Curated OER
Adventure Writing: Oregon's Landscape as a Setting
Students identify geographical features of different regions encountered by migrants on the Oregon trail. Students research how the Oregon landscape may have affected life and 19th century westward migration. Students write a narrative...
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In the Mix
Young scholars construct a water filter. In this engineering lesson, students discover how to construct a water filtration system. Young scholars work in groups to sort tools by their properties. Students analyze and construct a water...
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Race the Track! Design Challenge
Students focus on a force and motion problem, explore it, reflect on it and apply it while completing experiments. In this motion lesson, students experiment with force and motion by creating a track for testing cars.
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Sensory Details
Students observe their environment and write detailed, sensory-specific sentences about that environment. This instructional activity can be extended to include the creation of a personalized story or movie of the experience (student...
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Ben Franklin's Inventions
Students discover the life of Benjamin Franklin by studying his inventions. In this biography lesson, students identify the inventions of Benjamin Franklin and their impact on society today. Students create a commercial in an...
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Grasshopper Mark and Recapture (GMR)
Learners estimate the density of a population of insects (grasshoppers) at a given life cycle stage in a given type of habitat.
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Community Cell
Students explore parts and functions of the cell, and create models of assigned organelles.
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Cardiovascular Disease and Fitness: Exploring the Rhythm of Your Pulse
Students explore several examples of cardiovascular diseases. In this anatomy instructional activity, students explain why physical fitness is very important. They count their pulse rate and record them on a data table.
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Farm Animals Thematic Unit
Student study farm animals by watching a teacher made PowerPoint presentation and visiting a farm. They research a farm animal with teacher assistance. They design a book about the animals using available technology and orally present...
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Wolves At Our Door
Students investigate the wolf. In this animal adaptation lesson, students examine the social characteristics of the wolf. They discuss the role of human intervention in reestablishing the wolf population.
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The Way Levers Work
Fifth graders discover the rules by which the lever slants and balances. They determine that there are a great many tools that employ the lever principle even in their ordinary environments. They consider how to use objects easily...
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Designing Machines
Young scholars explore simple and compound machines. In groups of four students, they design a compound machine using K'NEX that has a stated purpose and consists of at least two simple machines.
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Celebrating Earth Day With Students
Student's attention is focused on the environment during Earth Day. This helps to stimulate their creativity and imagination, so that they can act persuasively to help solve environmental problems.
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Water Treatment Plant
Second graders create their own water treatment system. In this water treatment lesson, 2nd graders create the water treatment system and record how it works. Students list materials they used and write about what they saw. Students then...
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Mapping Plate Boundaries
Students discover plate boundaries based on the uneven geographic occurrence of geologic hazards. After discussing geologic hazards, students plot different sets of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on maps.
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Aquifers and Groundwater
Students understand the purpose of an aquifer. In this aquifer and groundwater lesson, students build a model aquifer find its relationship to water usage. Students record observations as they build the layers of the aquifer.
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The Effects of Weather on People
Students discover the causes of different types of weather and it's effect on society. In this environmental lesson, students utilize the Internet to examine cloud types, normal weather conditions and the type of weather considered...
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Bird Brained?
Students identify general abilities that indicate animal cognitive intelligence. In this biology lesson, students create an intelligence testing challenge for ravens. They compare its ability to that of a crow.
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Body Systems in Action
Fifth graders, in groups, create a short skit that shows how body systems work together.
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Chemical Reactions - Borax & Glue, Cream
Fifth graders, in groups, complete two activities in which various substances are combined, resulting in a very different substances. They discuss reactants and products and chemical reactions.
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Salinity
Students take a provided ocean Trivia Quiz in order to start a discussion of the ocean. They then perform an experiment on how the amount of salt in the ocean affects it and varies from ocean to ocean.
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Deserts: How Do You Define One?
Second graders identify what constitutes as a desert by reading a habitat checklist. In this environment lesson, 2nd graders read a nature website to discover facts about the desert and where they are located. Students...
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Interactive Journeys
Students investigate environments and animals through the use of technology while on class field trips. The lesson plan is highly adaptable and can work with any field trip in many subject areas.
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Fish Farm: an open ended, student centered laboratory activity
Students are contacted by a fictitious company which raises tropical fish to do basic research for them so that they might keep their production costs down. They need to know the optimum salinity in which to hatch the brine shrimp that...