Random House
Focus On: Censorship & Banned Books
Billy Collins' "Rain" introduces the Random House 104-page magazine for educators that focuses on censorship and banned books. The resource is packed with teaching guides, articles by noted authors, and links to...
Illinois State Board of Education
Common Core Teaching and Learning Strategies
Here's a resource that deserves a place in your curriculum library, whether or not your school has adopted the Common Core. Designed for middle and high school language arts classes, the packet is packed with teaching tips, materials,...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Insects Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology
A read-aloud anthology explores the world of bees, wasps, beetles, termites, ants, fireflies, and more. Scholars listen to stories and discuss topics and practice word work. Extension opportunities keep the learning going in and out of...
UNICEF
Get Real on Climate
Climate change isn't just about a warming planet; it will affect humans' health, spread of disease, changes in heat waves and droughts, and changes in storms and wildfires. Participants explore global climate change through discussions...
Curated OER
The Science of Aging
Students reflect on the lives of older people they know, then research and debate the key issues surrounding scientific experimentation in anti-aging. They write a short story that reflects their own philosophical beliefs on aging and...
Curated OER
Hawaii's Freshwater Animals - Species Report
Learners explore biology by creating a report for the class. In this oceanography lesson, students research and identify the survival characteristics of a list of freshwater animals by utilizing the Internet and library. Learners...
University of North Carolina
Citation Builder
Does the publication date come before or after the title? Should there be a comma between the location and year? The answer depends on whether you're using the MLA, APA, Chicago,4or CSE/CBE style guide. A citation builder clears up...
Curated OER
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-In The Small Small Pond
Students read In The Small Small Pond by Denise Fleming. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of the pond ecosystem. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and library...
Curated OER
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-The Gadget War
Pupils 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
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas: Chickens Aren't the Only Ones
Young scholars read Chickens Aren't the Only Ones by Ruth Heller. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of animals that come from eggs. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social...
Curated OER
All About Seeds!
How do fruits relate to flowers and seeds? Identify the seeds and their purpose with a coloring activity for kindergartners. Once they color the seeds of apples, bananas, and peas (among others), kids get hands-on experience with bean...
Curated OER
Human Parts
Very young learners who are studying the human body will use this instructional activity to identify certain body parts. A cartoon drawing of a boy is shown, and learners must draw lines matching up words such as arm, tummy, foot, and...
Curated OER
Following Directions
Kindergartners learn about the ways force can stop and reverse motion. Several illustrations of children help them determine if the motion is causing an item to change direction. Next, they conduct an experiment to see if a water balloon...
Curated OER
Is it alive?
Kids in grades K-2 increase their logical reasoning and visual discrimination skills by determining which things shown are alive. They use the criteria that all living things move on their own to mark each image as alive or not.
Curated OER
Plant Life Cycles
Follow the life cycle of a dandelion with a lab sheet for kindergartners. They learn about the order of events in a dandelion's life, then put the stages of life in order. Can they describe the life cycle of a pumpkin? For extra...
Curated OER
The Living Environment
Young scholars explore the cycles of an ecosystem. In this environmental science lesson, students work in groups to research the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle, or the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle. Young scholars prepare a...
American Institute of Architects
Architecture: It's Elementary!—First Grade
Build an interest and appreciation for architecture in your young learners with this fun 10-lesson art unit. Engaging children in using their five senses, the class first observes the environment around them, paying...
Curated OER
Bend It! Stretch It! Squash It!
Some items keep their shape no matter what happens! Have your kindergarten class choose which items would stay the same if they were bent, stretched, or squashed. The last activity prompts kids to see what happens when they stretch a...
Curated OER
Does It Move On It's Own?
Young scientists look at drawings of six animals, then match up a word that describes how they move. The words are: hop, crawl, swim, fly, run, and jump. They also answer two additional questions about the animals and how they move. A...
Curated OER
Feel the Vibrations
How does sound travel in a string walkie-talkie? Third graders read about the way vibrations act between two cups and a string. Next, they put the steps in order, and experiment with their own walkie-talkies.
Curated OER
Materials We Use
How can you tell if something is made out of wood, metal, or plastic? Kids use noise and visual cues to determine what various household items are made from. They then examine their toys at home and record the materials used to make...
Curated OER
Night Here, Day There
Explore astronomy with a lab sheet for fifth grade scientists. After reading a short explanation about the earth's rotation, they solve a word problem about the differences in times across the world. Next, they make a model of the solar...
Curated OER
Plants have needs, too!
Plants can die if they don't get enough sunlight and water. Kindergartners observe a picture of a hanging plant and grass under a tree, and interpret which each plant has died. Next, they grow watercress seeds in wet cotton to compare...
Curated OER
Our Sky: Home of Stars and Planets
Students discover that astronomy is a branch of science that includes the study of planets, stars, and constellations.