Quick Search
Skip to search results Showing Results 1551 - 1600 of 3033
Description: Scientific Investigation: The Nature of Science Learning Activity Thinking like a Scientist Overview: Understanding the nature of science is a vital part of becoming a scientist. Students can memorize the steps in the scientific method and still not comprehend the intricacies of scientific reasoning to prove or disprove a hypothesis. Some hypotheses require more observation than experimentation. Often hypotheses will be tested by other scientists. The nature of science and attaining the...
Description: Scientific Investigation: Mixing Color Overview: Introducing scientific investigation to many students can be a difficult task, so by allowing the students to do hands on activities helps put some of these abstract vocabulary terms into real life examples. Mixing colors to see what happens is a basic way to allow students to independently plan and conduct investigations. This activity focuses on the student being able to come up with a hypothesis and then conduct the investigation to see the...
Description: Mythbusters : A Watched Pot Never Boils? Overview: Through this lesson, students will conduct a scientific investigation that will provide them with the opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning and logic through the measurement of elapsed time. Understanding elapsed time is a particularly valuable academic and functional skill for students that access the ASOLs. It moves them beyond simply being able to identify the time displayed on a clock to the higher-order...
Description: Life Systems: Animals vs. Plants Overview: Plants and animals are a part of everyday life. It is important for students to understand the basic fundamental differences between the two. Procedures: -Have class discussion of, “What is a Plant?” and “What is an Animal?” Review the basic differences and similarities between plants and animals using visuals, words and a Venn diagram. -Identify cells as a similarity between plants and animals. -Have students write in their notebooks, or have it...
Description: Let’s Stick Together! Overview: How many different ways can you stick two things together? Hmmm... tape, glue, chewing gum, and... MAGNETS! In this scientific exploration, your students will investigate objects that are magnetic and what those items have in common. Procedure: 1) Explain to students that they will be trying to find out which items in their bucket are magnetic and which items are not. Discuss how magnetic items will stick to their magnet, while non-magnetic items will not stick...
Description: The Friction Grand Prix Overview: Friction is defined as surface resistance to relative motion. Sounds exciting, huh? Well, it can be very exciting if we grab some toys and play conduct this hand-on experiment. Procedure: 1) Give students the following writing prompt: What can change how far a Matchbox car will roll? After students have written their responses, encourage them to share their ideas with the class. 2) Present students with the activity materials. Ask each student to choose a...
Description: Force, Motion, Energy, and Matter: Know H2O Overview: Water is the universal solvent. Water is a unique combination of hydrogen and oxygen. It is important for students to know that water takes form in three different phases. Water can be a solid, liquid, or gas. Students will come into contact with all three phases during their daily lives. Procedure: -Introduce the lesson by setting up a display of the following; a bucket filled with ice, a pitcher filled with water, and an operating...
Description: Food Chain and Food Webs Overview: Food chains are all around us. People, animals, and plants depend on each other to sustain the food chain. In this lesson the students will be exposed to vocabulary that identifies the components of a food chain (producer, consumer, and decomposer). They will label components of a food chain using the appropriate label related to food chains. Procedure: Over the course of five or more days the students will examine components of food chains through multimedia...
Description: Fantastic Fossils Overview: Have you ever found a fossil? No? Well don’t worry. You can make your very own fossils out of recycled materials! Procedure: 1) Tell students that today they are going to make their own fossils. Ask students if they can recall how fossils are formed. 2) Have students mix together coffee grounds, cold coffee, flour and salt until well mixed. 3) Next, have the students knead together the dough and then flatten onto wax paper. Have the students divide the dough into...
Description: Excavation Station Overview: Do your students enjoy digging up lost treasure? Would they rather spend the day sifting through a bin of sand or rice to find special prizes? How would they feel if you changed their digging material from sand to ice? In this scientific exploration, students will enjoy excavating as they break through a frozen tundra to expose a special prize. Procedure: 1) Prior to beginning this activity, place special prize items into small containers (1 prize item into each...
