Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
What better way to make predictions about future weather and climate patterns than with actual climate data from the past? Young climatologists analyze data from 400,000 to 10,000 years ago to determine if climate has changed over...
Curated OER
Hedgerows
Hedgerows prevent soil erosion, capture pollutants running off fields, store carbon to help combat climate change, and provide homes for predators of many pest species. The biodiversity lesson begins with an activity that...
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Reader Response
Fifth graders reflect upon different concepts of Language Arts while reading literature. In the novel Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, the characters discover a spring of eternal youth. After reading the first several chapters of...
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Classroom Fun with Flat Stanley
Complete a series of activities based on the Flat Stanley books in this literature study lesson. Introduce the book with a discussion of supernatural qualities, then young scholarscan create character webs, write news articles, build...
Shodor Education Foundation
Introduction to the Concept of Probability
Acquaint mathematicians to the concept of probability with a discussion about the results of a game. Then have them play a dice, card, spinner, or coin game and recording the number of wins vs. the number of tries on an interactive web...
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Reading Follow-up Activity
Students color a worksheet while discussing characteristics and composition of caves.
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Roe v. Wade: A History of Controversy
Students research what is legal now as far as abortions are concerned. Does it matter what state you live in? Does it matter how old you are? If you are a teen, does the doctor have to notify your parents? Students prepare a panel...
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Spooky Analysis
Focus on building suspense as well as evaluating web sites through creative writing. After introducing the idea of suspense and holding a discussion, class members complete a WebQuest, during which they find inspiration for their own...
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Exploring Caves
Students explore the various characteristics of caves. Through class discussion and hands on activities, students identify what forces converge in the creation of a cave. They complete review activities at the conclusion of the lesson....
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Graphics à la "the Web"
Students study the graphic formats for the World Wide Web and download a graphic file. They apply correct HTML format for including pictures in a web page.
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Prepping for a World War I Test
Review your WWI unit with this helpful resource. Young historians group up, complete a series of web-based activities, take a pop quiz, and examine the contents of a trunk considering items that would be most important during WWI. The...
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Externalities, Property Rights and Pollution
Students discuss the positive and negative externalities of various situations. They use the concept of property rights in discussing specific problems.
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If I Had the Power
Have your young learners practice using higher-order thinking skills by engaging in this problem-solving activity. They work in cooperative groups to solve problems, and list ways to address a variety of challenges. They explain their...
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Public officials, DUI and role models
Students watch a video clip discussing the story about the mayor and answer the following: What kind of people should be role models for students today +++ Are they politicians and government employees, movie stars, or professional...
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Using the Web To Study History
Students examine the history of Mexican-Americans in Texas. They view and discuss photos on the Russell Lee website, explore the website, and answer worksheet discussion questions.
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Revolution of 1848 - Alexis de Tocqueville
Document-based questions are a great way to increase understanding of a primary source document or prepare learners for a class discussion. Here, they'll read an excerpt from Alexis de Tocqueville's speech regarding the revolution of...
Curated OER
Supersize Me Worksheet
Morgan, who is a reasonable, healthy man, embarks on a 30-day quest to eat nothing but food from a McDonald's restaurant. This worksheet accompanies the video "Supersize Me". The video is definitely worth viewing, but this worksheet...
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Web of Life
Students construct a web of life. In this ecosystem activity students are introduced to ecosystems and life cycles. Insects are the main focus.
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Marine Food Web
Students investigate the effects of the food chain on all animals by creating a food web. In this seafood lesson plan, students discuss energy flow and research a specific marine organism of their choice. Students create a...
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Cyber Skills
Young scholars, in groups, design and develop Web sites dedicated to special skills traditionally taught by humans rather than by technology. They write Web site reviews that describe and assess their group's envisioned Internet site.
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Forest Food Webs
Learners consider the interdependency of life in a temperate forest by studying selected organisms from an Asian temperate forest and creating a food web.
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Regions and Habitats
Fourth graders identify the different habitats found in the seven regions of the United States. In this ecology activity, 4th graders write an essay about how humans affect the ecosystem and vice versa. They discuss how changes on one...
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Who Am I? the Web of Life ... With a Twist!
Students are assigned a secret species identity. They identify with the help of the other players. Once all identities have been deciphered, players form a circle and, by passing a ball of yarn from "species to species", they form...
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Transportation and Mapping
Students view murals that depict various modes of transportation. They discuss the importance of maps to navigation and create a map. They compare and contrast transportation of the past with modes of transportation used today.