Lunar and Planetary Institute
Oreo Moon Phases
Learning about the moon has never tasted delicious! Using the popular Oreo cookie as a model, young scientists carve out the cream filling to represent the different phases of the moon.
Scholastic
What Happened Next? (Grades K-4)
Explore the structure of narrative writing with this fun, collaborative instructional activity. Start by reading aloud a short story, asking small groups of learners to fill in key events on a large story board prepared on the class...
Macmillan Education
Your Year Covered
Feeling stuck? Want to energize the class? Use activities such as quizzes and fill-in-the-blank worksheets to get class members' attention with a year's worth of holiday celebrations. From Mother's Day to Robert Burns's birthday,...
Thoughtful Learning
Doing Random Acts of Kindness
Encourage scholars to perform random acts of kindness. A lesson challenges participants to choose a peer they wish to be kind to without them knowing. Learners list five good deeds and choose one to fulfill. Pupils reflect on the process...
The New York Times
Breathing With a Pinwheel
A pinwheel encourages deep breathing to calm one's body and recenter their thoughts. Scholars breathe into a personal pinwheel with different types of breathing patterns then answer a question about how they feel.
Curated OER
Directed and Undirected Free-writing: An Activity in Brainstorming
Let your writers take a break from formal writing and experiment with undirected freewriting. First they'll discuss the difference between directed and undirected freewriting. Then they'll put their knowledge to work and create some...
Roy Winata
iWriteWords (Handwriting Game)
Give me a W! Give me an O! Give me a W! What does it spell? Wow! Teach youngsters how to write letters and numbers with colorful tracing activities that include encouraging audio and make writing enjoyable. Soon, they will be writing...
Scholastic
Frindle Lesson Plan
"Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle?" Inspired by this quote from the award-winning novel written by Andrew Celements, this lesson allows children to invent their own terms for common classroom objects,...
Curated OER
Blast Off
In this physical science exploration, small groups place a piece of antacid tablet into a film canister and step back to time how long it takes for the top to pop. They repeat the activity, altering either the amount or temperature of...
Curated OER
Getting-to-Know-You Crossword Puzzle
Students share unique information about themselves, and solve crossword puzzle based on clues that come from the information they shared.
Curated OER
Building Relationships in a High School Classroom
Students explore building new friendships during the first week of school. They participate in a variety of getting to know each other activities. Students work cooperatively and develop collegial relationships with their classmates.
Curated OER
Capitalization Activity
In this capitalization worksheet, students circle all words in a 7 paragraph passage that should be capitalized. Worksheet contains links to additional activities.
Curated OER
Hey, Teacher, Leave My Kids Alone
What are the differences between homeschooling, traditional schooling, and unschooling? Middle and high schoolers examine the opinions of their peers on these varied types of education. After reading a New York Times article, they...
Curated OER
College or Bust?
Based on a New York Times article, "The College Drop-Out Boom," participants in a fishbowl discussion formulate and express opinions about the correlation between level of education, career options, and economic mobility. Ample...
Anti-Defamation League
Who Am I? Identity Poems
A lesson celebrating identity begins with a something-about-me activity, then moves on to writing favorite words. Class members then brainstorm metaphors and comparisons and read a poem to inspire their poetic abilities. Scholars craft...
Curated OER
Paleontology: A Field Experience
Students go to a dig where they prospect for bones which simulate fossils. They encase the bones in plaster and transport them back to school for further investigation.
Curated OER
Breaking News English: Violence In Japan's Elementary Schools
In this ESL learning exercise, students read or listen to an article about increasing violence in Japanese elementary schools. Students complete all or some of the 100 activities available here including discussion, listening, vocabulary...
Curated OER
School Safety Tips for the Fall Season
You can review safety strategies with a seasonal twist.
Curated OER
Summer Nature Activity: Carrots! Carrots!
Students investigate reading, cooking, and planting activities that teach that a carrot is the root of a plant. In this early childhood science lesson, students explore the world around them as they read The Carrot Seed and complete the...
Curated OER
Magic Schoolbus "Busasaurus" Worksheet
This is designed to be completed during, or after, the showing of the Magic School Bus episode titled "Busasaurus." Learners answer ten questions that are directly related to the video. It will motivate your class to view attentively....
Curated OER
Chicken Soup with Rice Extension Activities
After reading Chicken Soup with Rice, by Maurice Sendak, incorporate some of these great extension activities into your lesson plan. Ideas include focusing on knowing the months of the year, or studying the illustrations and how they are...
Chandler Unified School District
Art Masterpiece—Leonardo da Vinci Inventions
After getting to know the inventor, Leonardo da Vinci and his many inventions, scholars think up their own invention. Following a written description and a hand-drawn picture, learners use a method of mirror writing and antiquing to give...
Overcoming Obstacles
Pass It On!
Inspire teamwork in your classroom with a fun group activity. Peers pass a penny from the back of their hand to their classmate's hand, who passes it down the line, and see who wins the competition.
Run for Life
Warm Up Games
How fun! Get kids warmed up with these activities that promote physical fitness as well as teamwork. Find descriptions of warm ups as well as full games, including all equipment you will need. Relays, obstacle courses, and variations on...