Description: The Electron Shuffle Overview: The Fridge and the rest of the Bears will go down in history as the creators of the Super Bowl Shuffle, but you and your class will always be known for the Electron Shuffle! Atoms are collections of particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. In this fun activity, your students will learn the parts of an atom, read the atomic symbol, and create atomic models. Procedure: 1) Show the students a picture of a balloon and ask them to recreate the picture in their...
Description: Ecosystems: What’s the issue? Overview: Each person plays a role in taking care of the environment. In order to be a productive citizen, it is important for students to understand how to take care of the world around them. Homework given the night before lesson: With the help of parents/family member, have students’ list 10 items in their trash at home that are non-food items. Procedure: -Introduce the lesson by providing students with a variety of examples of how humans negatively impact the...
Description: Modeling Earth’s Interior Overview: Understanding the interior structure of the Earth can be a challenging skill for many concrete learners to master, due to the inability to experience these structures first hand and typically seeing them through images or diagrams. Hands-
on learners can better learn about the basic structures of the Earth interior by building models of these structures that they can see, touch, and interact with along with exposure to familiar objects (such as fruit) that can...
Description: Dig Your Way to China Overview: Have your students ever wondered how long it would take to dig a tunnel to the other side of the world? Have you tried to explain the impossibility of this feat to them? Explore your way through the layers of the earth with this simple cooking activity! Procedure: 1) Explain to the students that you will be making a model of what makes up the Earth. Explain that there are 4 main layers of the earth; the inner core, the outer core, the mantle, and the crust. 2)...
Description: Colorful Crayon Rock Cycle Overview: Sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks each form in different ways. You can use use crayon shavings to help explain how each type forms. Procedure: 1) Ask students to recall the three different types of rocks. Have students write down anything they can remember about the three types of rocks. 2) Provide pocket chart with pictures for students to match rock types to descriptions. Sedimentary 1) Have the students take some of their crayon shavings and...
Description: Classroom Categorization Overview: How many different categories can one class be divided into? This activity will show both the differences and similarities that we share. Discover as a group and display the results. Procedure: 1) List the many different categories in which your class can be divided (hair color, eye color, height, age, music preference, etc.). 2) Sort the students into each of the various categories and keep a tally. 3) Display the results visually in a graph, chart, or...
Description: Color Changing Flowers Overview: This lesson can be used as part of a sequence of investigations of the structures of typical plants and the function of those structures, as it focuses on the function of the stem in flowering plants. At the end of this lesson, students should be able to identify and describe how the stem of typical plants transports water, minerals, and nutrients to the flower and the rest of the plant. Procedure: Present students with an example of a typical flower and focus...
Description: Chicken in a Cup Overview: Students and teachers alike will be delighted by the outrageous and unexpected “chicken” noises produced as they learn about sound waves, vibration, and amplification. Procedure: 1) Present students with the opportunity to beat a drum, ring a triangle, play a xylophone, strum a guitar, or ring a bell. Ask them to strike or play the instrument one time and ask them what they see, hear and what they feel. In their Science journals, ask the students to describe what their...
Description: Characteristics of the Weather Overview: Whether good or bad, we all have to withstand weather. This activity provides the students an opportunity to learn the characteristics of various weather patterns, what they need to endure the weather, and allows them to share their favorite type of weather. Procedure: 1) List the various types of weather phenomena and their characteristics. For example: Sunny= no clouds, warmth, etc. Snowy= clouds, precipitation, cold, etc. 2) List the things you need to...
Description: Can You Eat Matter? Overview: Matter takes up space. The concept of matter can be so much more fun than distinguishing solids, liquids, and gases. Have fun with your students while completing an experiment on how matter can change from one state to another with food. You can complete just one experiment or all three. Procedure: 1) Give students the following writing prompt: Can matter change from one state to another? Why or why not? After students have written their responses, encourage them to...
Description: Become a Scientist Overview: Students love to be the center of attention. Why not give them the chance to be a scientist in front of the entire class? Use this engaging activity to teach students the scientific method and energy! Procedure: 1) Review the concepts of potential and kinetic energy. Here is a simple article you can share with your students. 2) Have students demonstrate potential and kinetic energy with a pencil. (Potential energy can be represented by holding the pencil in the air....
