Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native American Three Sisters Gardens

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students investigate companion planting. In this  communtiy gardening lesson students explore the tradition of the Native American Three Sisters gardening approach. Students act as botanists, anthropologists, folklorists, and curators.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Egyptian Culture and Pyramids

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students access a variety of Egyptian Culture and pyramid related resources on the Internet. They explore various websites, read articles, create an Egyptian art figure, construct a model of a pyramid, and describe the mummification...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Activity on United States Moon Landing: Apollo 11

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers use the World Wide Web to access additional information needed to complete a set of questions. They demonstrate an understanding of latitude and longitude by interpreting a lunar map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simple Thermodynamics of Transportation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students watch videos about various modes of transportation, they examine the energy transformations that occur in each, and they be introduced to the laws of thermodynamics.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Industrial Revolution in America: Exploring the Effects of the Heat Engine on the Growth of Cities

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the reasons for the growth of cities in North American. Using the internet, they research the causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution and determine if the growth of cities is a sign of progress. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

200 Years and Counting: How the U.S. Census Tracks Social Trends

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine the process of census taking in the United States. In this "200 Years and Counting" lesson, students examine the data collection process, look at an example of a census form, analyze data, and learn what the information...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gettysburg Rocks Recycle to Win

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders use a geologic cross section to study the rock cycle of the Gettysburg battlefield. In this rock cycle lesson plan, 8th graders connect the rock cycle and continental rifting.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Flight Dreams: Birds Flew First

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students observe how bird flight and machine flight are similar. For this aerodynamics lesson, students observe how birds fly and the shapes of their wings, and investigate how observing birds helped develop the concept of machine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Day in the Life of a San Francisco Native Animal

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners write from an animal's perspective. In this writing lesson students explore the landscape of San Francisco prior to the arrival of the explorers. Learners research animals indigenous to the area.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating the "Perfect" Horse

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the relationship between a horse and its rider.  In this behavior and interactions lesson students research the Internet to learn about horse behavior and biology then write a paper and present it to the class. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Does Bird Flu Mean to Students?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners consider the far-reaching effects of the avian flu. In this personal health activity, students visit selected websites to discover information about the flu, viral infections, and intensive farming. Learners...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Whose "Truth" Is Out There?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars read article It's a Fact: Faith and Theory Collide Over Evolution, and examine different ways people arrive at what 'the truth' is, focusing on the evolution vs creationism debate that has been a hot topic throughout the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You Say You Want an Evolution?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students estimate the number of living organisms they might find in their local environment. After researching the types of organisms that existed during various geologic time periods, students describe how life forms have changed over...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting Fired Up

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners explore first-person accounts of volcanic eruptions throughout time and use second-hand information about volcanoes. They use both types of accounts to write news articles covering the events of a historic volcanic eruption as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Dog's Life

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students get a look into the life of dogs-from their origins and basic biology, through selective breeding, and into how dogs have become intricate parts of everyday life for many people worldwide.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Living in Hurricane Country

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine how hurricanes grow and their strength levels through an interactive program. They define terms associated with hurricanes and how the public is affected by the storms.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Observation

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study making scientific observations . They conduct a "field study" in their attic and make observations about their family artifacts based upon physical attributes. In addition, they determine what characteristics of an object...
Activity
PBS

Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners conduct field research of a historical site in order to discover a more complete understanding of a time period. They visit a site of historical significance and complete a scavenger hunt about the area.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Physics of Flight

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners discuss how the invention of flight changed the way people live today. In groups, they compare and contrast the differences between weight, lift, thrust and drag. Using these principles, they create a glider and propeller with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Yuccy Situation

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students examine the concept of nuclear waste storage. In this interdisciplinary lesson, students research Yucca Mountain in order to compare and contrast opposing views regarding the nuclear waste site there. Students compose a letter...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water: The Incredible Resource

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students understand the importance of water in any ecosystem. In this water lesson, students recognize where water is found, the type of water found, and how water is changed in the water cycle.  Students complete worksheets using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Importance of Rice

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore the importance of rice in our world. For this rice farming lesson, 3rd graders discover how much rice we use on a daily basis. Students also discover myths from other cultures about rice. Students color code a map...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electricity and Magnetism: Ben Franklin and His Influence

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore electricity by examining the life of Benjamin Franklin.  In this biographical lesson, 4th graders listen to the teacher read facts of Benjamin Franklin's life and analyze his contributions to our current...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Conservation at a Crossroads Lesson 1: What Is Conservation and Why Does It Matter?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the concept of conservation. In this conservation lesson, students read articles and primary documents about the Conservation Movement in the United States and compare the movement to today's environmental movements....