Improving Measurement and Geometry in Elementary Schools
The Sum of the Interior Angles of a Polygon
Junior geometers discover that polygons can be decomposed into triangles and that the number of triangles can be determined by a rule. Note that the Geometer’s Sketchpad® software is required to carry out all components of this lesson.
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Property Lists for Quadrilaterals
Students establish classifications of shapes by various properties (angles, sides, etc.). They introduce the important properties of common shapes. Students develop an awareness of the wide variety of ways the 2-D shapes can be alike.
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Food and the Digestive System
Students investigate the digestive system. In this human biology lesson, students read an article about the digestive system and go onto a suggested website to review what they have learned. Students are asked questions as an assessment.
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Greek Inquiry Report and Presentation
Sixth graders choose from a list of researchable inquiry questions. They engage in all phases of inquiry/research process.
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Rep Tiles
Third graders use pattern blocks of one shape at a time to try to create a similar shape. They compare the perimeter of the new figure with the perimeter of the original shape and look for a pattern. Students use the pattern to predict...
National First Ladies' Library
Why Do We Have Libraries?
Students investigate the reason and origins of libraries and conduct an information search using a variety of resources. They are divided into groups that have a specific set of questions they are to answer. Each group will then complete...
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Plate Tectonic Cycle
Students explore the Earth's movements by completing worksheets. In this plate tectonics lesson, students define such natural disasters as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and mudslides and discuss their connections to plate tectonics....
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Worm Composting
Second graders discuss worm composting. In this decomposition lesson, 2nd graders look at the anatomy of the worm and how it eats food. They have their own worm bin and review what foods can and can not be given to the worms for...
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Nursery Rhyme Modernization
Students retell a nursery rhyme updating it and create a video. In this Movie Maker nursery rhyme lesson plan, students use technology to update a nursery rhyme. Students incorporate special effects, actions, and captured video.
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The Human Organism
Students identify their feelings and learn constructive ways of handling conflict. In this human mental health lesson, students identify their feelings, learn how to tell others about their feelings, and learn how to resolve conflict....
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Geometry Gymnastics
Students identify shapes and manipulate 2 and 3 dimensional objects. They view objects from different perspectives and review relative positions (near, far, between). They sing a shape song.
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Pollution Solution!
Young scholars listen to the story "Clean Air, Dirty Air" by Lynne Patchett and discover the main types of pollution and how these affect their bodies. In this pollution lesson, students work in small groups to create a machine to...
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Water and Ice
Students investigate how water changes state. In this water lesson, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. This lesson includes extensions which can be accessed via the provided web links.
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Water and Ice
Students experiment with water and ice. In this states of matter instructional activity, students explore how water can change from a solid to a liquid and back again. They discuss and write about the results of the experiment in a...
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Nutrition 1: Food and the Digestive System
Students are introduced to how the digestive system works in their body. In groups, they discover they need energy and water to live a healthy life. They discover how the body repairs itself and how it grows. They also examine how...
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Color
Students learn the effect that warm and cool colors have for those who see them used in visual art. They create a collage of variety of colors. They participate in a gallery walk to view the artwork of others.
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African Ceremonial Masks
Fourth graders examine and discuss the purposes and traditions of African ceremonial masks. They design and create African ceremonial masks using various materials.
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Substances And Chemical Reactions
Students watch and predict chemical reactions when different substances are mixed together. They differentiate between solid, liquid, and gas.
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Making Sound All Around
Fourth graders examine how sound waves are effected by frequency and pitch. They conduct experiments using tuning forks, rubber bands, balloons, and water, and answer questions about the experiments.
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Wind Energy
Young scholars examine the methods of wind energy. They discover how a wind turbine generates electricity. They research the feasibility of installing wind turbines in their schools and construct a model wind turbine.
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Family Responsibility and Commitment
Students are introduced to Picasso and how he created Baboon and Young, and interpret the expressive content of the work. They discuss and define what a family unit consists of, and form conclusions of their own. Students identify and...
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Reflections
Fifth graders create a reflection of a poygon using a Mira. They discover that a line connecting a vertiex of a polygon and the corresponding vertex of its reflection is perpendicular to the line of reflection. Students create a glide...
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Tiling the Plane
Fifth graders use pattern blocks and triagular grid paper to reivew shape names, be introduced to the concept of a tiling of the plane, and determine which pattern blocks tile the plane. They are asked if they comprehend what a...
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Building a Native American Home
First graders explore different types of Native American shelters. In this Native American homes lesson, 1st graders compare the shapes of shelters used by Native Americans. They build a home using the program "Community Construction...