Noyce Foundation
Ducklings
The class gets their mean and median all in a row with an assessment task that uses a population of ducklings to work with data displays and measures of central tendency. Pupils create a frequency chart and calculate the mean and median....
Curated OER
A Geological Puzzle
Students compare and contrast the various types of rocks on each continent. In groups, the calculate the rock ages and types to determine if the continents, in their opinion, were joined at one time. They develop two imaginary...
Curated OER
The Newspaper Article
Have your class participate in an interview activity using an informational text about the Amazon. After reading a Cultural Connections story about a person from the Amazon, middle schoolers write interview questions based on the text....
Virginia Department of Education
Weather Patterns and Seasonal Changes
Get your class outside to observe their surroundings with a lesson highlighting weather patterns and seasonal changes. First, learners take a weather walk to survey how the weather affects animals, people, plants, and trees during...
Curated OER
Sea Ice: Unscrambling the Egg Code
Students determine sea ice thickness, concentration, and floe size by reading egg codes. In this sea ice conditions lesson, students color code a map based on prescribed criteria and use the maps to identify changes in sea ice...
Curated OER
Keep it Active
Young scholars explore the active layer above permafrost and investigate various factors on the insulation value of the active layer. In this energy transfer lesson, students conduct and experiment to determine the effects of snow...
Curated OER
Traveling Through the Solar System
Students use calculator and non-calculator methods for analyzing data. They apply data collection and analysis in a study of mass and weight. Students enhance and apply the concept of line of best fit. They master graphing in a plane,...
Curated OER
Inspector Readers: The 002 Book Club
This unit introduces book clubs/literature circles to lower elementary classes, but could be adapted to higher grades. It outlines the anticipatory activity that includes a WebQuest, a discussion to clarify questions about the unit,...
Curated OER
Questioning NASA
Space science and math collide in this inquiry that investigates launching times for antacid-tablet rockets! Upper elementary or middle school learners collect data as they launch these mini rockets. They apply concepts of place value...
Google
Surveys and Estimating Large Quantities
Looking for an estimation activity a bit more involved than the typical "guess the number of jellybeans in the jar" game? Here, learners use a picture to estimate the number of people at a large event, look for potential problems with...
Achieve
Task: Storage Sheds
Bridge the gap between mathematics and Career Technical Education. Pupils research the cost associated with building storage sheds and analyze possible profit. They build scale models and determine if building and selling the sheds is a...
Curated OER
Illuminating Climate Change: Connecting Lighting and Global Warming
High schoolers analyze energy usage and connect energy usage to fossil fuel consumption. In this global warming and pollution lesson plan, students what fuels are used to generate electricity and how much CO2 each fuel produces, then...
National Security Agency
Are You Game? A Lesson Connecting Fractions and Probability
Exactly how fair are the board games children grow up playing? Young mathematicians investigate this questions as they work their way through this five-lesson series on basic probability.
Curated OER
Relative Ratios
Students discover that proportions are made up of equal ratios each containing the same building blocks. They, using the Internet, apply their knowledge of direct relationships and proportions to problems in planetary science.
Curated OER
The Colors of Chemistry
Students investigate the acidity and alkalinity of common household products in an experiment. They use red cabbage juice and litmus paper to show the difference between strong acids and bases as they work with vinegar, dish washing...
Curated OER
Planning for and Surviving Earthquakes
Students work in small groups to explore the FEMA for Kids site. They take the role of FEMA officials. Student list three items they may need to survive an earthquake. They complete a worksheet and discuss their results with the rest of...
Curated OER
The Recess Queen
Students read, The Recess Queen and answer questions about the book. In this story book lesson, students write stories about situations that they have gone through similar to what was in the story.
Curated OER
Data, Data, Everywhere... and What Am I To Think?
Students demonstrate good random sampling techniques for data collection, select and develop graphic presentations of data and analyze the data to solve a problem presented.
Curated OER
Anything I Can Do You Can Do Better
Students complete a two-week unit involving design and construction concepts. They watch a PowerPoint presentation about geometric shapes, draw the fourteen shapes incorporated in bridge construction, and in small groups design, build,...
Curated OER
Levers
Fifth graders participate in a review discussion of the parts of a lever, resistance or load, fulcrum, and effort. Next, they complete activities at six experiment stations while collecting data that they share with the class. While...
Curated OER
The Effects Of Earthquakes
Students investigate the concept of how earthquakes occur and the after effects of how they effect landforms. They conduct research it using a variety of resources and measure the varying intensities of how earthquakes effect the...
Curated OER
A Plane Old Time
Fourth graders become familiar with a chart and use the information to create a flight plan. In this flight plan lesson, 4th graders access background knowledge of the role of flight controllers and the number concepts they...
Curated OER
Significant What?
Students define accuracy and precision, and differentiate between the two terms, apply the concepts of accuracy and precision to a given situation and correctly apply the concept of significant figures to measurement and mathematical...