Curated OER
Colonial Life
Fifth graders explore American colonial life. In this interdisciplinary history and science instructional activity, 5th graders participate in several hands-on activities that require them to make colonial products that involve physical...
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The African and the Pequot in Colonial America
Students determine that the lands the English settled on were owned and inhabited by 70,000 Indians. They consider that the London Company sold land charters to the English, which gave them illegal title to lndian land and that the...
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Bison on the Plains
Fifth graders explore U.S. geography by reading assigned text about American Indians. In this migration lesson, 5th graders identify the differences between Native Americans and European settlers who traveled through middle America in...
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Settlement Exploration: Then and Now
NASA has crafted an imaginative and memorable series of lessons, "NASA and Jamestown Education Module." This lesson is one of the five components. In it, middle schoolers connect history and science by comparing the settlement of...
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A Colony is Born : Lesson 5 - Dear Mem
Discover colonies! Young historians will listen to a primary source journal entry read aloud with a backdrop of wave sounds. They discuss the entry, add historical facts to a chart and personal insights to another. Then they listen to...
Berkshire Museum
The Three Life-Giving Sisters: Plant Cultivation and Mohican Innovation
Children gain first-hand experience with Native American agriculture while investigating the life cycle of plants with this engaging experiment. Focusing on what the natives called the Three Sisters - corn, beans, and squash - young...
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Postcards From Mars
Fifth graders research and explore what life would be like for human colonists on Mars. They explore various websites, read and discuss newspaper articles, develop a chart of the hardships and conditions that would be faced by colonists...
Channel Islands Film
Once Upon a Time (Sa Hi Pa Ca): Lesson Plan 3
What was the most significant tool used by the Chumash? How did the environment make the tool possible? What group behaviors allowed the Chumash be be successful for thousands of years? After watching West of the West's documentary Once...
Curated OER
An Exercise in Seriation Dating
Students study the different types of artifacts found that were made by the colonial people. In this archaeology lesson plan students take part in finding ceramic and charting their results.
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Reading Trees: Understanding Dendrochronology
Students examine tree-ring dating and discuss the lack of water the settlers in Jamestown faced. They create paper tree rings, simulate rain patterns, and describe the history of construction paper tree sequences.
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Environment: River of Life
Students assess the impact of human activity on the environment. After reading the book, "A River Ran Wild," they role-play and discuss how people changed the river. Students write stories about living along a river from the point of...
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Preserving Buds and Blooms
Pupils learn how to preserve flower buds and blooms. In this gardening lesson, students explore the methods of air drying, using drying agents, and pressing plants to preserve them.
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Matter/Solid Liquid Gas Experiments
Students investigate matter:solid, liquid, gas by conducting different experiments. In this states of matter lesson, students conduct hands on activities that allow students to see first hand results. Students mix different substances...
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Saving Sturgeon
Marine biology apprentices interpret data of sturgeon interaction with gill nets. They use the data to calculate the percentage of fish entangled in each twine size to discover if there is any correlation. This is a valuable exercise in...
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Food For Keeps
Middle schoolers explore food. In this processed and fresh foods lesson, students discover how some foods are processed and how they differ from fresh food. The complete group activities and an individual reading assignment. This lesson...
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Human Evolution
Students recognize that achievements of human beings throughout human history can be considered part of the ongoing story of human evolution. They research settings such as the biosphere and Mars and write imaginative short stories using...
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Love A Lobster
Learners discuss the appearance of a lobster. Using pre-cut parts, they create their own lobster and name each part of its anatomy. As a class, they listen and participate in exploring background information on the lobster and its...
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The Disappearing Honeybees: Tracking Honeybee Decline
Learners practice graphing and other math skills to track number of honeybee colonies present in United States since 1978, discuss major crops that are dependent on insect pollinators, and examine reasons for decline of United States...
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Flower Pot Salad Bar
Students discuss the connection between a flower pot and wholesome food by creating a salad. In this healthy eating lesson, students utilize numerous fresh vegetables to create a classic salad in a flower pot. Students write the steps...
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The Desert is Theirs: Adapting to Our Environment
Students determine how animals and people adapt to the desert environment. In this desert lesson, students review vocabulary about the desert and how humans have to make changes to accommodate their environments. They listen to and...
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Pecan Power
Students study the origins of pecans and complete a bar graph from the data they have discovered. In this pecan lesson plan, students draw pecans, discuss a pecan time line, and draw a bar graph comparing Arizona pecans to other states.
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Corn in Legend and Myth
Seventh graders compare myths and legends about corn and use creative abilities to act them out. In this corn legends lesson, 7th graders read background information about corn and its importance. Students work in groups to research...
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Food For Keeps
Students investigate the concept of food preservation. They use the internet to conduct research, specifically the methods of processing the students' favorite foods. They are introduced to the project using realia like beef jerky and...
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Corn An A-Maizing Plant
Fifth graders consider the uses of corn. For this agricultural lesson, 5th graders examine corn as a natural resource and discuss the many ways to reuse the grain. A variety of activities, books, and web resources are included with the...