Curated OER
Lesson Plan: Humans and the Land
Art acts as inspiration for a conversation about human impact on the environment and creative writing. The class examines three pieces, looking for evidence of human impact on the landscape. They then write a first-person narrative, from...
Curated OER
Reading and Writing about the Solar System
A superb interdisciplinary approach highlights this lesson which incorporates space science knowledge and narrative skills. After reading The Magic School Bus, two excellent poems, and watching a video, all about our solar system, young...
Curated OER
Whose Point of View? The Journey of Three Generations
A reading of Whale Journey, a fact-filled picture book by Vivian French, launches a study of the life cycle and migration of three generations of gray whales. The interdisciplinary lesson plan offers opportunities extensions into all...
California Academy of Science
What Kind of Geologist Am I?
Transform your class into young geologists as they learn about six different branches of geology. Using the included geology career descriptions and picture cards, learners work in small groups deciding which tools and locations fit...
Curated OER
Great Explorations: To the End of the Earth and Beyond
Students analyze the factors that affect exploration such as religion, trade, territorial expansion, and science. In this Great Explorations lesson, students determine the names of famous explorers as well as their routes and...
National Park Service
Fitting In
Birds help other birds find food? Scholars are placed into one of five groups of different birds. Each group then "feeds" on letters of paper in a field and gather five pieces per person. As each group plays, more food is exposed,...
Curated OER
Narrative Pantomime: The Great Kapok Tree
Students pantomime the story of The Great Kapok Tree for younger students. In this The Great Kapok Tree lesson, students warm up with a game before volunteering for parts in the story. Students practice acting out the story in...
Curated OER
Journal Writing
Learners gain a better understanding of good journal writing. They examine how there are two types of journals - personal and public, yet each serves to describe the writers feelings and experiences about a given event.
Curated OER
Clouds
Students write and illustrate a story on cloud formation and classification. They research cloud information on the internet to discuss the different types of clouds and when they form. They use this information to write a story about...
Curated OER
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-The Gadget War
Students read The Gadget War by Betsy Duffey. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding inventors and inventions. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and library connections.
Curated OER
Bioregion Shifts
Students are introduced to the various bioregions of the world. In groups, they research the characteristics of one bioregion and how the area around them affects the environment. To end the lesson, they compare and contrast their new...
Curated OER
We Garden: My Life as a Fruit or Vegetable
Students explore agriculture by participating in a role-play activity. In this farm to fork lesson, students ask and answer questions as though they were a specific plant about to be eaten. Students write responses to critical thinking...
Curated OER
I am the Walrus
Students research walruses using the library and the Internet, then write an essay from what they find in their research. In this investigative lesson plan students view a video on walruses then write an essay after researching.
Curated OER
Developing Environmental Awareness Through Problem Solving
Students examine the relationships among living and non-living parts of the environment. Using their senses, they identify the objects in their classroom. In groups, they participate in experiments to discover where electricity comes...
Curated OER
Solar Power
Fifth graders create their own solar panel. They use this experiment to see how the sun can be used as a form of energy.
Curated OER
Human Embryology
Ninth graders are introduced to the concept of human embryology. Individually, they complete an exercise in which they determine which trait they got from which family member. In groups, they identify and label the reproductive organs...
Curated OER
How Manduca See
Third graders investigate how manduca sees and they discuss what they think the manduca might be thinking. They write a story about what an insect sees and does from the insect's perspective.
Curated OER
Germs
Third graders dicsuss germ. They discuss how they can't see them (germs), but they're everywhere! Students are asked if germs cause disease? They discuss some types of illnesses they get from germs. Students discuss ways inwhich...