Curated OER
Clinometer
Seventh graders build their own Clinometer and using the tangent of angles, estimate the height of trees. Then these students develop and lesson to show whole class and determine the tallest tree on school property.
Curated OER
Prairie Settlement
Students make a decision for site selection for a farm during the 1840s in the Midwest. They build research and writing skills by recording the information used for analysis in a chart and as diary entries.
Curated OER
Places We Live
Students compare/contrast rural and urban communities, and view and discuss the images on the Illinois quarter. They discuss Abraham Lincoln's life, complete a chart and a Venn diagram comparing urban and rural settings, and create a...
Curated OER
Natural Resources and Transportation in the United States
Students study thematic maps (included with the lesson) to determine possible relationships. They develop three hypotheses about the relationship. Students choose one of their hypotheses to explain. The explanation is to include reasons...
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Section One: What is Biodiversity?
Four intriguing and scientific activities invite learners to explore the natural resources of their town. The activities cover concepts such as genetic traits, organizing species in a taxonomy, the differences between different species...
Curated OER
The Prairie Climate
Ninth graders research the average temperature and precipitation of a prairie region to determine the type of climate it is, and how it differs from other biomes. They examine the types of adaptions animals have made to live in the...
Curated OER
Animals from Afar
Students visualize the scope of the Roman empire by illustrating the geographic origins of various imported animals. They study how exotic animals were imported into Rome from the farthest regions of the empire.
Curated OER
Local Customs of Southeast Asian Countries
Students examine the cultural nuances of insular countries in southeast Asia. They perform skits demonstrating local customs of the countries examined, including greetings, visiting, business, drinking, and gift giving.
Curated OER
Habitat Happenings
Students examine the characteristics of the Prairie Creek Habitat in Illinois. In groups, they travel between various stations writing haikus and reading brochures. They identify what occurs in each habitat and identify the animals...
Curated OER
River Research
Students use the internet to research the streams and rivers found in Illinois. Using the information, they identify and describe the rivers and streams along with the physical characteristics of a river ecosystem. They share what they...
Curated OER
Careers With an Aquatic Emphasis
Students are introduced to careers with an aquatic emphasis. They take a self-evaluation test on what they enjoy in school to determine which career is right for them. They listen to people in the field discuss what their job is like.
Curated OER
Leaf, Tree and Prairie Study
Students are introduced to the topic of Botany and the process of photosynthesis. Using various habitats, they research the amount of destruction it is facing and how to solve the problem. They make a leaf booklet with leaves they find...
Curated OER
Go West With Lewis and Clark! Scavenger Hunt
In this Lewis and Clark scavenger hunt activity, students participate in an Internet scavenger hunt to answer five questions regarding the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Curated OER
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858: Interactive Map Activity
Students utilize an interactive map to explore the 1858 Senate campaign in Illinois. They examine how factors such as population, transportation, and party strongholds can affect campaign strategies. Students write an essay discussing...
Curated OER
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858: Interactive Map Activity
Eleventh graders utilize an interactive map to explore the 1858 Senate campaign in Illinois and how factors such as population, transportation, and party strongholds can affect campaign strategies.
Curated OER
Scaling the Map
Students practice determining map distances using the map scales. They discover how much an area represents on the map in relation to the actual area. They decide on the best place to build their cavern.
Curated OER
Water: The Liquid of Life
Sixth graders complete a lesson on the properties, types and amounts of water on Earth. In groups, they travel between stations to identify water resources in Illinois and pollution sources. They complete the lesson with a field trip...
Curated OER
States of Fitness
Students participate in physical activities coordinating to divisions on a map.
Curated OER
Militia of the American Revolutionary War
Students explore the role of the colonial militia n the American Revolutionary War. Using traditional and internet resources, students, complete a research worksheet designed to provide information about the militia. Worksheet is...
Curated OER
Battle of the Bulge
Students identify the date and location of the Battle of the Bulge and the sides battling in it and who the military leaders were. They identify what each side did in the battle, who the victor was, and the condition each side was in...
Curated OER
Idioms Lesson Plan
Sixth graders discover idioms. In this idioms lesson, 6th graders evaluate idioms and discover their meaning. Students read Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein and create unique idioms. Assessment rubric is provided.
Curated OER
TORNADOES!
Third graders compare the parts of a real tornado with the parts of a tornado created in a demonstration, label "Tornado Alley" on their maps, and label the locations of famous tornado disasters on their maps.
Curated OER
Baseball--Where the Parks Are
In this social studies instructional activity, students utilize a map to label the location of each city with a Major League team and then with colored pencils label the homes of the All-American Girls League teams.
Curated OER
We Really Dig Archeology and Palentology
Sixth graders examine the differences between archeology and paleontology. Using the internet, they explore the tools and techniques used in each field. They must use the correct tools to uncover and record the objects they find. They...