Curated OER
Playground Safety
Students conduct experiments with fruit falling from playground equipment to explain the effects of falling off playground equipment.
Curated OER
That's So Square
Students familiarize themselves with the three most common geometric shapes: circles, triangles and parallelograms. They sketch, sort, and name the shapes.
Curated OER
Spiders Have Special Characteristics
Students state reasons why spiders are grouped in specific categories, including what distinguishes a spider from an insect. They report on their observations of the spiders. They illustrate their report with drawings in their journals.
Curated OER
Geologic cross section of Manhattan, NYC
High schoolers draw an accurate geologic cross section by using a given data table. They relate the features of the cross section to geologic processes. Students then relate the characteristics of the bedrock to the architecture.
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Magic in the Classroom
Captivate students while covering content by incorporating magic into your day.
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Measuring the Earth (Eratoshenes' method)
Sixth graders engage in problem solving, communicating, reasoning, and connecting to represent and solve problems, using geometric models.
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Cell-O
Students create model cells using gelatin, toothpicks, and various fruits to represent organelles. Then, students observe their models and complete a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting plant and animal cells.
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Stressed to a Fault!
Eighth graders describe how stress builds up in the Earth's crust by the movement of tectonic plates. In groups, they relate the three types of stresses to the types of plate movements and explain how the stress causes faults to form. ...
Curated OER
Snowflakes
Young scholars read "The Snowy Day," by Ezra Jack Keats and construct snowflakes to decorate the classroom walls. They examine how snowflakes are formed and study new vocabulary words.
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What is the Setting of a Story?
First graders explore the concepts of what setting is and how it's determined in a story. They play the KidWorks program to help facilitate the setting in a story. They use resources such as a picture dictionary or word wall to find and...
Perkins School for the Blind
Timeline for Anne
It is key to the learning process to make everything a child with visual impairments does as tactile as possible. After reading Anne of Green Gables, the class discusses her life events in order to make a tactile time line. They...
Curated OER
Following the Leaders
Examine the historic election of Pope Benedict XVI and reflect on the challenges he faces as the new leader of the Catholic Church. This New York Times lesson investigates how other world leaders are chosen in different forms of...
Curated OER
Sponge Painting Flowers
Explore the shapes and colors of spring with a flower themed painting project. Included here are a list of materials and the instructions needed to execute an art activity on sponge painting flowers. Tip: Use in conjunction with a flower...
Cornell University
Atomic Bonding
Explore the connection of surface area to bonding within atoms. Learners complete lab investigations to model changing surface area with different sizes and concentrations of atoms. A flour fireball demonstration follows the labs to...
Curated OER
Can You Find It?
Plan a Parts of a Book scavenger hunt. Begin by giving your young adventurers a book, and asking them to find the title, author, illustrator, and table of contents. After a discussion of the purpose of each of these items, class members...
Curated OER
Create a Public Opinion Survey: The Middle East in the News
Though the discrete content here is a pair of New York Times articles about a 1998 military strike on Iraq and the coincident impeachment by the House of Representatives of then-President Clinton, this detailed plan for creating,...
Curated OER
A Way with Words
How do facts and opinions impact the news? After reading "How to Cover a War" from the New York Times, middle schoolers evaluate the claims in the article. They also consider the media's responsibilities in reporting during wartime....
Curated OER
Geometric Collages
Fourth graders investigate the concept of geometric patterning. They create their own patterns with a few basic requirements. The patterns must illustrate the concepts of flipping, 90 and 180 degree rotations. The collages also consist...
Curated OER
Strong Convictions
How can the rhetorical structure of an editorial help to develop its argument? Use this New York Times editorial to emphasize the importance of structure in a piece of informational text. Adolescent writers then use the editorial as a...
Curated OER
Informative Writing for the Winter Season
Informational writing lessons can be creative and motivating for students.
Curated OER
Follow the Leader
What are the qualities of a good leader? Of a good follower? A reading of Leo Lionni’s Swimmy launches a discussion of leadership and cooperation. Class members brainstorm how they can be leaders at home and how they can encourage others...
Curated OER
Symmetry in Children's Art Experiences
Read between the lines of symmetry to make important connections between math, art, culture, and nature.
Curated OER
10 Fresh Ideas to Get Your Students Writing
Here are some enticing writing ideas that will motivate any student.
Curated OER
The Plant Food Factory
Plants need sun and water to survive. Let kids discover these facts by reading a block of informational text and considering a scientific quandary. They read the text, then use the information to complete a two-part question about plant...