Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Ingenious: Franklin Assembles a Scientific Community
Few Americans have heard of the burgeoning scientific community known as the America Philosophical society, started by none other than Benjamin Franklin. With inquiry, research, and discussion, high schoolers come to understand their...
Curated OER
Death On Board La Belle: Finding Clues from Old Bones
Students practice analyzing skeletal remains for clues by using the Internet. In this scientific investigation lesson, students research the La Belle shipwreck using the Internet and written materials, later completing a Skeletal...
Curated OER
Natural Inquirer Ecosystem Article Lesson
Young scholars discover new ways to preserve the ecosystem by completing graphic organizers. In this environmental lesson, students read an article from the Natural Inquirer in small groups and fill out a graphic organizer based on...
Curated OER
The Psychology Teacher's Resource Guide
The activities in a comprehensive teacher's resource guide provides budding psychologists with opportunities to design experiments to study behavior, apply their knowledge of research variables, critique online behavior surveys, and much...
Curated OER
Bronze: Scientific Inquiry through Chinese Art
Students examine the use of bronze and porcelain in Chinese art and commerce through in-class activities, role play events, and small-group discussions in this exciting Social Studies/Arts lesson.
Curated OER
Paper: Scientific Inquiry Through Chinese Art
Students create replicas of Chinese hanging scrolls in an attempt to understand the technology behind the creation and use of paper in Ancient China. This three-day lesson includes enrichment ideas.
American Institute of Architects
Architecture: It's Elementary!—Fifth Grade
Young citizens construct an understanding of urban planning in this cross-curricular unit. Covering every aspect of city development from the political, economic, and social influences to sustainable building practices, this...
Curated OER
Nano Waterproofing
Learners experiment to determine a way to waterproof a piece of cotton fabric. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students use reference worksheets to explore waterproofing and the use of nanotechnology in engineering everyday...
Curated OER
Exploring Human History
Young scholars study the four main subdivisions of anthropology and how they overlap. They explore the careers of several contemporary anthropologists and their fieldwork, comparing the methods and applications of their work.
Curated OER
Silk: Scientific Inquiry Through Chinese Art
Students investigate the many uses of silk in Chinese society through in-class experiments, group projects, and hands-on learning in this cross-curricular lesson. There are four main activities included in this lesson.
New York City Department of Education
Egypt
This six-week unit encompasses all subjects with a focus study on world history and the development of ancient civilizations. As gifted and talented students dive into the interesting yet challenging topic of Egypt, they...
Curated OER
Lesson PlanThe Huexotzinco Codex
Students examine primary sources that include pictographs from Puebla, Mexico. In this Huexotzinco Codex lesson, students perform historical analysis as they investigate the codex as they make inferences and draw conclusions about taxes...
Curated OER
Dirty Decomposers
Students explore the ecosystem by conducting a ziploc bag experiment. In this recycling lesson, students identify decomposer organisms in our environment and how they speed up the recycling process. Students utilize a ziploc plastic bag,...
Curated OER
Is the Hudson River Too Salty to Drink?
Students explore reasons for varied salinity in bodies of water. In this geographical inquiry lesson plan, students use a variety of visual and written information including maps, data tables, and graphs, to form a hypothesis as to why...
Curated OER
Photo Scavenger Hunt
Students celebrate Earth Day by applying what they've learned about studying the natural world. In this Photo Scavenger Hunt lesson plan, students use a digital camera to capture outdoor imagery and to help them understand the...
Curated OER
Steps To An Inquiry Process
Fourth graders investigate the research process. The finding of information about the indian tribes of Montana provides the context for student practice. They identify the problem and generate questions to find answers. The main...
Curated OER
Wonder Underground
Students classify and record objects they find "underground." In this observation instructional activity, students dig into bins filled with soil and encounter various objects such as bark, twigs, etc. Students classify their findings.
Curated OER
Hello Summer
Students celebrate the great outdoors and the coming summer break by studying the natural world. In this seasons lesson, students engage in bark rubbing and operate a digital camera to capture outdoor imagery for a collage to help them...
Curated OER
Jade: Scientific Inquiry Through Chinese Art
Students discover the uses of Jade in Chinese art and society through in-class discussions, group projects, and internet research. Additional enrichment activities are included.
Curated OER
History's Mysteries Lesson Plans
By exploring history's mysteries, like Stonehenge, students can learn about historical research.
Curated OER
The Battle of Stones River: The Soldiers' Story
Learners organize items in a "doohickey kit" distributed by the teachers, creating categories using classification schemes. In this classification lesson, students compare systems within groups and write questions that could be answered...
University of Minnesota
Dendritic Spines Lab
This is your brain on drugs ... literally! Your neuroscientists-in-training examine the evidence of drug use on the human brain and how neurons change their connectivity when altered by drugs. They then work together to create testing...
American Psychological Association
Resource Vetting Rubric
How do you assure that the resources you find for your classes are of good quality? Check out a vetting rubric that suggests eight questions to ask when considering lesson plans, activities, demonstrations, and pictures for classroom use.
ARKive
Galapagos Conservation
The Galapagos Islands inspired Darwin to develop his theory of evolution. These wonderful islands will also be the topic of a lesson on habitat and conservation. In small groups, learners will collect and synthesize information regarding...