Pennsylvania Department of Education
Extending Pattern Understandings
Students use shapes and manipulatives to demonstrate patterns. In this patterns lesson plan, students also break up patterns to identify a pattern unit.
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Using Blood Tests to Identify Babies and Criminals
Students solve a crime by matching a suspect's blood type to physical evidence collected at the crime scene. In this forensic science instructional activity, students identify the different blood types. They explain how blood tests work.
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Awesome Animals
Young scholars collect data from classmates about their favorite animal. They use the ClarisWorks graphing program to enter data, graph results, and interpret data.
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Think Green
Pupils experience and practice compositing and recycling through hands-on-activities. They distinguish between which items from their trash can be recycled, composted and reused. The process for making recycled paper is also covered in...
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Map Field of Current
Students determine that moving charges create a magnetic field. They discover that the speed and direction of motion, the amount of charge, and the deflection angle observed are closely linked. A voltmeter, pendulum, and a constructed...
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States of Matter
Students categorize items into one of the three states of matter. They participate in a demonstration in which they represent particles of matter. Finally, they complete an experiment in which they "race" top see who can make acetone...
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Electrical Circuits - Current & Voltage in Series Circuits
Students investigate the relationship between current and voltage in a series circuit. In this physics lesson, students measure the current across each light bulb. They predict what happens to the circuit if one bulb is blows out.
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What's So Good About Popcorn?
First graders use a thinking map to organize a paragraph. They write and edit their paragraph about popcorn and type the final copy on the computer.
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Who Would Have Figured?
Students investigate what happens when a coin is tossed a few times versus many times. They analyze, in groups, the data from tossing coins, and the Law of Large Numbers.
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Global Symposium
Ninth graders work together to develop a sysnopis on the Earth. Using the Internet and print sources, they focus on one country to research and determine its condition. They offer possible solutions to the problem and share their...
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Palm Use in Biology
Students view bacteria through a microscope. They draw and label the bacteria using microbiology software loaded onto their Palms.
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Simple Circuits
Young scholars investigate how series and parallel circuits work. In this physics lesson, students build their own simple circuits and compare their characteristics. They explain the importance of circuit breakers in household circuits.
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Watt's Up
Students analyze energy efficiency in lighting by visiting eight different classroom stations, determine cost vs. light output, graph their results, and answer questions on worksheet.
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The Diary of Anne Frank: Research Project on Concentration Camps during World War II
Eighth graders investigate the Holocaust and the persecution of specific ethnic groups in Europe during World War II.
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Palm use in Astronomy
Students identify and recall common constellations by using a palm pilot with astronomy software. Students will use their Palm to assist them in correctly identifying constellations using a telescope.
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Globe Raider: Part I
Learners research a Spanish speaking countries using the Internet and other appropriate resources. They work in groups to complete a computer based treasure hunt before completing a Globe Raiders worksheet. They use the research...
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Bobsled Challange
Students investigate the effects of materials on the friction between a "bobsled" and the track. They explore the effects of weight on the motion of the bobsled. Students design a bobsled for either fast or slow movement. They discuss...
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Counting By 5s
Second graders count by 5's to 100. In this math lesson conducted on the 100th day of school, 2nd graders use picture stamps in the KidPix program to count by 5's and get to 100.
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Shadow Trackers: From Photography to Writing
Students explore the rotation of the earth. In this science instructional activity, students view photos of various places around the world. Students conduct an experiment in which they can see how the earth's rotation creates shadows on...
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Tortillas
Learners convert recipes for tortillas. They calculate the amounts of ingredients as they convert recipes and write an explanation of the task to demonstrate their calculations. After reviewing their calculations, they demonstrate how...
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Civil War Letter Web
Students use the internet to gather information on a specific Civil War battle of interest to them. Using the information they gather, they organize it into a web to be used later when writing a letter. They use the web to write their...
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Cells
Students learn about cells. In this cells lesson plan, students take several days to learn about plant and animal cells and make their own edible cells with a cookie and icing.
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Probability: the Study of Chance
Students experiment to determine if a game is fair, collect data, interpret data, display data, and state and apply the rule for probability. Students use a simple game for this experiment.
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Closer To the Ground Lesson 2: Providing a Helping Hand
Students examine how businesses and corporations contribute or sponsor activities for the common good. They read annual reports of major corporations to determine how they contribute to focused activities for the common good.