Curated OER
Series or Parallel?
Emerging electricians extend mental models of light bulbs and resistors in series and or in parallel circuits to include the connection of photovoltaic cells in arrays. They investigate open circuits, using a DC voltmeter, a light...
Virginia Department of Education
A-Mazing Plants
Have your young scientists questioned why plants grow a particular way? Through this learning opportunity, scientists gain firsthand knowledge about how plants develop and various factors that affect rates of growth as they bring plants...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
George Washington: General, President, Slave Owner
Times change; behaviors that were once considered acceptable can be seen in a very different light. Middle schoolers revisit the legacy of George Washington in a three-day lesson plan that uses primary sources to reveal Washington as a...
Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation
Sun Blocks: Building a Foundation for Healthy Skin
Here comes the sun! Primary graders engage in activities that teach them how to protect themselves from the effects of UV rays. They learn that each season (fall, winter, spring, and summer) offers its own special challenges so they...
Center for History Education
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: Is Anyone to be Punished for This?
The stories of bodies falling to the pavement and girls dying in their seats echo to the present day. The New York City Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire—which killed 147 people, mostly young women and girls—galvanized the labor movement...
Bonneville
Illuminate Me: Merging Conductive Sewing, Technology, and Solar Power
Sew up a unit on solar energy with a hands-on project. Groups sew LED lights on clothing using conductive thread. Solar modules attached to a helmet provide the energy for the lights. A final presentation gives learners the opportunity...
National Institute of Open Schooling
Radioactive Pollution
Radioactive pollutants can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or injection. The last lesson in a series of 36 introduces pupils to radioactive pollution. They study its sources, both natural and man-made, its...
Columbus City Schools
It’s Electric!
Shocking! Who knew so many great ideas existed for teaching middle schoolers about electricity? Find them all within this energetic framework. You'll light up at the variety of printable and web-based resources within! After building...
University of Colorado
Spacecraft Speed
Space shuttles traveled around Earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour, way faster than trains, planes, or automobiles travel! In the 13th installment of 22, groups graph different speeds to show how quickly spacecraft move through...
Teach Engineering
Energy Forms and States Demonstrations
Does a tennis ball have energy? What about a bowling ball? Demonstrate concepts of different forms of energy forms and states with a variety of objects. Using the equations for potential and kinetic energy,...
Star Wars in the Classroom
"Shakespeare and Star Wars": Lesson Plan Day 12
Class members compare the final 30 minutes of Lucas's Star Wars: A New Hope with Act V of Doescher's play, William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope and consider how the choice of media influences viewers' impression...
NOAA
The Oceanographic Yo-yo
How does chemistry help deep-sea explorers? Part four of a five-part series of lessons from aboard the Okeanos Explorer introduces middle school scientists to technologies used in ocean exploration. Groups work together to analyze data...
Curated OER
What things let Light Pass Through?
Second graders classify objects according to how well light can pass through them and predict how well objects will transmit light. They experiment with objects to verify predictions while collecting, recording, and interpreting data...
Curated OER
What is Light?
Learners explore different types of light, and demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including reading strategies, inference, literal meaning, and critical analysis.
Curated OER
Nureyev: Bringer of Light
Students examine Nureyev's artistic endeavors and achievements. In this language and art instructional activity, students analyze modes of dance expression at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. They focus on...
Curated OER
Globe Lesson 11 - Rotation of the Earth - Grade 6+
In this rotation of the Earth worksheet, students read a 2-page review of the rotation of the earth and respond to 10 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Elements of Art
Students explore three topics of elements of art in this seven lessons unit. An overview of light, space, figure, ground, pattern, balance and symmetry are presented in this unit.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Heat and Light Come From Various Sources
First graders study heat and light and how they come from various sources. They list sources of heat and light and identify the different energy sources as heat, light, or both heat and light.
Curated OER
Light and Dark
Students explore the concept of light and dark. In this light sources lesson, students use an interactive whiteboard to discuss light sources and illumination. The students complete a worksheet as an assessment.
Curated OER
Who's Got Your Power
Pupils examine and map local sources of energy. They conduct Internet research on their local utility company, identify where their utility company obtains energy, graph the data, and label a map of power plant locations in their state.
Curated OER
How We See Things
Pupils explain that when a beam of light is reflected from its surface, it changes direction. In this virtual science experiment lesson plan, students complete an activity that requires them to investigate how flat mirrors reflect light...
Curated OER
Energy Is Everywhere
Students determine the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources and identify the different forms of energy. They discuss life without energy and where energy comes from before reading an article about the different...
Curated OER
Balance of Nature Pyramid
Students study the concept of food chains and create a physical forest food chain pyramid. In this balance of nature pyramid instructional activity, students identify the ingredients needed on each level of the pyramid then make...