Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovering the Element of Color in Gaetano Donizetti's Don Pasquale: A Comparison of Tone Color and Art Color

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners experience several different tone colors in the song and also add layers of color to their copy of "The Owl" to compare and contrast how an artist would create the element of color.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Hot Dog Stand - An Annual Report

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students run a computer simulation and collect data as they work and use the data to create an annual report for their business. It is desirable for students to do this project individually, but it could be done as a class using a large...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Variation in Human Skin Color

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore factors that control variation in human skin color and the implications of this information for human society. They understand that skin color is no longer considered a credible scientific standard by which to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aquatic Exotics

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students identify and describe the aquatic exotic species found in Illinois. Using the internet, they research the species origins and discover their effects on native species in the area. They discuss how appropriate it is to introduce...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Careers With an Aquatic Emphasis

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students are introduced to careers with an aquatic emphasis. They take a self-evaluation test on what they enjoy in school to determine which career is right for them. They listen to people in the field discuss what their job is like.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Easy Street

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Pupils work together to complete a simulation on drought days. As a class, they discuss their results and compare water usage of the past to current numbers. After reading short excerpts, they answer discussion questions and review as a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mussels Are Coming

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students work together to identify and describe the various types of mussels. Using a color-coded system, they plot the arrival date of zebra mussels in North American waters. They discuss the increase in their population with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Boating Safety

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students are introduced to the safety procedures to follow while boating. After taking a quiz, they complete open-ended questions about boating accidents in Illinois. They discuss as a class how those accidents could have been prevented.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mammal Jeopardy

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders play a jeopardy like game using information about mammals. Before beginning the game, they complete a worksheet with questions similar to ones that are to be used during the competition. They answer more difficult...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairie Find Outdoors

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students take a field trip to a local prairie. Using identification books, they identify various forbs and grasses in the prairie. As a class, they discuss the importance of forbs and grasses to the ecosystem and review the various types...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairie Math

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students work together to build models of prairie plants. Using the model, they estimate the height and then measure them using metric and standard units. They write a fraction to represent their part of the whole set and compare and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating Social Stories

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Developmentally disabled students participate in the creation of their own social stories. They select a topic for their social story and work with the teacher to write a social story or create a video social story presentation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Clean is the Water?

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students read about and discuss water and how it is used as a resource and how engineers use technology to preserve it. In this water lesson plan, students look at a picture of water treatment and tell what is wrong with the picture.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life on the Moon

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students study the physical properties of the Moon.  In this life on the moon lesson students describe the ways life on the Moon would be different than on Earth. 
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Magnetic Fields Matter

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Help your young scientists learn which materials are affected by magnetic fields with an activity that presents the information about different types of materials — diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and ferromagnetic — and their interaction...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Off the Grid

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students examine the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non renewable energy sources.  In this engineering lesson students explain what it means for a house to be "off the grid".