I Wonder How Manduca Breathe

  Looking for a short reading activity to do with your young learners? Discuss animals and their life expectancy with Beth Braddock’s How Long Do Animals Live?. Simple comprehension questions are provided, and there’s a short writing...

Take a deep breath and have your class construct working models of a lung! Using 500ml plastic bottles as the chest cavity, and balloons for the lung and the diaphragm, learners work in groups to make a model. The models help them to...

Would you rather be right, or would you rather be kind? A novel unit based on R.J. Palacio's Wonder focuses on the need to be kind to others and to accept their differences. As learners read the book, they discuss the themes of family...

Ever wonder why Pluto isn't considered a planet? Or how large the Earth is compared to the other inner planets? Explore the universe with a series of projects that simulate different aspects of our solar system. The activities require...

Fifth graders examine the function of the lungs and create a model of the lungs. Using a plastic cup, drinking straw, plastic bag, small balloon, and a rubber band, they follow step-by-step directions to construct simulated lungs. ...

Students study life cycles including developing their understanding of the human life cycle. They decide where they are in the human life cycle and provide reasons for that placement. They compare the human life cycle to that of the...

Students study the Manduca bug and its growth data. They look for patterns and compare their own growth rate to that of the Manduca.

Students examine the way that Manduca, other animals, and humans use camouflage. They participate in a teacher directed camouflage experiment and the creation of a camouflage collage.

A very interesting video on the process of mirror making is here for your students. I've always wondered how mirror glass was produced, and now I know because of this fine presentation. It is a fascinating process!

Students examine the disease malaria. They compare how diseases were spread in the early 1900's compared to how they are spread today and discuss why that is dangerous. They take a survey to see how much they know about insects that...