Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
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Exploring Switzerland
Second graders research the country of Switzerland using the Internet and other resource materials. A variety of excellent materials are provided.
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Social Studies:
Students identify various types of breads fromother countries and locate them on maps. In small groups, they make story maps of books that mention bread and make books resembling sandwiches. Students have a bread tasting party and...
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HIV/AIDS And Contemporary Population Dynamics
High schoolers describe the spread and occurence of HIV/AIDS at multiple scales. They explain global and regional variations in the occurence of HIV/AIDS and explain the spread of HIV/AIDS in the United States.
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Playing Historical Detective: Great Grandmother's Dress and Other Clues to the Life and Times of Annie Steel
Students draw conclusions about an mystery person based on documents and artifacts provided. In this drawing conclusions instructional activity, students become detectives by reading and analyzing evidence provided. This instructional...
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Mineral Scavenger Hunt
Students complete a scavenger hunt worksheet as they find examples in their classroom, at home, etc., of minerals. Excellent worksheet!
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Rocks and Minerals
Students bring rocks and minerals from home to investigate in the classroom. In this rocks and minerals lesson plan, students observe all the rocks and minerals brought into the class and answer 7 questions about the features of the...
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The Westward Movement
Students study the westward movement through examining stamps. In this westward movement lesson plan, students draw conclusions, determine cause and effect relationships and examine the westward movement of the United States by...
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Going...going...gone? Tropical Rainforests-How They Work, What They Do for Us, What's Being Done to Them...
Sixth graders explore the Tropical Rainforest and come to understand what it is and how it affects the ecosystem. In this rainforests lesson, 6th graders write about the Tropical Rainforest, imagine they are in the Tropical Rainforest,...
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Letters from the Japanese American Internment
Students examine letters of Japanese-American children during internment in World War II. They discover what it was like in the camps and how they were treated once they were released. They also view photographs of the camps.
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Plants and Animals, Partners in Pollination
Learners participate in multiple hands-on activities to explore reproduction and pollination. In groups, using a cotton swab and powder, students simulate being pollinators and plants. They name the parts of the flowers and the function...
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How Size Shapes Animals
Students investigate how size affects large and small animals differently. In this animal lesson plan, students determine how size affects different animals by constructing their own animal out of marshmallows. Once students create...
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Fossils Footprints Across Time
Young scholars examine fossils to understand how they are formed and how they give information about geological history. In this fossil lesson plan, students research and write about fossils and make models of different fossil types.The...
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Traveling the Silk Road
Students take a virtual trip down the Silk Road. Using a map, they trace the location of the trade route and others that were developed later. They use different spices and goods to trace how they came to the Americas. They answer...
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There Is No Place Like Home! U. S. Immigration in the 1800's.
Students explore immigration in the late 1800's. They identify and describe the settlement patterns of European immigrants to the U.S. Students work in groups to research immigration from specified countries.
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Canada's Immigration patterns: 1950 to Present
Students examine the changing immigration pattern of Canada. In this immigration instructional activity, students use statistical data from a web-site to complete a worksheet and graph their findings.
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Kosovo: Where is It and What's All the Fuss About?
Students investigate the US military involvement in Kosovo and answer teacher generated questions.
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Immigration in Canada and in the European Union
Twelfth graders explore immigration policies. In this immigration lesson, 12th graders discuss the implications of immigration as they read polices for Canadian and European Union immigration. Students then draft their own immigration...
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India: Where Remarkable Differences Are Ordinary
Students research India and Indian culture. In this Indian research lesson plan, students research and report on the lives of Indian children. The report will be in the form of a mock interview between a journalist and an Indian child....
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Taming the Wild Aurochs
Fourth graders assess the development of animal husbandry, outline it in detail as well as arrange the steps in sequential order. In addition, they discuss how certain animals came to be domesticated, concentrate to research on one of...
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Building Bridges: Living in a Diverse Society
Students participate in various activities that help them build esteem, and explore racism. In this multicultural lesson plan, Students increase their awareness of, and appreciation for, cultural differences and similarities. This...
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Dinosaurs Were Real!
Students investigate the history of dinosaurs, as real animals. In this dinosaur lesson plan, students examine basic concepts that help them understand the history of all life. Included in this article is information on the world of the...
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Learning from Letters and Other Mail
Students explore the history of our mail system. In this postal lesson plan, students evaluate mail as a means of communication, create a mail system in their classroom where they can send and receive mail. Once the students receive...
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Mapping Population Changes In The United States
Students create a choropleth map to illustrate the population growth rate of the United States. They explore how to construct a choropleth map, and discuss the impact of population changes for the future.