University of Colorado
Looking Inside Planets
All of the gas giant's atmospheres consist of hydrogen and helium, the same gases that make up all stars. The third in a series of 22, the activity challenges pupils to make scale models of the interiors of planets in order to...
University of Minnesota
Dendritic Spines Lab
This is your brain on drugs ... literally! Your neuroscientists-in-training examine the evidence of drug use on the human brain and how neurons change their connectivity when altered by drugs. They then work together to create testing...
American Institute of Physics
Dr. Gates and the Nature of the Universe
What do Russian nesting dolls have to do with physics? They make a great demonstration tool for explaining Dr. Sylvester James Gates, Jr.'s string theory to young scientists. A two-part lesson first introduces learners to Dr. Gates'...
Virginia Department of Education
A Crystal Lab
Young chemists grow ionic crystals, metallic crystals, and supersaturated crystals in three different lab experiments. Observing these under a microscope allows pupils to compare the various structures.
Science Matters
Solar Energy
The solar energy industry in the United States added more jobs in 2015 than the oil and gas extraction and pipeline industries combined. With the field growing so rapidly, it's essential to understand what solar energy is and how it...
Curated OER
The Letter P-Growing Popcorn
Students explore the letter P and things that start with the letter P. They read The Popcorn Book by Tomie DePola. Students discuss things that start with the letter P. They plant their own popcorn plant and watch as the popcorn seeds...
Curated OER
Helping Plants Grow Well
Young scholars investigate the effect of water, temperature, and light on plant growth. In this plant lesson, students identify the parts of the plant and participate in an online activity. The website is included in this lesson plan.
Curated OER
Living Things Change and Grow
Young scholars observe how nail polish on a fingernail and petals on a flower grow over time. In this change and grow lesson plan, students observe, discuss, and draw how living things change and grow.
Curated OER
Why Is Climate Important to Growing Rice?
Third graders determine the location of major rice producing states in the United States. In this rice production lesson, 3rd graders locate the longitude and latitude of each rice producing state. They color the states and indicate...
Curated OER
The Bard: Shakespeare Up Close
Students choose a Shakespearean play to reenact into a modern setting. In this Shakespeare instructional activity, students practice insulting each other using Shakespearean language. Students watch Shakespeare plays and complete online...
Curated OER
Finding the Main Idea: Little Women
Whether or not your class is reading Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, you can use this exercise as the basis of a mini-lesson on how to determine the main idea of a passage or as a pre-test to assess mastery of the skill. A graphic...
Curated OER
Mine the Work of Franz Kline
Students investigate the artistic style of Franz Kline, the abstract artist, and create their own painting based on his industrial expressionist style. They examine the influence of his early years growing up near a coal mine in...
Curated OER
Growing in Communities, Kids on the Grow
Students participate in an after school program that promotes concern for others, recognizing differences, accepting differences, leadership roles, mentoring, self-responsibility and personal safety. They explore the diversity of their...
Curated OER
A Growing Success
Students create a multimedia presentation as a culmination of a plant unit. In this hyperstudio instructional activity, students research from assigned sites and create a Hyperstudio stack. Students write a...
Curated OER
Intro to Witch on Blackbird Pond
Fourth graders read Witch on Blackbird Pond and understand the difficulties of traveling to America during the colonial period. In this Witch on Blackbird Pond lesson, 4th graders compare the choices we have in...
Curated OER
Don't Bet The House On It!
Great real-world math application! Have the class compare and contrast their estimated home price and income data with actual data. In groups, they participate in simulations to discover how the housing market and mortgages operate....
Virginia Racing Commission
Project Hoofbeat: Incorporating the Horse in the Classroom:
It's all about horses in this cross-curricular packet that includes everything equine from United States horse history, breeds, grooming tools, and plenty of new vocabulary terms. Split into 11 lessons, learners complete crossword...
Carfleo
Substance Use and Abuse
What is substance abuse? What is the difference between a depressant and a stimulant? Here is a comprehensive unit on drug use, including three lessons with such activities as categorizing and defining key terms, identifying...
Curated OER
Exploring Geometry on the Sphere
In this geometry worksheet, students define important vocabulary dealing with circles. They measure cricles to the nearest degree. There are 11 word problems to be solved.
Penguin Books
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Young Readers Edition
As the saying goes, you are what you eat. A useful set of lesson plans encourage young readers to take a second look at their eating habits. Pre- and post-reading questions bring in reflective writing and discussion while extension...
Kenan Fellows
A Farmer’s Challenge to Breed to the Greatest of Grapes
What does your class know about GMOs? Are they savvy to selective breeding? Challenge young minds to engineer the greatest crop of all time using a hands-on genetics unit. Learners discover the good and bad details of selective breeding,...
Curated OER
On World Poetry Day, We're All Poets
Put away the books and the printouts, and break out the paper and pens to honor World Poetry Day.
Curated OER
Room to Grow
Students examine radish plants and compare how they grew based on how closely the seeds were sown. In this life science lesson, students pretend to be growing plants crowded together, then examine how the radishes look based on how much...
Curated OER
Growing Voters and Election 2004: Get Out the Vote
Students examine the voting process, the reasons citizens should vote, and participate in a community drive to sign up new voters. After looking at websites, students create a poster that outlines the reasons to vote, participate in a...