Curated OER
TE Activity: Tears in Rain
Students examine photographs before writing captions for them. They develop visual literacy as they see how photographs are manipulated to show the effects of acid rain. They rewrite the photo captions after a class discussion.
Curated OER
Double Exposure Lesson Plan: Artistic Analysis of a Photograph
Students view photographs on Web module, practice answering questions of analysis, and identify artistic qualities of photographs by applying the analysis of elements of art.
Curated OER
Ani-mania
Young scholars view and discuss Robert Harris' farm landscapes and create their own mural out of wood. In groups, they discuss various issues affecting pets throughout the world and create a way to protest or celebrate the issue. They...
Curated OER
Making Connections: Exploring Four Themes through Art: Class Collage from Print Sources
Learners explore the art themes of form, content, ornament, and decoration. They explore the Illinois State Museum website, view the online Theme Galleries, and create a collage that reflects a theme.
Curated OER
Is That Legal? A Case of Acid Rain
Develop an environmental case study! Elementary learners discover how a case study is used as an analysis tool. The goal of this activity is to show pupils how techniques of persuasion (including background, supporting evidence,...
Teach Engineering
Dirty Decomposers
Do not let the class just sit and rot. Pupils learn how decomposition and nutrient recycling is important to an ecosystem. Groups design an experiment to determine how environmental conditions affect decomposition. They develop a poster...
Illuminations
Circumference and Areas of Circles
Middle and high schoolers listen to a scenario about a puppy and use the scenario to develop formulas in order to find the area of a circle. In this circumference instructional activity, pupils understand how to find the radius,...
Curated OER
Seeing and Feeling Sound Vibrations
Groups rotate through a series of stations and work with a partner to observe sound waves. Children describe sound in terms of pitch, volume, and frequency. To apply their new knowledge, the class considers how these observations can...
Curated OER
Earth Rocks!
Young scholars study the basic elements of the Earth's crust: rocks, soils and minerals. They categorize rocks, soils and minerals and how they are literally the foundation for our civilization. They also explore how engineers use rock...
Curated OER
How Hot Is It?
Discuss the difference between conduction, convection and radiation of thermal energy, and complete activities with your class by investigating the difference between temperature, thermal energy and the heat capacity of different materials.
Curated OER
A House is a House for Me
Students evaluate the impact climates have on the building of structures. They research the different types of materials used to build houses in various climates and build small models of houses which are tested against different climates.
Curated OER
Make Your Own Temperature Scale
Differentiate between temperature and thermal energy. Your class will build a thermometer using simple materials and develop their own scale for measuring temperature. Discuss with your class and consider why engineers need to understand...
Curated OER
Modern Day Pyramids
Learners investigate the ways in which ancient technologies - six types of simple machines and combinations - are used to construct modern buildings. As they work together to solve a design problem (designing and building a modern...
Curated OER
Destination Outer Space
Students investigate space travel. For this space travel lesson students examine space exploration history, engineers and scientists involved in space exploration, and Newton's third law of motion. Students make rockets.
Curated OER
Fortified Breakfast
Students reverse engineer a cereal. In this dietary lesson plan students identify the minerals that the human body needs to function. Students examine how foods are fortified by food engineers. Students find the amount of iron in a...
Teach Engineering
The Grid
Upper graders form a "Presidential Task Force," and attempt to make recommendations concerning the future of the national power grid. After a teacher-led discussion which proves that our nation's energy consumption will soon outpace our...
Teach Engineering
Introduction to Environmental Engineering
A series on environmental engineering introduces the class to issues that environmental engineers work to solve. This first lesson focuses on air and land issues, and looks at ways to reduce pollution.
Teach Engineering
Exploring Energy: What Is Energy?
...Then the water heater exploded like a bomb. Using a video of an exploding water heater, the resource presents the definitions of energy, potential energy, and kinetic energy to be used in later lessons of the unit.
Teach Engineering
Introduction to Water Chemistry
What are the issues surrounding water quality? Viewers of this short presentation gain information about the importance of clean water, the lack of fresh water, water contamination, and ways that engineers treat water.
Curated OER
Voices of Our People: A Patchwork of Cultures
Students view a gallery of photographs online and list objective and subject observations of the photos. They develop questions about the photos and write first person narratives about them.
Curated OER
Changing Perspectives on the Japanese Internment Experiment
Students discover the characteristics of Japanese internment during World War II. They discuss racist policies and use the internet to gather information to write their own version of history. They write essays from different points of...
Curated OER
Apple Science
Sixth graders explore agriculture by viewing a fruits and vegetables video clip. In this apple characteristics lesson, 6th graders discuss how fruits and vegetables deteriorate after being exposed to oxygen and identify methods to defend...
Curated OER
Paradox Worlds
Young scholars view and analyze "Still Life," by Cornelis de Heem. They answer discussion questions about the painting, write similes, discuss symbolism, create a still life sketch, and create a paint box poem.
Curated OER
Past and Future Heroes
Third graders view various murals and explore the characteristics of heroes and how heroes can be represented in art. They choose a hero, then write and illustrate a short report on his or her life.