary...
John F. Kennedy Center
Comparing Cultural Holidays
A instructional activity examines the holidays, Día de los Muertos and Halloween. After an exciting clip from the movie Coco, class members review vocabulary and discuss what they know about Halloween. The conversation leads into...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Designing Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World
How do you convey someone’s creativity? Individuals answer the question as they design exhibitions to showcase the intellect and genius of Benjamin Franklin. After conducting research, classmates work in groups to try to capture and...
Smithsonian Institution
The American Presidency: Grades 4-6
An interesting unit explains the American presidency from the campaign trail all the way to the role of the president. Historians participate in discussions, create posters, conduct Internet research, and more to gain an understanding of...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Fluency, Connected Text, Partner Reading
This lesson plan pairs high and low leveled readers together to make partner reading beneficial for both. Learners read a selected text as a team, when the lower leveled reader is stuck, his partner is there to help him out. And by...
Curated OER
Chalk Chromatography
Your chemistry class is sure to love this experiment on column chromatography, as demonstrated with chalk sticks and felt tip markers. Pupils use sidewalk chalk (another inexpensive form of chalk stick) to demonstrate adsorption and the...
Utah Education Network (UEN)
Probability and Statistics
MAD about statistics? In the seventh chapter of an eight-part seventh-grade workbook series, learners develop probability models and use statistics to draw inferences. In addition, learners play games and conduct experiments to determine...
Chymist
Esters: An Introduction to Organic Chemistry Reactions
Scratch and sniff an introduction to organic chemical reactions. A creative lesson has individuals study the esters commonly used in scratch-and-sniff stickers and advertisements. Following the lab procedure, scholars create the organic...