Curated OER
Make Something Beautiful
Students create an art piece using recycled objects. In this environmental activity, students collect and sort recycled objects and create a three dimensional art piece.
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Narrative Prompt
Reading about history is nothing like experiencing it firsthand. Encourage your eighth graders to do the next best thing with a historical narrative prompt, in which they describe the experience of a first-time traveler on the...
Curated OER
Selecting the Tap: Water Safety
Examine water as a scarce natural resource instead of taking it for granted. Middle schoolers identify the traits of potable water, and research local water sources to determine if they are impaired or not.
Reed Novel Studies
Scat: Novel Study
If the most terrifying teacher in the school was lost, would you try to find her? Well, when the toughest teacher in the school is lost on a field trip, Nick and Marta, characters in Scat, decide to go looking for her. Readers discover...
Curated OER
Youth Voices: Fair Access to Resources and Quality of Life
Student delegates conduct "United Nations" style session in which they are challenged to develop resolution or resolutions that address how to feed growing population, taking into consideration quality of life and impact on environment.
Curated OER
Living Swamps, Bayous and Forests
Third graders explore interesting environments by exploring Louisiana. In this wetland lesson, 3rd graders utilize the web to research the State of Louisiana, the bayous in the area, and the Gulf of Mexico. Students write a journal entry...
Curated OER
Speaking for the Trees
Students present a play based on The Lorax.For this environmental issues lesson, students read and discuss literature and complete activities pertaining to environmental stewardship.
Yale University
What Lies Beneath: A Strategy for Introducing Literary Symbolism
“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.” You’re never too old for Dr. Seuss and using The Sneetches and The Lorax is a great way to introduce readers to allegories, parables, and literary symbolism. The lessons...
Baylor College
Resources and the Environment: The Math Link
Take advantage of this interdisciplinary resource and bring together topics in science, language arts, and math. Use characters and events from the story Tillena Lou's Big Adventure as a context for practicing addition and...
Curated OER
Exploring the Hudson in 1609
While this instructional activity focuses on a study of the Hudson River, it could be used as a template for a discussion of map skills, converting measurements, and plotting a route. The instructional activity includes vocabulary and...
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
GPS Art
Students design their own logo or picture and use a handheld GPS receiver to map it out. They write out a word or graphic on a field or playground, walk the path, and log GPS data. The results display their "art" on their GPS receiver...
Curated OER
Environmental Destruction in Vietnam
Students watch video clip on Environmental Destruction of Vietnam, select and discuss passages from essay, Resuscitation of the Dead Earth, that emphasize destruction to the land, and write essay on whether United States should have been...
abcteach
The Lorax Word Puzzles
Supplement your lessons on The Lorax with four related word exercises. Pupils alphabetize, unscramble, choose the correct spelling of, and complete words related to the story.
Curated OER
Our Green City
Students practice beginning reading while exploring an environmental theme. In this our green city lesson, students create their own published books, examine phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, comprehension, and vocabulary.
Curated OER
SAVE OUR EARTH
Students research current environmental problems in order to develop and deliver an oral presentation. The presentation persuades the audience to act on the student's point of view on the issue.
Curated OER
Animals Matter
Students explore philanthropy. In this character education instructional activity, students define and give examples of philanthropy. Students listen to the story A Symphony of Whales and describe how the characters helped the whales....
Curated OER
Words We Know
Students explore environmental print. In this emergent literacy concepts of print lesson, students bring examples of environmental print from home which are put on display in the classroom. Students view websites to locate and...
Curated OER
Tableau
Second graders view a video from United Streaming and design still frames of important parts of a story. In this story-telling from different cultures lesson plan, 2nd graders understand general vocabulary about performing. ...
Curated OER
Jamestown: A Brief History
Eighth graders investigate the history of the United States by researching Jamestown. In this archaeological lesson, 8th graders attend a field trip to historical Jamestown in Virgina to discover key figures that formed our country....
Curated OER
Writing and Research with a Manatee Theme
Students use Internet research methods to find information about manatees. They write a story about a manatee, told through the manatee's eyes, and also a letter to an environmental group, thanking them for what they do to protect the...
Curated OER
Biggest Trees in the United States
Students use the Internet (or printed sources) to locate information. They fill in missing information on a graphic organizer (chart) and use the data to answer questions. The research skills help students to develop higher order...
Curated OER
My View's Write!
After researching issues involving panthers, middle schoolers practice writing persuasive letters. They become familiar with a controversial issue related to panthers and write their position on the issue. This lesson...
Curated OER
Great Lakes at Stake
Students explore conservation of the Great Lakes. In this geography and ecology lesson, students identify the Great Lakes on a map and view a video depicting the history and importance of these lakes. Students work in groups to research...