Curated OER
Design a Reef!
Here is an ambitious, but highly valuable undertaking: set up a miniature coral reef in your classroom. Young marine scientists research coral reef ecosystems and ensure all vital factors are included in their functioning model. The...
Curated OER
Violence Prevention
Compare and contrast the ideologies of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle schoolers conduct research regarding civil rights and rhetorical strategies used in political speechs. They examine the strategies that both men employed...
Curated OER
William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: Fate versus Free Will
Tenth graders explore Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. After reading specific scenes, they brainstorm and discuss free will. Students observe a clip from the Dr. Phil television show entitled, "Afraid to Age" and make connections from the...
California Academy of Science
Make your own Antelope Horns!
What are those horns for anyway? Little ones discuss the shape, texture, and purpose of horns found on animals such as the deer and antelope. They then pair up and make their own set of antelope horns to wear while visiting a local...
Curated OER
Celebrate Hanukkah!
Learners listen to a book about Hanukkah and compare it to other holidays such as Diwali and Ramadan. They create candles using construction paper and cellophane and decorate the room for Hanukkah.
Curated OER
Market Basics: Demand, Supply, and Price Determination
Students are introduced to the concepts of supply and demand. Using the Law of Demand and Supply, they develop charts and graphic models of supply and demand. They compare and contrast the behavior of consumers and suppliers when there...
Curated OER
Exploring National Flags
Sixth graders examine the importance of flags throughout the world. Examining different countries, they determine the geographical and historical contributions in the past and modern times. They compare and contrast the flags of five...
Curated OER
Allocating Energy from a Photovoltaic System
How much electricity do you use in a day? Physics fanatics calculate their energy use by consulting a chart of the watts required to run typical household appliances. They compare power to amounts of electric energy used or generated....
Curated OER
Who Were the Samurai?
Students research Samurai using the Internet. They compare and contrast the research information with each other.
Curated OER
The Paths of Literature: The Family Today
Use the internet to research the differences between families in the past and today. In groups, they identify the reponsibilities and roles of each member of the family. As a class, they compare and contrast non-fiction and fiction and...
Curated OER
Rainforest Plant or Animal?
Young scholars explore the major functions of plants and animals. In this rainforest lesson plan students create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast animals in the rainforest.
Curated OER
Ready for Roots
Fourth graders sort seeds and predict what conditions are needed for them to germinate. They keep the seeds moist, observe and measure their growth and graph the results. As the seeds start to grow students compare and contrast the each...
Curated OER
Farmers - Caretakers of the Land
Students explore resource management, specifically farming. After reviewing vocabulary words, groups of students explore what is conserved by each practice. They compare and contrast responses. Students describe farming procedures which...
Curated OER
Animal Rights Vs. Animal Welfare - Understanding the Issue
Students explore the difference between animal rights and animal welfare. They take a field trip to a farm to explore the producing animals for human use. After researching and collecting information from animal welfare/rights...
Curated OER
Capture/Recapture
Students use proportions to estimate the size of populations. They describe the data with using a graph or table of the estimate. Students use descriptive statistics to calculate mean, median, and mode. They also compare and contrast an...
Curated OER
Let the Good Times Roll! with Louisiana Music
Seventh graders examine the role of the different types of music originating in Louisiana. Using the information they gathered, they create a PowerPoint presentation about an artist who plays Louisiana music. They compare and contrast...
Curated OER
Do You See What I See?
Young scholars engage in a lesson that differentiates between right and wrong types of observations. In order to conduct the experiment they are provided with leaves and nameless objects with different designs. The two are compared and...
Curated OER
Shakespeare 2000
Young thespians can try their hand at writing a script and acting out a scene, while gaining a deeper understanding of the universal topics presented in Shakespeare's wide array of plays. Begin the lesson by conducting a compare and...
Curated OER
Paradise Lost: Anticipation Guide
To set the stage for reading Paradise Lost, class members compete an anticipation guide containing statements that connect to themes in Milton's epic poem.
Curated OER
Feeding in the Flow
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a tremendous library of ocean-themed lessons that can be used in a variety of science settings. "Feeding in the Flow" is one of those activities; Its focus is on...
Desert Discoveries
Creating a Garden Journal
Youngsters create science journals which are used to record observations from the school garden. The goal of this activity is to help kids tune into nature by making daily observations on the growth of the plants, and also to take note...
Curated OER
Down in the Dumps
After an introduction to municipal sludge, middle school ecologists consider the pros and cons of dumping in the Hudson River Canyon. The class is split into two groups: one to debate in favor or dumping and one to debate against the...
Curated OER
Oral Presentation
Practice public speaking in this oral presentation lesson plan. Middle schoolers list the characteristics of a powerful speaker. They watch a video of two speakers, compare them and discuss the qualities of a good speech. Afterwards,...
Curated OER
Discipline vs. Self-Discipline
Students explore self-discipline. In this character education instructional activity, students define and give examples of discipline and self-discipline. Students work with a group to complete a related concept map.