Unit Plan
Gwinnett County Public Schools

Analysis of the Tuck Everlasting and The Birchbark House Text Exemplars

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Looking to introduce some text-based questions into your ELA lessons? Practice the kinds of skills the Common Core demands with the seven text-based questions and the essay prompt provided here. Designed to be a three-day lesson, day one...
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Winogradsky Columns: Microbial Ecology in the Classroom

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Winogradsky columns are ideal for observing the role of bacteria and other microorganisms in an ecosystem. This student activity guide is complete with data tables for observations and analysis questions for processing what was observed....
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Star in a Box

For Teachers 5th - Higher Ed Standards
What happens to stars as they get older? A simulation takes pupils through the life cycle of stars based on their masses. The resource introduces the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and the common relationships and life cycle patterns observed.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Florida Panther Fun Facts

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Learners study facts about Florida panthers. In this Florida panther lesson, students read a page of fun facts about the panther's life cycle, habitats, predators, and families. They complete three worksheets with information from the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rain Forest of Costa Rica

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine and discuss the topography, climate, natural resources and artwork of Costa Rica. They develop a diagram of the layers of the rain forest, and design a tourist brochure or advertisement promoting Costa Rica's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairie Plant Investigation

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students carefully observe prairie plants and record their observations in a science journal. They examine the root systems of grasses and flowers and surmise how these plants can grow together on the prairie.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Skin: The Behavior and Health Connection

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore how personal behavior can affect health, especially the health of your skin. They become better aware of how their personal behavior and the environment can have a considerable impact on their health in general. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Literacy Lesson: Guided Reading

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Here is a wonderful lesson plan designed for students with special needs. This well-thought-out lesson plan uses Big Books, familiar stories, and has a lot of review learning built into it. The book, The Keeping Quilt is used in the main...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Personal Narrative Paragraphs: Class Quilt

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Begin this activity by asking third graders to bring from home pieces of cloth that represent something important to them. (Have extras for young scholars who need them.) They reflect on important events in their lives, compose narrative...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food Chain: what's for dinner?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify where foods came from and sequence a food chain.  In this food chain instructional activity, 4th graders define vocabulary related to food chains and order a food chain. Students follow the energy of a food...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather Watchers - Interdisciplinary

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners investigate weather and climate through a variety of interdisciplinary activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecosystem Organization - Lesson Plan

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Student explore ecosystems. In this ecosystem organization lesson, students consider how scientists study living organisms. Students participate in a teacher guided activity that requires them to visualize an organism and imagine its...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Charlotte's Web

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders focus on fluency by reading the book Charlotte's Web. In this reading strategies lesson, 4th graders partner read, do guided reading, and independent reading to increase fluency. Students use Venn Diagrams, discuss...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dealing with DNA Controversy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pupils research controversial statements about biological applications and write a persuasive essay. In this biology lesson plan, students are assigned a controversial statement as a research topic, then they use this topic to create a...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

The Dynamics of Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Simple lab and modeling activities can help your students understand the movements of the Earth's crust.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Winter

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the nature of water and water molecules. They examine the role of ice on organisms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecosystem Tumble

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create visual representations of ecosystems. In this ecology lesson, students discuss the interdependence of plants and animals in various ecosystems. Students cut pictures from magazines and glue them on sturdy blocks. Using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Giraffe Riff Raff

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students study the effects of wildlife conservation and relocation.  In this conservation lesson students view video on the preservation of the giraffe populations and discuss the impact that humans have had on them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding the Structure: Pieces of the Puzzle

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers gather information about DNA. In this biology lesson, students watch video clips of scientists discussing their contribution to the understanding of DNA, then work a puzzle correlating information to scientist. Lesson...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

The Dichotomy of Viruses

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students benefit from an education about these nonliving pathogens.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vocabulary: Kansas Prairies

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the ecosystem by reviewing scientific vocabulary terms. In this environmental awareness lesson, students identify the differences between abiotic and biotic factors and their relationship to the Earth. Students define...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Working for Water

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners examine the ways that government works to help improve aquatic habitats. In this water habitats instructional activity students view a video and plan a school restoration project. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dirt Life

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students select and collect soil samples from a variety of locations (schoolyard, home, etc.). They do this lab after an interest-generating discussion about "dirt" and microbes. Students make a dilution in sterile water, plate it on a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beaver Ecology

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Learners explore the lives of bgeahvers. They identify the physical and behavioral adaptations that help beavers survive in their environment. Students compare and contrast how beavers influence the ecology of both forest and aquatic...