Lesson Plan
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Emerging Heroes

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders define what a hero is and watch a video. In this hero lesson plan, 12th graders discuss the characteristics of a hero and list heroes and their attributes.  Students read the poem Beowulf and identify...
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"Flip-it" - Where Do I Go From Here?

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders interview themselves reflecting on various topics.  In this self-reflection lesson, 12th graders video tape four different interviews throughout the year of themselves discussing various topics, with the last prompt...
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Jr. Chef Club Super Snacks Lesson 6

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students explore healthy snacks. In this nutrition and cooking lesson, students observe and identify food groups on USDA's MyPyramid food guide. Students discuss how fiber helps our digestive system and follow a recipe using yeast to...
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Circumference Review

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this circumference lesson plan, learners review how to find the diameter and circumference of a circle, they apply their skills to a real life application. Students are presented with the task of determining the circumference of trees...
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Creating with Publisher

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students create a book cover using Microsoft Publisher.  In this computer publishing lesson, students learn how to use the program Microsoft Publisher.  Students experiment with fonts, styles, formats and clip art. ...
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Recycling & Our Environment

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students present information about recycling to other students. In this environmental protection lesson, students create a puppet show or commercial about the importance of recycling for other students to view.
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Agriculture Around the World

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students explore various kinds of farming methods around the world.  In this history lesson, students view pictures of farming methods, then compare and contrast them in a class discussion with the methods of farming that are used...
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Learning Through the Duke

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students examine the contributions of Duke Ellington to the field of jazz. They create an original poem using popular vocabulary from the 1920s, listen to the book, "Duke Ellington," and paint a picture while listening to music by Duke...
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The State Seal Offline Lesson

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders discover the meaning of the different objects on the State Seal. They identify changes in the State Seal over time students hypothesize why elements have changed students suggest what elements should represent the State of...
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Making Decisions: Packaging and the Environment

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students work in small groups to redesign the packaging of several common items. They attempt to reach the goal of 25% reduction in packaging materials currently used and explore the impact of various materials and designs in landfills...
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Manufacturing Technologies: Making a Picture Frame

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners use cereal boxes, paint, buttons and glue to design and make a frame for a photograph. They consider the different processes involved in making the frame and discuss how their observations apply to manufacturing systems that are...
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What is the Best Insulator: Air, Styrofoam, Foil, or Cotton?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the properties of insulators by attempting to keep a cup of water from freezing, and once it is frozen, to keep it from melting. They conduct the experiment, record and analyze the results, and answer discussion...
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Engineering: Which Roof Is Tops?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students determine regional climates by examining photos of house roofs. They observe teacher-constructed examples of roofs and make predictions as to which style is best for snowy climates. After evaluating the examples, they record...
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Build an Approximate Scale Model of an Object

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create a model of an object of their choice using sketches that they have drawn. They study what a scale model is and how to construct one. They examine the uses for scale models and why they are produced.
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Compare Human-made Objects with Natural Objects

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners examine and observe how many human-made objects get their basic design from things in nature. They listen to the book "Nature Got There First," compare/contrast hollow bones with drinking straws, bird beaks and tool pliers, and...
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Design Packing to Safely Mail Raw Spaghetti

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate and determine a way to mail raw spaghetti. In small groups, they package their raw spaghetti using various packing materials, mail the package through the postal system, and evaluate their packing design after...
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Design a Bicycle Helmet

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students are introduced to the biomechanical characteristics of helmets. They incorporate these characteristics into designs for helmets for various applications. They understand that using a bicycle helmet helps to protect the brain and...
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Do As the Romans: Construct an Aqueduct!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore how the Romans engineered and built aqueducts. They read a manual, explore the Construct a Roman Aqueduct online activity, and construct an aqueduct that will transport two liters of water across a short distance in the...
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Design Your Own Rube Goldberg Machine

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students design and construct a Rube Goldberg machine that accomplishes a simple task in at least ten steps. They view and discuss various Rube Goldberg designs, identify types of simple machines, and in small groups produce a schematic...
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Floating and Falling Flows

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students discover fluid dynamics related to buoyancy through experimentation and optional photography. Using one set of fluids, they make light fluids rise through denser fluids. Using another set, they make dense fluids sink through a...
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Forces and Graphing

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students analyze graphs to determine relationships between variables and rates of change. They determine the basic concepts about static reaction forces. They determine the slope and equation of a line.
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Smart Move!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students visualize a communication system. They encode, decode, transmit, receive and store messages. Students use a code sheet and flashlight for this process. They will also maintain a storage sheet from which they can retrieve...
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Ellis Island Tapestry

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students participate in a simulation activity. They explore Ellis Island and experiences that immigrants in the late 1800's had on their way to the United States. The role play includes questioning by inspectors, a manifest list, and...
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Redefining an Earthquake

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders build an "Earthquake Machine" (a manipulative model of a fault line) and use it to explore stick-slip behavior of some faults and to develop a more accurate definition of an earthquake and its causes.