National Math + Science Initative
Reading an Informational Text: "It All Started with Sputnik"
Sputnik was one of the greatest scientific advancements of the 1950s, and this reading lesson does it justice. Pupils start off with pre-reading questions and a video. They then read an excerpt from an article, which is accompanied by...
Curated OER
Night of the Twister
Students use reading strategies for Night of the Twister. In this reading strategies lesson, students name five major catastrophes and books about each. Students complete a vocabulary section, make inferences and predictions, read the...
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Stellaluna
First graders discuss the strategy of asking yourself questions while reading. in this Stellaluna instructional activity, 1st graders write questions on a chart about the story. Students turn and talk after reading chunks of text....
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Reading Comprehension: History of the Periodic Table
Although the article that launches this lesson is about the history of the Periodic Table, the objective is reading comprehension. Using the eight-page informational text, learners answer five comprehension questions and craft one essay....
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Rain
First graders practice oral and silent reading using beginning comprehension and decoding strategies. In this guided reading lesson, 1st graders take a picture walk and make plot predictions prior to reading the book Rain by Robert...
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Reading Chemical Formulas
Students interpret basic chemical formulas. When class begins, students interpret a "chemical formula" for fruit salad. After they interpret the recipe, students use the same strategies to identify chemical formulas. They evaluate the...
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Reading a Local and National Weather Map
Students investigate weather maps. For this weather lesson, students discover the meaning of different weather icons and symbols. Working independently, students use the local forecast to correctly label a state map.
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Wood
Students practice reading comprehension strategies. In this literacy and science lesson plan, students read a non-fiction article about wood and locate main ideas and details. Students construct a card game using information taken from...
Cornell University
Constructing and Visualizing Topographic Profiles
Militaries throughout history have used topography information to plan strategies, yet many pupils today don't understand it. Scholars use Legos and a contour gauge to understand how to construct and visualize topographic profiles. This...
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What's the Main Idea?
Fourth graders comprehend what they are reading. An effective strategy for comprehension is summarization. They single out and explaining the main ideas of a passage. Students find a sentence or rewrite their own that covers...
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Animal Coverings
Students read a book. In this animal characteristics lesson, students read the book Animal Coverings, answer comprehension questions, and complete a chart where they match animals with their coverings.
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Ziplock Chemistry
Students investigate various chemical reactions when creating mixtures in ziplock baggies. In this chemistry lesson, students will recognize various chemical reactions and cite evidence. Safety and assessment strategies are included in...
University of California
Hot! Hot! Hot!
Calories are not tiny creatures that sew your clothes tighter every night, but what are they? A science instructional activity, presented at multiple levels, has learners experiment with heat, heat transfer, and graph the function over...
Curated OER
Remembering Reptiles
Students will learn to use outlines as a comprehension strategy. Summarization is the most important comprehension strategy, and should be taught to maturing readers. During this lesson learners use the story of a reptile to practice...
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Circular Motion
Students research physical science by completing worksheets. For this gravity lesson, students read assigned text regarding the rotation of Earth and the gravitational force caused by the speed of which it rotates. Students complete a...
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Staying Healthy Year Round
Students will read literature about the seasons and observe and describe the weather in each. The group will compare and contrast the activities of people during different weather conditions showing how they adapt to changes. They will...
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Can You Detect Bias?
Eleventh graders recognize some, but not all ethical processes (e.g., independent verification, clarifying assumptions, disclosing conflicts of interest) that shape scientific endeavors. Students build awareness of how various sources...
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Bats Online!
Second graders read books and other resources to learn about bats. In this bats lesson plan, 2nd graders read books and research the internet about bats. Once students learn about bats, they will take an online bat quiz.
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Constellations
Students explore constellations. They read trade books about constellations and write notes including their locations, origins, and names. They research and report on one constellation in the Northern Hemisphere and share their report...
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Here Comes Winter!
Students investigate winter behaviors in animals. They describe winter and write about the characteristics of the season by drawing and labeling a winter picture. Students then conduct research on a chosen animal and create a chart. ...
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Brown Bear Phonics
Students listen to Brown Bear, Brown Bear and imitate the style of Eric Carle in writing a sentence. In this writing lesson, students use the beginning and ending sounds of words to write an Eric Carle type sentence. Students create...
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Fitting Trash into Yesterday: A Fifth Grade Activity
Fifth graders explore the concept of waste management. In this recycling lesson, 5th graders discover the history of waste management and discuss how the U.S. should respond to the issue of ever-increasing waste.
Curated OER
A Neighborhood Expedition
Students plan and conduct an expedition through their neighborhood based on the techniques used by the Harriman Expedition to Alaska in 1899. They research the Harriman expedition on the internet and then create a route and collection...
Curated OER
Projectile Motion
Students determine the angle of launch that will give a projectile its greatest range. In this projectile motion lesson, students recognize that the motion of a projectile results from the combined horizontal and vertical velocities....