Hip Math and Shape Art
This lesson builds upon student knowledge of basic geometric shapes by studying the art in the illustrations shown in the video. Students draw and name organic, non-geometric shapes.
Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, 1820-1910
This site portrays the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin from the 17th to the early 20th century through first-person accounts, biographies, promotional literature, local histories, ethnographic and antiquarian texts, and colonial archival documents. This collection depicts the land and its resources, the experience of Natives, pioneers and missionaries, soldiers and reformers, as well as the growth of local communities and cultures.
Toxic and Harmful Algal Blooms
These activities, in conjunction with Bigelow Laboratory's “Toxic and Harmful Algal Bloom" web site, will help your students gain a better understanding of toxic and harmful algal blooms. Each module below consists of background content material and related standards-based activities. Each module is independent of the others; however, some background knowledge is required to complete the lessons.
Climate reconstruction using Foraminifera in Deep Sea Sediments
This Wright Center for Science Education lesson plan (PDF) uses pasta as an analog to teach students how deep sea sediments are collected and analyzed to identify different foraminifera species in order to interpret global paleo temperature change. It includes National Science Education Standards as well as background information and images, a list of materials needed, a step-by-step photo-guided walk-through of the activity, evaluation questions, and reference list.
NCBI More Information: Similarity
This page summarizes the basic concept and vocabulary of sequence similarity searching. It is included for those new to the field who may not appreciate the importance of this technique in biology, who lack the vocabulary to understand the BLAST guide and tutorial or who require a basic rather than a sophisticated understanding of the methods involved. Sections include introduction, premise, terms, general approach, the BLAST algorithm, quantification, gaps, significance, and databases. Users ca
Using a Colorimetric Test to Measure pH
This laboratory exercise, appropriate for grades 5-12, engages students to use a Colorimetric test to measure pH and gain an understanding of pH and its importance to life in an aquatic ecosystem. In addition to the lab lesson plan, the site includes New Jersey Science Standards, objectives, background, vocabulary, extension ideas, and references.
What good is Beowulf?
High school students can follow the English language's evolution in Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales, and they can focus on words and their meaning as they compare translations.
Two paths to knowledge
For students who always finish their class work early or want more information than you have time to give, try curriculum compacting.
More search tools you haven't tried
KartOO and Profusion offer new alternatives for finding, organizing, and displaying the websites you're looking for.
Alternative discussion formats: museum exhibit design
Designing museum exhibits encourages students to think creatively and to use a wide range of thinking skills.
When teachers don't understand
Teaching should be informed not only by the content of the discipline but also by the lives of the students.
Tools of the trade for information seekers
A guide to understanding and using search engines, directories, and the invisible web.
Observing other teachers
Learning from other teachers is an important means of professional development. Here are some suggestions for observing successful teachers in your school, in other schools, and on the web.
Setting the tone
Building a student-centered classroom culture starts on the first day of the school year.
Spiders and monarchs and bees, oh my!
Exploring the world of insects and spiders can replace children's fear with fascination.
Mentoring matters
How mentors can serve as role models, helpers, and colleagues.
America on the Move
This activity guide accompanies the exhibition America on the Move. It delivers a variety of historical primary-source materials from the exhibition directly to your classroom. Through these documents and activities, students can build a deeper understanding of how transportation shaped American commerce, communities, landscapes, and population migrations.
Finding Common Ground
Finding common ground helps students make informed decisions to conserve temperate forests in the United States and central China, habitat of the endangered giant panda. Through classroom activities, on-line simulations, and field investigations students learn about the important role temperate forests play in local and global ecosystems. Action steps culminate in a Class Conservation Action Plan.
In the course of this curriculum students locate the biome in which they live, explore a local habi
Under the Spell of ... Spiders!
Spiders are endlessly fascinating and a great school subject because they offer plenty of teachable topics that span the curriculum. We've tried to provide some of those topics here in these lessons, as for all their amazing physical features and unusual habits, spiders, with just a few notable exceptions, pose little threat to humans and are creatures deserving of understanding and respect. It's our hope that, as you work through the activities, your students will gain a new appreciation for sp
Streams in the City
These exercises are designed to guide a student to an understanding of how rainfall and storm events result in runoff over the surface of the earth. Runoff is influenced by the nature of the surface of the earth. Streamflow is particularly influenced by urbanization-the paving over of permeable surfaces with impermeable ones. In light of this, students are encouraged to think about design elements that incorporate more permeable surfaces into their own environments, including their school parkin
