Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Vaccine Safety
Enter the debate on vaccines. Small groups research topics related to vaccine safety in the last instructional activity in a unit of five. In the process of the research, team members learn how to determine the validity and credibility...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 3
How far have California's Channel islands moved? What was the rate of this movement? Class members first examine data that shows the age of the Hawaiian island chain and the average speed of the Pacific Plate. They then watch West...
Curated OER
Rainforest/Informational Web Sites that are Credible
Fifth graders evaluate whether various rainforest websites are credible and can be used for research purposes. They listen to the story "The Great Kapok Tree," discuss what makes a website credible, and examine and evaluate various...
Curated OER
Biosecurity Keeps Everyone Safe
Students evaluate websites and determine whether they are valid or invalid resources regarding the topic of infectious diseases and animals. They explore a variety of websites, write a research paper about biosafety, and complete a...
Discovery Education
Sonar & Echolocation
A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...
Channel Islands Film
Once Upon a Time (Sa Hi Pa Ca): Lesson Plan 3
What was the most significant tool used by the Chumash? How did the environment make the tool possible? What group behaviors allowed the Chumash be be successful for thousands of years? After watching West of the West's documentary Once...
Curated OER
Solar System Lesson Plan
Students explore the internet to answer specific questions about the solar system. They use worksheets to record information about planets. Students increase awareness of the solar system through exploration of websites.
Curated OER
Saving An Endangered Species
Second graders participate in a fundraiser for an endangered species. They evaluate websites for animal adoption/sponsorship, select an endangered species, and develop, advertise, and implement a fund-raising plan for their selected...
NOAA
Mapping the Ocean Floor: Bathymetry
Bathymetry is not a measure of the depths of bathtubs! Through the three lessons, scholars explore two different types of maps and how they are made. The resource focuses on topographic and bathymetric maps and teaching the techniques...
Curated OER
Keiko, Killer Whale
Middle schoolers will create a children's book on Keiko, the killer whale, that was rehabilitated and returned to the wild after living in an aquarium. In small groups, they conduct internet research to find out the history and current...
Curated OER
The Rock Family
Students research the characteristics of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks using the Internet. They evaluate websites for use before they organize the research information into a table. They use software to complete a concept map.
Curated OER
Lesson 5-Elaborate/Evaluate Too Loud, Too Close, Too Long
Students begin with an analysis of loudness. They estimate the loudness of common environmental sounds, and then use their knowledge of hearing and loudness to evaluate the risk of noise-induced hearing loss for fictitious individuals....
Curated OER
Designing Experiments - Procedures for Teachers
Students evaluate a hypothetical experimental design and attempt to improve upon it. For this scientific method lesson, students are presented with an experiment and are instructed to determine its flaws. They conduct their own...
Curated OER
Fact or Fiction? Urban Legends and Misconceptions
Students are introduced to a process for using web site resources to verify the accuracy of biology information. They follow a guided lesson on evaluating web sites and determining content accuracy. They select a piece of unusual biology...
Curated OER
You're the Expert Now
Students evaluate information about mental illness for accuracy and relevance as they examine brochures developed in the lesson by their classmates. Data about mental illness is revisited and adjusted for additional information obtained...
Curated OER
Deserts: How Do You Define One?
Second graders identify what constitutes as a desert by reading a habitat checklist. In this environment lesson, 2nd graders read a nature website to discover facts about the desert and where they are located. Students...
Teach Engineering
Solar Power
Elementary schoolers discover how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings. They take a close look at some of the materials used: sand, salt, water, and shredded paper and evaluate the efficiency of each material. An incredible...
Curated OER
The Probabilities of Problems: A Look at Genetic Inheritance
Discuss an article about families affected by genetic disorders and their decisions about whether or not to evaluate their own genetic information. Investigate four different inherited disorders. Participate in a probability exercise....
Alabama Learning Exchange
Attitude Determines Altitude
A fabulous lesson which combines mathematics with space science. Middle schoolers work in cooperative groups in order to research early astronauts and their accomplishments. They look at a variety of rocket and space shuttle designs, and...
Curated OER
Animals Galore
A well-designed lesson which covers the characteristics of the animals found in the six animal groups is here for your young biologists. In it, learners divide up into six groups; the amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, fish, and...
University of California
Energy and Biomass Pyramids
Young scientists play tag as they act out the food pyramid in the ocean ecosystem. Energy circles pass from the smaller prey to the predators and at the end of the activity, a data chart and analysis questions allow pupils to apply their...
Curated OER
Being Responsible for Earth
Eighth graders explore the characteristics of responsibility. In this character lesson, 8th graders complete a self-evaluation. Students view a responsibility video. Students write a newspaper article on selected environmental issue.
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...
Columbus City Schools
Geological Effects of Plate Tectonics
Don't get your classes all shook up about plate movement, instead use a thorough unit that guides learners to an understanding of plate tectonics. The lessons incorporate a study of the types of plate boundaries and their effects on the...