Virginia Department of Education
Algebra Tiles and Solving Equations
Young mathematicians solve linear equations by drawing models of algebra tiles using colored pencils. To finish, they solve the same equations algebraically and check their answers using a graphing calculator.
Kenan Fellows
Using Motion Sensors to Explore Graph Sketching
Get moving to a better understanding of graphs of derivatives. Using motion sensors, scholars vary their velocities to create graphs of the first derivative of a function. The activity challenges groups to first create a script of the...
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Disease Diagnosis
Students comprehend how biotechnology can be used to diagnose infectious disease such as protein technologies vs. DNA technologies. They comprehend procedure and uses of PCR, Western Blot, and ELISA as diagnostic tools. Students know how...
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How to Host a Metric Field Day
Celebrate National Metric Week with a fun-filled field day where learners actively apply the metric system.
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The Envelope Please
Students examine and research the importance and functions of the skeletal system in vertebrates. They construct a 10-foot geodesic dome to illustrate the importance of architectural frameworks and create a clay animation movie.
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Pathway of Life
First graders explore the circulatory system and its functions. They draw and label the parts of the circulatory system on traced body paper cutouts, and walk on a large chalk outline of a body, following the path of the circulatory system.
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An Egg-cellent Osmosis Experiment
Learners investigate the problem of osmosis by conducting an experiment. They use eggs with the shells dissolved to tell whether fluid can move across the membranes. The experiment provides high interest for all kinds of students to keep...
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Take A Heart Hike
High schoolers investigate the functions of different body systems. They conduct research about the major body systems to attain information. The teacher prepares the room for the lesson. Students walk and talk through each major system...
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Now That's News To Me!
Students observe how newspapers help to build a sense of community. They identify the important events and people within their school community and create a newspaper page/section. They choose photographs or clippings to use on their...
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Rights and Responsibilities: Grass Born to Be Stepped On
Students use the Internet and other resources to research an aspect of history that illustrates rights and responsibilities, including historical events, issues and ideas, and the people involved.
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Tour + Workshop = DESIGN: Shape
Ask elementary students to explore shapes in everyday objects. They will discuss the elements of design and describe the shapes they see in visual images. Students will then design and "build" a new 3D shape. Finally they will show and...
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The Day After Tomorrow: How is the Density of Water Related to Climate Change and Global Warming?
Science learners simulate what happens when ice breaks up and floats on water and how increased pressure on ice causes it to melt faster. They view a clip from the movie, The Day After Tomorrow, and relate their lab activities to what...
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Fraction and Decimal Ordering
Ordering numbers just got physical! Learners practice putting numbers in sequence, both in fraction and decimal form. To begin, they line up in birthday order and discuss the difference between ascending and descending. They are then...
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Hide and Seek Vocabulary!
Third graders practice word recognition and vocabulary building. They find word cards in the classroom. Then they practice reading the words and using them in sentences. Additional practice is gained by writing the words and using them...
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Floating Fishes: Fishing Expedition
A referenced PowerPoint is not included, but this instructional activity can still make an impact with emerging environmentalists. After introducing them to the facts about overfishing, they experiment with a fishing simulation using...
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Iceberg Ahead: How Does Temperature Affect the Density of Water?
Demonstrate how ice floats on water and get the class thinking about why icebergs are so deceiving. Investigators then experiment with mixing water of the same temperature and water of different temperatures. Make sure to explain the...
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Air, Air Everywhere! Lesson 2: Acid Rain
Middle school environmentalists record the pH of four different liquids, including two aerosol cleaning products. They liken the products to acid rain and speculate in writing which might affect the human respiratory system. Although...
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What's Shaking? Three-Lesson Unit
Your young architects use the Internet to research tall structures or sky scrapers to help in the design of their scale drawings. This is lesson one of three in which learners design, build, and test model skyscrapers for seismic safety....
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"If you build it..."
Students utilize prior knowledge to erect and assemble a building from a drawing using spaghetti noodles and marshmallows. In this building lesson, students visualize a three dimensional structure from looking at a picture and converting...
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Shake, Rattle, and Roll
Students make an earthquake simulator and test their structure to see if it lasts through the earthquake. In this earthquake lesson plan, students make a structure and test and record the results from an earthquake simulator made out of...
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Data
Students collect data from an experiment they perform. In this data lesson, students use multiple representations to solve practical problems; describe advantages and disadvantages of the use of each representation. Then, they evaluate...
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Me, Myself, and I
Students visually express their personalities using writing and PhotoShop. They manipulate imagery to illustrate their written description of themselves. Students display their creations.
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Migration Activation
Students play the role of migrating birds. As a class, they simulate a migration of birds to one place and back again. They relate their habitat size and changes to their current population numbers. They discover the many dangers of...
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Do You See What I See?
Students engage in a instructional activity that differentiates between right and wrong types of observations. In order to conduct the experiment they are provided with leaves and nameless objects with different designs. The two are...