Curated OER
Solar Car Series: During what part of the day can t most Sun power be collected?
Young scholars participate in an outdoor activity in which they make direct but safe observations of the Sun. Students use a solar cell and voltmeter apparatus to collect data on the amount of DC voltage produced by the solar cell...
Curated OER
Spring Has Sprung
Spring lesson plan ideas can allow students and teachers a chance to use the outdoors as a classroom and a source of study topics.
Curated OER
In My Own Backyard
Students explore the soil and vegetation found in their home and/or school environment and map a familiar area. Each group is assigned a section of the schoolyard. They draw maps of their assigned places and gather soil and vegetation...
Curated OER
Adjective? What's an Adjective?
Mount a variety of pictures (fantasy, rustic, portraits, action) on large sheets of paper and post them around the classroom. Groups rotate from poster to poster, adding adjectives to describe each of the pictures. Writers use these word...
Curated OER
Educated Action
Learners review what they already know about birds. Using the internet, they discover major issues involved with birds in Illinois. In groups, they determine what they can do to help them and contact a local agency.
Montana Natural History Center
Studying Grassland Ecosystems
At first glance, grassland ecosystems might seem dull and uninteresting, but once you start to explore it's amazing the things you'll find! Through this series of engaging lessons, activities, and experiments, elementary students examine...
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Life In A Nest: Exploring Life Cycles With Bird Cams
Why read about it when you can watch it happen? Bird cams make it possible for learners to experience the life cycle of a bird in real time! An engaging set of lessons provides activities to connect their learning to bird cam...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Preparing for Project BudBurst
Plants take cues from the environment—change in daylight hours and temperature—to complete their seasonal life cycles. Lesson four in the series of six has classes collect phenology data on plants. After taking initial observations,...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Nature Walk and Ecosystem Introduction
A food web has no organism higher than a tertiary consumer because there wouldn't be enough energy left to sustain them. The fourth installment in a seven-part series begins with a nature walk to get pupils thinking about their...
Curated OER
Predator, Predator, Don't East Me!
To prep for a lesson on predator/prey relationships, get kids up and moving. This game is based on the game 'Red Light, Green Light' but employs the concept of predator vs. prey. This is not a full lesson but could be useful as an...
Curated OER
Take a Hike!
Learners explore the benefits of staying active by going on a hike. In this physical education lesson, students discuss the concept of a hike, where a good place to hike is and what types of foods are necessary to stay nourished....
Curated OER
Picnic Possibilities
Fourth graders plan a picnic using weather data. Using accumulated weather data from various sources, they create a graph of the weather conditions in their region for a given period of time. Students interpret this data to predict the...
Curated OER
Running Colors
Students play a game with mats of different shapes and colors spread out over a playing area. As a shape and color is called out students run the the corresponding mat and stand on it.
Curated OER
THE 1800s EXPERIENCE
Students explore aspects of life in the 1800's. For this lesson on historical life, students move through various outdoor stations and meet with costumed re-enactors (parent volunteers) who lead students in 8 different activities geared...
Curated OER
Weather or Not!
Students are introduced to the different climate regions of Canada. In groups, they discuss ways in which people are affected by the weather and how it limits their outdoor activities. They use artwork by Robert Harris to predict what...
Curated OER
Movement of Air Mind Map Activity
Students explore the movement of air. For this air lesson, students discuss and give examples of air ventilation. Students compare outdoor and indoor air quality. Students create mind maps as a visual representation of what they have...
Michigan Sea Grant
Fish Habitat and Humans
Strict habitat requirements are needed for the survival of fish populations and fish variety in the Great Lakes. Young scientists become experts in the basic needs of fish and understand how survival necessities can vary with different...
Curated OER
Driving Range
Students practice safety rules and knowledge of the road by going through a driving course using scooters/bicycles/tricycles, etc.
Curated OER
Fitness Disc Golf
Students participate in a disc golf game. They throw the flying disc to each hole/cone on the course, completing various fitness tasks and monitoring their heart rate on a heart rate monitor.
Curated OER
Teaching Handball
Students participate in a number of different lessons with the intention of improving skills to play handball. Each lesson focuses on a certain skill like strokes and serves. The skills have a progression of difficulty until the student...
Curated OER
Lead Up Skills for Triple Pin Soccer
Students are introduced to the rules of Triple Pin Soccer. Individually, they are given the single to perform the different skill needed in the game. In groups, they run through a game using the skills and working together as a team to...
