Curated OER
Evidence Revealing the Composition of the Atom
Investigators use indirect evidence to guess what is occupying a sealed box. You could also use a set of plastic Easter eggs to encase the unknown items. Another terrific activity involves having students drop a pencil on a sheet of...
California Academy of Science
Plants: Hanging Tough
Learning about the rainforest can be more fun than you think. The class discusses vocabulary-in-context as they cut cardboard boxes, destined to become part of a rainforest model. Small groups of children color, cut, and construct...
Curated OER
Sphere Dressing
Geometric design makes a fashion statement! Challenge learners to design a hat to fit a Styrofoam model. Specifications are clear and pupils use concepts related to three-dimensional objects including volume of irregular shapes and...
Serendip
How Eyes Evolved – Analyzing the Evidence
Octopodes existed for hundreds of thousands of years before humans, yet our eyes share many similarities. Scholars analyze the evidence to determine if the evolution of eyes best fits a homology or analogy model. They discuss the issue...
Curated OER
Kid City, USA
What a model community would look like? Get your kids talking with an activity that allows them to create their own town. After printing out a "fold out village," groups of students use a variety of resources to help them build an actual...
Curated OER
Bloodstain Pattern Simulations: A Physical Analysis
Students receive bloodstain pattern evidence from a crime scene. They answer a series of questions through inquiry, observation, measurement, and analysis. Pupils complete this challenge, by reconstructing the evidence through four...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
What is the Water Cycle? Activity B
Curious physical scientists follow a lesson on the properties of water with this lesson on distillation. They observe a miniature water cycle model that filters dirty water into clean water. These two lessons combined are an enriching...
Curated OER
Rolling Number Sentences
Budding mathematicians investigate how to write number sentences using the Roll-the-Dice tool in "Kid Pix". They correlate the dots on the dice to numbers and then learn to use the addition and equal symbols to write number sentences....
Curated OER
Roman Bernardo: Solving Linear Equations
Mathematicians use an inquiry method to solve linear equations. In this linear equations instructional activity, students practice solving equations using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They solve multi-step...
Serendip
Understanding How Genes Are Inherited via Meiosis and Fertilization
Bring the excitement of genetics to scholars with a dynamic hands-on meiosis modeling experience. During the activity, biologists follow step-by-step procedures to build chromosomes, model independent assortment, learn about crossing...
Virginia Department of Education
Algebra Tiles and Solving Equations
Young mathematicians solve linear equations by drawing models of algebra tiles using colored pencils. To finish, they solve the same equations algebraically and check their answers using a graphing calculator.
Illustrative Mathematics
Grandfather Tang's Story
It's amazing the complex figures that can be made using only a few simple shapes. Following a class reading of the children's book Grandfather Tang's Story by Ann Tompert, young mathematicians use sets of tangrams to create models...
EngageNY
Mid-Module Assessment Task: Pre-Calculus Module 4
Challenge scholars to show what they know about properties and addition and subtraction formulas for trigonometric functions. The resource provides a mid-unit check on the progress toward mastery of trigonometric concepts. The areas...
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Divisibility Rules Justified
How do you know if a number is divisible? Instructors first prove the divisibility rules for three and four and then class members use this modeling to prove given divisibility rules for eight and nine either individually or in...
Curated OER
Ships 2: What Floats Your Boat?
Students design, build, and test the specifications (water displacement and load line) for a model boat. The lesson focuses especially on integrating design principles with inquiry-based experimental skills.
Curated OER
Constructions and Creations: Sturdy Structures
Have your class draw the plans and design a structure. Learners discuss and investigate the variables in the stability of a 2D and 3D model. They also consider how to add a circuit to the design. Afterwards, they present their work.
EngageNY
Transformations—The Next Level
Transform your geometry instruction by incorporating role play into math class. Pupils begin by completing an assessment to locate unknown angles, and then performing a simulation activity to better understand...
Curated OER
Character Impressions
Whether you are planning a unit on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, or simply want to improve your pupils' descriptive writing, this instructional activity could be a good addition to your class. Using the Six-Trait Writing...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Comparing Strategies for Proportion Problems
Having problems with proportions? Then solve these proportion problems with an exercise that asks learners to first individually solve a set of problems involving ratios and proportional reasoning. Groups then discuss provided...
CK-12 Foundation
Distributive Property: Catching Fireflies
Model the distributive property with jars of fireflies! An interactive animation has learners manipulate the number of jars of fireflies to determine the number caught. Accompanying questions ask scholars to consider the multiplication...
CK-12 Foundation
Properties of Multiplication in Decimal Operations: Balloon Animals
Commutive and associative properties are the focus of a five-question interactive. Dealing with decimal multiplication and addition, mathematicians solve multiple-choice and true or false questions using a model that moves balloons along...
Primary National Strategy
Ordering and Counting
Are you in need of a 5-day unit intended to teach little learners how to count to 20? This is a well-structured complete set of lessons which employ a variety of methods to instruct learners about various ways to count from 1 to 20. They...
Curated OER
Text Features of Fiction, Poetry, Drama: Story Matrix
How do novels differ from plays? Explore with your class the text features of fiction and drama by reading The Hidden One: Native American Legend and then performing a reader’s theater script based on the story. Class members create a...
Curated OER
Vocabulary Cards 2nd Grade A-L
Use a set of math vocabulary cards to enrich your second graders' knowledge. Whether you bring the cards to a math center or put them on a word wall, this resource will help even your struggling math learners with basic definitions and...