Virginia Department of Education
Determining Direct Variation
Once learners realize what direct variation is, they see it's just a type of linear function. The lesson poses a general question that leads to the creation of the y = kx formula. The resource includes discussion prompts and ideas for...
While They Watched
Teaching the Holocaust
What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination? Between collaborators and bystanders? Guilt and responsibility? Prompt learners to think critically about a very complex and textured topic with an innovative packet of materials.
Concord Consortium
Opposites Attract
Whether they pull together or push away from one another, magnets are sure-fire pupil pleasers! Take their study of magnetism to a new level with a fun interactive. Individuals control the polarity of two spheres to observe attractive or...
Curated OER
Teaching about the Effect of Photosynthesis and
Learners demonstrate the effects of photosynthesis and respiration. They decide which variables to analyze in a microcosm study. They produce a written paper, oral presentation, poster, or multi-media presentation
Curated OER
Rooting One's Way to Meaning
Discover the Virtual Thesaurus with your class. They use the Virtual Thesaurus to assist them in an inquiry-based approach to discovering the meanings of some common Latin and Greek roots. Each child then teaches a particular root and...
Curated OER
Junior Solar Sprint Series: Electrical Power
Through scientific inquiry, middle schoolers discover how to arrange solar cells in order to produce electricity. This activity is intended to prepare learners to be able to design and construct solar cars. As with other resources...
Curated OER
Plagiarism: Avoiding Accidental Internet Plagiarism
Demonstrate how to cite information from Internet sources without plagiarizing. If your class is working on an Internet research paper, and you have observed learners cutting and pasting directly from the Internet, the activities and...
Intel
Forensics: Get a Clue
Although the methods are all scientific, forensic science was started by police officers rather than scientists, who relied on observation and common sense. Young detectives use many tools to solve crimes around the school in a...
University of California
Roots of the Cold War
When and how did the Cold War begin? To answer this question, you will not find a better-organized, in-depth, activity- and inquiry-based resource than this! Executing best teaching practices throughout, each portion of this inquiry...
Science 4 Inquiry
Layers and Laws: The Law of Superposition and Index Fossils
What can layers of rock teach us about the climate? Young scientists solve a mystery about who stole a cookie by applying the law of superposition. Then, they apply the same concept to solve a more difficult mystery, trying to determine...
Curated OER
Lesson Ideas to Enrich Student Inquiry into the Holocaust
Students inquire about the Holocaust. In this Holocaust lesson, students read books and discuss their thoughts. Students also collect current event articles from newspapers. Students investigate ghettos, Pearl Harbor and Navajo Code...
American Chemical Society
Forming a Precipitate
Things are getting a little slippery in an inquiry-based lesson studying precipitates. Learners use soap and Alka-Seltzer tablets to create different mixtures with water. They then study the properties of the mixtures including their...
California Department of Education
Due Dates, Deadlines, and Decisions
Get high schoolers thinking about their post-secondary plans with a lesson plan that teaches them how to navigate the application and financial aid process. They create a junior/senior calendar identifying time-sensitive tasks,...
American Chemical Society
The Density of Liquids
It's in your destiny to study density! Young scientists conduct an experiment to study the relationship between weight and density. They compare weights of liquid samples of different substances and predict how their densities are related.
American Chemical Society
What’s the Difference between Baking Soda and Baking Powder?
Introduce pupils to chemical reactions. Using the hands-on lesson, learners experiment with substances that combine to form a gas. Different substances react to form different amounts of gas, leading to a discussion about the particles...
NASA
Measuring Solar Energy During an Eclipse
Don't leave your classes in the dark! An inquiry-based lesson has young researchers analyze the light intensity before, during, and after a solar eclipse. They use their data to make inferences about the solar energy available during...
Baylor College
Heart Rate and Exercise
What is the relationship among the heart, circulation, and exercise? Your class members will explore first-hand how different physical exercises affect an individual's heart rate. They will begin by learning how to measure their own...
Carolina K-12
How Do I Pre-Register and Vote in North Carolina?
Did you know that in some states your pupils can pre-register to vote? Teach the advantages to pre-registering and engage the classroom in an intriguing discussion about youth voting trends. Class members participates in a live polling...
Project Maths
Introduction to Calculus
Don't let your class's heart rates rise as you introduce them to differentiation ... an inquiry-based instructional activity helps them keep it in check! The second instructional activity in a three-part series asks learners to analyze...
Stanford University
Close Reading
Here's a poster that highlights the skills needed for the close reading of primary source documents when gathering evidence to support historical claims.
Friends of Fort McHenry
Was the War of 1812 Our Second War of Independence?
Though it occurred almost 40 years later, could the United States have been fighting for their independence again in the War of 1812? Using appropriate primary source material from each of the two wars, compare and contrast the situation...
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: The Great Debate—Bottled Water vs. Tap Water in Our School
Should bottled water be sold in schools, or should they only provide tap water? The summative unit in the six-part series encourages scholars debating this topic. The lessons teach how to build an argument, how to gain background...
Nevada Outdoor School
Let It Snow! Let It Melt!
Winter weather offers a great opportunity to teach young scientists about the states of matter. This activity-based lesson includes a range of learning experiences, from experimenting with the rate at which ice melts to singing a song...
ReadWriteThink
Biography Project: Research and Class Presentation
I Have A Dream ... that after the lesson, all individuals master the reading, writing, researching, listening, and speaking skills the biography project helps them develop. Martin Luther King, Jr. serves as a topic example for a model...