Curated OER
Hands-On Humidity
Students examine why humidity changes throughout the day. They study the concept of relative humidity, absolute humidity, and dew point temperature. They interpret phase diagrams and explain why relative humidity typically falls and...
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It's Everyone's Home
Students research environmental destruction. In this cause and effect lesson, students students gain an understanding of everyday things we do to harm the environment. Students work in groups to create a brochure that tells the...
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East Meets West: Americans on the Move
Learners imagine what it was like to be part of the Lewis and Clark expedition. In this Lewis and Clark Expedition lesson, students watch "East Meets West: Americans on the Move," and then write journal entries from the...
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A Chair for Mr. Bear
Young scholars listen to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and work collaboratively to create a chair for a small stuffed animal that will allow it to sit upright and withstand a short drop out of Legos. Students write about the...
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Mmm Mmm Good
Second graders follow a recipe. In this cooking instructional activity, 2nd graders are given a recipe and ingredients to prepare food. Students will reflect on their experience in their journals.
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Changing of the Guard
Students reflect on their knowledge of democracy. After reading an article, they examine current plans for the placement of a democracy in Iraq. In groups, they research past regime changes and democratization attempts and discuss the...
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An Introduction to Light Unit-Third Grade
Third graders are introduced to light in an eight part unit which includes activities, additional resources, and rubrics for each part. Students address topics such as energy, reflection, absorption, and refraction through hands-on...
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I Spy (Camouflaged Animals in Art!)
Make connections about animal characteristics and the animal's environment. In this animal characteristics lesson, students use a piece of art as a springboard for a discussion about animals and camouflage. Students choose an animal that...
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The Queen's Empire
Students conduct Internet research on a variety of ant species and their habitats. They have an opportunity to observe ants in their environment. Areas of interest might include ant identification, colony life, the ant life cycle, and...
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Peter the Great
Students recognize that Peter the Great modernized Russia. They write letters and complete journal entries in first person as if they were Peter the Great. In addition, they decorate their journal entries with scenes from his travels.
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I spy (Camouflaged Animals in Art!)
Students create a picture of a camouflaged animal in its habitat. In this visual arts lesson, students look at Hans Hoffmann's painting A Hare in the Forest and discuss the animal's camouflage. They research their own animal to...
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Energizing Resources
Seventh graders describe electrical energy and how it is produced. In this natural resource lesson, 7th graders explain the various ways of obtaining and using natural resources for energy and the environmental consequences. They will...
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Compare Human-made Objects with Natural Objects
Students examine and observe how many human-made objects get their basic design from things in nature. They listen to the book "Nature Got There First," compare/contrast hollow bones with drinking straws, bird beaks and tool pliers, and...
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Rules of Force and Motion
Students view a video and complete experiments with force and motion. In this force and motion lesson, students examine small pieces and how they affect the motion of a toy car. Students also experiment with sand paper,...
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Wild or Tame?
Learners explore wild and domestic animals. In this animal activity, students define wild and domestic. Learners are shown pictures of animals and choose if they are wild or domestic. Students name pets and name their wild counterpart....
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A Distant View
Learners investigate the essential concepts of how lenses work to magnify vision, and then build simple telescopes to demonstrate their understanding. They write a description of how their telescope could be improved and how it works.
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2002: The Year In Review
Students research and create a book highlighting significant events and trends throughout the world in the year 2002. Then, through creative writing, they respond to the events or trends themselves and how they affected our world.
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The Earth Moves Under My Feet
Middle schoolers study earthquakes, monitor seismic activity using the Web, and plot real-time activity. They examine movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. They create an earthquake preparedness project.
The New York Times
Researching the Researchers
Students match scientists with their major discoveries, choose one figure to research further, and co-author articles profiling the scientist and his or her achievements.
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How Electric Current Produces Energy
Fifth graders are introduced to the concept of electric currents. In groups, they develop their own game board to test different circuits to determine if they are complete. They record their observations of the energy transfer between...
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Earthquakes
Students inspect the causes and effects of earthquakes and examine how seismic waves travel. In this earthquake lesson plan, students determine where earthquakes happen and why, before determining how to build an earthquake resistant...
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Human Fingerprints: No Two the Same
Sixth graders explore scientific observations by analyzing a group of data. In this fingerprint identification lesson, 6th graders identify the reasoning behind fingerprinting and create their own ink fingerprints. Students discuss the...
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Seasoning the School Year
Students observe the changes a class tree goes through as the seasons change and record observations in journals. They investigate changes in the weather, changes in the length of the day, and how that affects people. They create...
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Changing Places
Students investigate the Chinese-American immigration experience. In this assimilation lesson, students watch "Becoming American: The Chinese Experience" and then participate in classroom activities regarding the topic. The activities...