Computer Science Unplugged
Tourist Town—Dominating Sets
As an introduction to using a network to determine the fewest number of nodes that meet a given condition, small groups work together to determine the fewest number of ice cream vans, and their locations, to be able to serve the people...
Curated OER
Diversity of Colors
Students investigate color diversity by experimenting with jelly beans. In this color spectrum lesson, students observe colored jelly beans through different filters and light sources to change the existing look of the bean....
Curated OER
A Different View
Readers need to understand how their personal view point may differ or change how they see the view point found in a written text. Third graders read two informational pieces and fill out a graphic organizer to help them differentiate...
Curated OER
Light
Light is such a fascinating subject. This lesson does a great job of illuminating the mysteries of light for your young scientists. A series of demonstrations which are explained in the plan should help your charges to understand how...
Mathematics Vision Project
Geometric Figures
Logical thinking is at the forefront of this jam-packed lesson, with young mathematicians not only investigating geometric concepts but also how they "know what they know". Through each activity and worksheet, learners wrestle with...
PBS
Color Code
Don't let your brain play tricks on you! Learners test brain reaction rates while it is receiving multiple stimuli. They time each other reading a set of color words written in different colors and again when they are written in black....
Exploratorium
Peripheral Vision
Life science learners discover the range of peripheral vision. They compare the angles at which they can detect motion, colors, and detailed shapes.
DiscoverE
My Friend Robot
Can you do better than a robot? Teams write instructions for a hypothetical robot to build a structure. They test their instructions by acting them out to see if they produce the desired structure.
Curriculum Corner
February Bell Ringers
Use a set of 30 writing bell ringers to get through the month of February. Writers tap into and write about how February makes them feel, what it smells like, and all types of celebrations that occur during the month.
Curated OER
Guided Reading: Asking Questions
Here is a reading strategies lesson in which learners use post it notes to create a bulletin board. They post their new questions on the bulletin board and look back at questions they have already learned the answer to. A great idea,...
Leadership Challenge
Student Appreciation: Nurturing and Developing
How can the growth of leadership qualities be measured? Make the development of leadership behaviors visual! Class members periodically recognize the leadership behaviors of their peers by adding color-coded sand to a jar labeled...
Curated OER
The Colors on My TV Screen
Students explore how electronic screens use only three colors to produce the colors that people see on the screen. They make and test a color wheel.
Curated OER
Figures, Joints and Movement
Young scholars paint a piece of art based on the linear style of Keith Haring to create figures showing movement and how they bend. They emulate Haring's use of bright color.
Curated OER
Making Circle Graphs
In this circle graphs worksheet, students answer multiple choice questions about how to make circle graphs. Students answer 10 questions total.
Curated OER
Star Frames
Fourth graders study constellations. In this space science lesson, 4th graders discover what makes stars, how bright stars are, and why constellations were created. Students make their own constellation using Saran Wrap and a frame.
Curated OER
How Does Art Feel
Students examine a variety of textures, one of the seven elements of design. They experiment with various media and techniques to produce different textures. Then they produce two works of art, one using actual textured material and one...
Curated OER
Colored Shadows
Students explore how different colors are seen through the cone cells in our eyes. In this light lesson students complete a lab activity with light and record their observations.
LABScI
Vision Lab: The Eye
Our bodies have some amazing capabilities, but there are some limitations. Explore the limitations of the human eye through the eighth lab activity in a series of 12 biology lessons. Individuals measure their own peripheral vision...
Curated OER
Light
Here is a stellar slide show for illuminating middle schoolers' minds on the topic of light! An interactive slide allows viewers to sort light sources by whether or not they are man-made. More objects are displayed and learners discover...
Curated OER
Drawing Portraits Using a Grid
A well-developed art activity is always great to have around. This activity on portrait drawing includes a full procedure, modifications, background information on artist Chuck Close, recommended websites, and a few thoughts from the...
Andrea Mulder-Slater
Happy Accidents Painting
A person can see a lot of different things when he looks at the amorphous clouds. The same is true when you let your watercolor paints do as they please. Little artists create haphazard art with watercolors, then use ink or marker to...
Curated OER
Creating Circle Graphs with Microsoft Excel
Seventh graders will learn how to construct circle graphs using paper and pencil. Then they will learn how to construct circle graphs using Microsoft Excel. This lesson uses technology and shows learners how to cross skills into the...
Curated OER
Decomposing Numbers Step-By-Step
Here are two addition-related exercises. However, bear in mind, the explanations are featured below each of them. Use this as an all-class warm up, revealing the explanations if and when you see fit. First, examine the four sets of...