Description: A MAZE-ing Race Overview: Use your students’ understanding of directions and speed to navigate through a simple (or complex) maze or obstacle course. Using this procedure many concepts can be reviewed to demonstrate student understanding of the sequence of events/changes found in nature. Procedure: 1) Create a purpose for the journey through the maze. (Examples: help the dog find the bone, Phineas find Ferb, or the teacher find the pay-raise). 2) Create a maze. Build the maze on a large group...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Word Hunter Overview: Given a modified book, students will seek words in the text to answer teacher questions. Procedure: 1. Using Powerpoint or another word processing program, the teacher will modify and simplify, as needed, the content of a familiar classroom book (fiction or non--- fiction) so that it is printable and physically accessible (either with page fluffers or with switch access on a computer). Pictures and graphics may be added to...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Who Am I? Overview: This activity encourages students to practice making predictions and write about how they would feel to be another person. Procedure: Students are asked to put themselves in the shoes of a famous person. When choosing/writing descriptions of famous people, try to connect it to something the students are learning or will be learning in history or science. Please note that this could be completed individually, in a small group, or...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 What’s the Big Idea? Overview: It is important to include nonfiction texts in your daily literacy activities. This activity not only teaches the concept of central idea, but it is also a great opportunity to expose students to a variety of nonfiction text type such as newspapers, magazines, journals, blogs, advertisements, and brochures. Procedure: Modeling (“I Do”) 1. Provide a nonfiction text to your students. Great texts for this activity may...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 What I Want to Be Overview: This lesson allows students to research different occupations and to write about occupations in which they are interested. Procedure: 1. Start a discussion among the students about different occupations. (To make things fun, wear an occupation related hat or item before discussion. See if students notice what you are wearing and initiate communication. This would be a great “hook” to start the lesson!) a. Allow each...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Vocabulary Cards Overview: Use of vocabulary cards is an effective vocabulary development strategy to increase word knowledge, provide concept links, and support participation in class discussion about content for all learners, including those who do not speak. Procedure: When introducing a new text, either fiction or non---fiction, create vocabulary cards for each character or important individual as they are introduced in the story. Vocabulary...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Story Pyramid Overview: Story Pyramid teaches students to determine the main idea, identify details, and use details Procedure: Introduce a new reading. Depending on ability level, the reading can range from a short story to chapter book. ? Use various strategies to introduce the book and create predictions: picture walk, title, key words, etc. a. Tell students the goal: we will look for the character, descriptions of the character, the setting,...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Song Lyrics Overview: Everyone loves music. Give your students an opportunity to become songwriters. This activity allows for structured creativity, giving students the freedom they desire within parameters you control. Procedure: 1) Explain to the students that they will be writing the lyrics to their very own song. a) Students can make up their own melody or choose one that they like. Hit songs usually have instrumental versions that are used for...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Sing Song Read Aloud Overview: Ever have a song stuck in your head that you just love to sing! Well, use that song to learn reading! Procedure: 1) A song should be chosen for the student that they enjoy. Either choose the song based on hearing them listen to it in the past, or play some songs and see what they enjoy. Consider songs with a repetitive phrase. 2) A verse or entire song is written down for a student to read. 3) The song is played and...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Sentence Mash Up Overview: Sentence Mash Up is fun way to create simple sentences, and can be easily adapted for a wide range of skills and grade levels. Procedure: 1. Attach small Velcro dots (female side) to all sides of two lightweight cubes. 2. Cut twelve cardstock cards a bit smaller than the sides of the cubes. 3. From a current text, write six sentences and divide them into six nouns (words or phrases) and six verbs (words and phrases) on...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Shopping List Sort Overview: This functional activity provides meaningful and relevant reading instruction as related to ASOL goals. Procedure: Students are given a mixed list of shopping vocabulary words on flash cards. They are asked to read the words and then sort into two categories: food items and non-food items. ASOL Covered in this Activity: 3E-RW 3a: The student will sort words into familiar categories. Extension Ideas: • Students may sort...