Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX)
Use Simple Machines to Help Stuart Little
Third graders study six simple machines while working in expert groups. They use the information from the research to decide which simple machine the Littles could use to move a package. They demonstrate how their simple machine works in...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Who Sank the Boat?
Fifth graders experiment with student-made aluminum boats to test for buoyancy. They design a boat and determine how many marbles it takes to sink it while recording their data in a spreadsheet. They design a graph using the data and...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Echolocation Stations: Exploring Sound
Fourth graders explore the concept of echolocation during a unit on whales. They listen to the book and watch the Reading Rainbow video for "Humphrey: The Wayward Whale," explore various websites, and conduct experiments to demonstrate...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Classification
Students examine why scientists classify living organisms. They list and classify items they buy at the grocery store, sort and classify leaves, explore various websites, and write a biography of Carolus Linnaeus.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Can Plants Be Grown in Space?
Students investigate finding a solution to growing plants in space. They define key vocabulary terms, conduct an experiment growing plants, explore various websites, and participate in a live video conference with NASA regarding the...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Presenting the Water Cycle
Third graders complete a unit of study about the water cycle using both print and Internet based resources. They examine fresh and salt water and complete an online quiz before developing a multimedia presentation highlighting the phases...
Alabama Learning Exchange
How Old Is That Tree?
Fifth graders study environmental changes by examining the annual rings of a cross-section of a tree trunk. They access websites to complete a worksheet on the parts of a tree. They count the annual rings on a tree slice while observing...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Stars
Fourth graders examine the life cycle of a star while listening to Roy Gallent's, When the Sun Dies. They conduct Internet research and recreate a star's life cycle after viewing an animation.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Interactive Reading Project
Middle schoolers discuss books they are reading during the semester through e-mail with other students. They complete a reading interest survey, e-mail their partner weekly, and read and suggest six novels by the end of the semester.
Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX)
Sonar Mapping of the Ocean Floor
Eighth graders participate in an experiment that emulates a sonar signal bouncing off the ocean floor. They determine how the ocean floor is measured by the length of time it takes for the sonar signal to return. They work with a wooden...
Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX)
It Is in the Blood
Ninth graders identify bloodborne pathogens and examine universal precautions. They listen to a speaker from the Health Department speak about bloodborne pathogens, conduct Internet research and discuss OSHA guidelines for protection,...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Watch That Plant Grow
Middle schoolers examine the growth of marigolds in a greenhouse environment. They chart data in spreadsheets showing plant growth over time and under a number of conditions. They record measures of plant height and greenhouse temperature.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Observation of Yeast Growth
Middle schoolers build an apparatus to look at how yeast cells grow by converting food to energy. They observe yeast both with and without food and see how yeast produces carbon dioxide.
Curated OER
Learning With Paint And Literature: "Today I Feel Silly"
Students draw a picture related to the book "Today I Feel Silly" using a computer drawing program. They listen to the story and answer discussion questions, view drawings on the teacher's Paint website, and create an illustration of...
Curated OER
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?
Fifth graders describe the changes in King George III's policy toward the American colonies by sequencing key events between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. They explain the colonial reactions to command decisions...
Curated OER
The Declaration and Beyond
Middle schoolers are explained that they are going to use a part of Thomas Paine's 1776 pamplet Common Sense as a starting point for exploring about argumentation, or persuasive writing. They are given a copy of the excerpt. Students...
Curated OER
Once Upon A Bear
Students study different types of bears, their characteristics, and habitats. They discuss what they know and what they want to learn before visiting a website to look at images and information about bears. They listen to teacher read...
Curated OER
Safe or Not Safe
Students discuss the safety signs they viewed on their way to school before looking at safety signs at a website that presents a traffic safety school for students. They listen to a read aloud of Tana Hoban's, "I Read Signs," make signs,...
Curated OER
Black History Project
Third graders explore and analyze about famous African-Americans by listening to four picture book biographies. They generate a list of 15 famous African-Americans and then create a survey to rank them according to importance of...
Curated OER
East Meets West
Students explore the influences of culture in food choices and customs. They compare and contrast information to create a menu using a Web site and Student Writing Center. Suggestions for creating an on-line graphic organizer as well as...
Curated OER
Take Note2!
Students practice the note-taking skills of Pocket Note Taking, Outlining, and 2 column note taking. They use pocket notes, outlining, and/or two-column notes to summarize information taken from web sites or other sources. Afterward,...
Curated OER
Theme Map- The Rainforest
Students use graphic organizers to relate information. They read an article and insert information from the article to the theme map using a word processing program.
Curated OER
Creating Comic Strips
Students explore genre of comics, view variety of comic strips, discuss components of comic strips, examine conventions of comic strips, analyze online comic creator interactive and create planning sheet for using the tool, and apply...
Curated OER
The Watson's Go to Birmingham, 1963
Students conduct research to obtain geographical information about the author. They create brochures or fliers to highlight the author as a guest at a mock author's conference. They answer questions on the Cyber Fact Scavenger Hunt...