National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: Air Quality
Some scientists argue that air pollution now causes more deaths than smoking. The second unit in a six-part series focuses on air quality. Scholars learn what's in the air, how clean the air around their school is, and what they can do...
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Practicing Literary Analysis
Ninth graders analyze the poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." They read, discuss, and critique the poem in small groups focusing on plot and figurative language. They compose a short essay explaining how various literary elements...
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The History of the Pencil
Students research and write about the pencil. They organize the research using concept maps and write an essay using the writing process.
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Is There a Doctor in the House
Sixth graders predict outcomes of research. They analyze data and construct a class graph, then work cooperatively in a small group setting. They explain the prevention aspect of medicine, document references, and continue ongoing...
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Afghanistan: People, Places and Politics
Students discuss their prior knowledge of Afghanistan. They work together to complete a study guide about Afghanistan's people and places. They present their information to the class.
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Ocean Life
Students explore the topics of ocean water salinity, ocean life zones, marine life classification, and ocean food chains. They observe demonstrations, conduct experiments, complete quizzes and handouts, and analyze key vocabulary.
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Music Makers
Students explore distinct styles that have characterized famous musicians and conductors. By studying one musician or conductor in-depth, students become experts on this person's musical style and are given the opportunity to share.
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Industrial Measurement: Using Calipers to Assess Acceptable Dimensions
Learners accurately measure several dimensions of common objects using calipers. They determine whether a manufactured product meets correct specifications for length, width, height, depth and diameter.
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From Foreground to Background
Students examine the composition of landscape paintings with an emphasis on foreground, middle ground, and background. They view and analyze a painting by Poussin, and create an original imagined landscape.
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Winter
High schoolers explore the nature of water and water molecules. They examine the role of ice on organisms.
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Getting into Hot Water
Students discuss the effect of global warming on bodies of water after reading "An Icy Riddle as Big as Greenland" from The New York Times. Students work in groups to research topics related to global warming and Greenland's ecology...
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Folk Genres
Young scholars classify folk life traditions into folk genres. They create folk genre museums by laying down their images or postcards wherever they see a relationship. They give each an image to examine in depth and decide which folk...
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Baseball Statistics
Students take an in depth examine baseball record breakers. They calculate statistics, not just for one year, but over whole careers, to compare some famous players and find who was the best all-time home run hitter.
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Quilting Through the Civil War and Underground Railroad
Learners design a quilt. In this Civil War and Underground Railroad instructional activity, students discuss the Civil War and Underground Railroad. Learners look at quilts from the Civil War and discover how they were used to help...
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Family Genealogy
Students create a family tree. In this genealogy lesson, students research their family history and create a pictorial representation of their family tree. Students use the computer to design the layout and scan pictures.
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"You may now enter the Holodeck."
Students study and make a hologram. In this holography mini-unit, students study the science behind holography and in the culminating activity they create their own holograph. This mini-unit includes six lessons and a culminating activity.
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Terrible Things
Students reflect on the Holocaust in two lessons. Using prior knowledge, they investigate and make decisions dealing with human behavior before beginning their studies on the Holocaust. After examining different aspects of the event,...
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Harriet Tubman
Students detect specific characteristics in the paintings of Jacob Lawrence. In this collage lesson plan, students utilize the style of Jacob Lawrence to create works about Harriet Tubman and her life.
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Making the Right Choice
Students, after discussing and brainstorming a variety of character traits, prepare to incorporate the traits into their own lives. They create, design and present an Interactive PowerPoint presentation with problem solving skills and...
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Conflict Resolution in the World Today: Introduction to Current World conflicts, their Antecendents, the Progression, and their Potential Conclusions
Students write a paragraph describing a conflict they had with a friend or a family member and a paragraph explaining how it was resolved. In this social science lesson, students share their paragraphs with a partner and then will...
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What on Earth is a Biome?
Students explore organisms and their environments. They examine change over time
demonstrate an understanding of physical positions on Earth. They survey earth's diversity, write a report, fill in a data table created on the...
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Native American Indians: Wampanoags
Students understand the contributions of the Native American tribes. In this Native American lesson, recognize Native American names, words and cultures. Students understand that different tribes lived in different parts of the country....
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Sedimentation Lab Activity
Students predict how sediments in a water column will settle. In this earth science lesson, students examine the layers of sedimentation. Students are given sediments to place into a column of water and observe how they settle....
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Ben Franklin and the Rising Americans
Young scholars prepare for and learn through a walking tour of Philadelphia. In this history lesson, students support their studies with a field trip. This lesson could be adapted to suit regions with other historic places or museums.