University of Colorado
Happy Landings: A Splash or a Splat?
Huygens spacecraft landed on Saturn's moon Titan in 2005, making it the farthest landing from Earth ever made by a spacecraft. In this hands-on activity, the 12th installment of 22, groups explore how density affects speed. To do this,...
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...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Natural Selection and Evolution of Rock Pocket Mouse Populations
Can evolution repeat itself? Scholars analyze amino acid data in two separate populations of mice. They learn that evolution repeats itself, but natural selection prefers some mutations over others in different environments. Analysis...
Curated OER
Nightjohn: K-W-H-L Strategy
Prior to reading Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen, present your class with a KWHL. Although the actual chart isn't included here, you can easily find or create one on your own. Give your class a specific topic and start by brainstorming...
Teach Engineering
Breathing Cells
Pairs work together to determine whether unknown solutions are either acids or bases by using a red cabbage indicator solution. After determining the general pH of the unknown solution, classmates blow into the same indicator after...
Curated OER
Student Exploration: Levers
In this earthquake exploration worksheet, students complete 2 prior knowledge questions, then use "Levers Gizmo" to conduct several activities, completing short answer questions when finished.
Poets.org
Ghosts and Spirits
Connect poetry to a naturally kid-friendly topic: ghosts! Draw on your class's prior knowledge of the paranormal to help them access the classic poem "Haunted House" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. After a fun warm-up activity describing...
Curated OER
Computing Indefinite Integrals
Provide your students with a framework for introducing indefinite integrals. It takes into account a learner’s prior knowledge of slope fields and definite integrals and uses the notion of an antiderivative to give them an intuitive...
Curated OER
Hershey Chocolate Fractions
In order for students to acquire knowledge about math concepts, and in particular fractions, they need concrete ways to practice an abstract concept.¿¿¿ Using Hershey bars builds on prior knowledge as most students have probably...
Curated OER
Bud, Not Buddy: Anticipation Guide
Hoover flags? Hoover blankets? Hoovervilles? Drawing upon prior knowledge of the Great Depression class members respond to the prompts on an anticipation guide for Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis’s tale of Bud Caldwell’s quest to...
Explore Learning
Student Exploration: Forest Ecosystem
In this ecosystem exploration worksheet, students complete 2 prior knowledge questions, then use "Forest Ecosystem Gizmo" to conduct several activities, completing short answer questions when finished.
Curated OER
The Ozone
Students engage in lesson concerned with the concept of the ozone layer. They write a reflective journal using prior knowledge. Students read sources of information about the existence of a hole in the ozone layer. Finally they create...
Curated OER
Espionage and Sedition Acts: Mock Trial
Bring to life the severity of the Espionage and Sedition Acts through a mock trial. Learners have prior knowledge of WWI and the context of these acts. An anticipatory set gets the class discussing the ethics of wartime dissension, and...
Curated OER
"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...
Digital History
Jeffersonians in Office
If you're looking for a description of the major happenings of the presidencies of both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, then this is the resource for you. Similar to a textbook reading, this worksheet offers a great deal of...
English Linx
Commas Worksheet (Coordinate Adjectives L.7.2a Part 1)
Haven't seen enough commas lately? Make it clear to your learners that commas should be used between coordinate adjectives. They can practice their new knowledge with this worksheet, which is made up of eight sentences to examine and...
DePaul University
The Working Tools of Insects
The animal kingdom is full of interesting organisms that have unique ways of surviving. Children read about different insects that have special tools for building homes and protecting themselves. When finished, learners identify the main...
Curated OER
Math Puzzle Picture
The key to solving this puzzle lies in the addition skills of young learners. The first step is to answer a series of decimal addition problems organized in a 4x5 grid. Then cut apart the page of puzzle pieces, each one including an...
DePaul University
Egypt
The country of Egypt is more than just big pyramids and ancient pharaohs. After reading a brief overview of this African nation, young learners will demonstrate their understanding of the text by identifying the main idea and supporting...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle
Students access prior knowledge of the water cycle by completing a KWL. In this water cycle lesson, students follow the movement of water through the water cycle.
Curated OER
Exponential Reflections
Explore the natural log function through the investigation of inverse of the exponential functions by plotting the inverse of the exponential solution points. Students examine the results to determine that the inverse is the...
Baylor College
Needs of Living Things: Post-Assessment
Assess your class's knowledge of the needs of living things with the final activity in a series. Given a large piece of paper and coloring utensils, young scientists draw a picture of themselves and a plant or animal of their choosing,...
University of Georgia
Density and Texture of Soil
All soil is not created equal! A lab activity asks learners to collect and analyze soil. Specific calculations determine the amount of sand, silt, and clay in a sample and allow individuals to identify the soil texture.
EngageNY
Numbers in Exponential Form Raised to a Power
Develop an understanding of the properties of exponents through this series of activities. This third lesson of 15 explores the patterns associated with the power property. Scholars expand the powers before applying the property.