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Recipe Sequencing Overview: Students participate in a cooking activity that requires following a three--- step recipe. Procedure: 1. Provide students with an illustrated recipe and the materials needed for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 2. Go through the steps of the recipe with the students, being explicit with the descriptive sequence word for each step as you assemble the sandwich: “First” Place bread on plate. “Next” spread peanut...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 “Read, Build, & Write” Overview: This activity can be turned into a classroom language arts activity that is used during a specific or routine time period. It may require multiple opportunities to complete the activity in order for it to develop into a semi---directed or independent activity. It can be differentiated in order to apply to various types of student needs and abilities. Additionally, this activity is flexible and the teacher can decide...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Read to Cook Overview: Food is always a motivation, so why not use it for instruction? In this activity, students use cooking to learn reading. Procedure: 1) Explain to students that you will be cooking a recipe in class together and enjoying it when finished. 2) Have students brainstorm favorite foods together and create a list together. 3) Have students vote for their favorite recipe to make. (or two if working in different groups) 4) You will...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Picture Sequence Overview: Do you like movies? Well you will love this activity that teaches reading through story boarding, just like the real movie makers! Procedure: 1) The teacher chooses a familiar story (nursery rhyme, fairy tale, etc.) and creates pictures by scanning or locating pictures on the computer to represent the main events of the story. Paired captions/text with each pictured event. 2) The teacher reads aloud the story with the...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017
Personal Dictionary Overview: Like a word wall, a personal dictionary gives a student an individualized reference resource. The difference between a word wall and a personal dictionary is that in a personal dictionary, students not only have access to the word itself, but to a definition of the word as well. Sample personal dictionary pages are included at the end of this activity. Procedure: A personal dictionary can be made using a 3 ring binder...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 “Paper Bag Story” Overview: This activity can be used to engage individual students during a whole group class reading and story time. It allows students to actively listen and participate in identifying characters, setting, and details relating to a fictional story. The activity can be differentiated so that it can be used with a wide variety of ability levels. Procedure: The teacher should choose a fictional text to read. Choose a text that...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Name That Feeling! Overview: Students participate in a game show like activity, identifying feelings/emotions being experienced by literary characters. Procedure: 1. Develop illustrated cards depicting different types of emotions (Happy, Sad, Anxious for example.) 2. Review each of the cards with students, describing links to student experiences that might make them feel that way and characteristics you might observe of someone else feeling an...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Letter Writing Overview: Dear Teacher, Learning how to write a letter will open so many doors for me. Besides being a very functional way for me to communicate with others, it will also allow me a way to express my opinions and make/keep in touch with friends. Please consider using this activity to teach me these skills. Sincerely, A. Student Procedure: 1. Discuss the elements of the various types of letters. a. Introduction, Formal, Complaint,...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Identifying Main Ideas and Recognizing Written Words Overview: This activity is designed for students to conclude the central topic or main idea from written information through focused instruction on key words and picture cues. Procedure: Read a poem or story to the class to talk about the main idea. Explain “main idea” by describing the main idea in the text read. Work with students one---on---one, or in small groups, reading the poem or story...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Hide and Seek Overview: Students will identify and use spatial words to locate objects. Procedure: 1. Prepare a set of cards using spatial words you would like your students to learn (above, below, under, beside, behind, etc.) Demonstrate what these words mean by either using your own body in different positions, or an object that you can move around. 2. Tell students that you will be playing hide and seek game in class today. Ask for a volunteer...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 High Frequency Words Overview: Using word walls, word banks and labels of common objects provides opportunities for students to build sight word vocabulary necessary for reading and writing. Procedure: Using sight word cards labeled with high frequency words place one word at a time in front of the student saying the word. Using alphabet stamps have students stamp the words as you say each letter name. Cover the word and have the student stamp the...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Fill--in--the--Blank Overview: Do your students have a favorite book or story that you read over and over? Why not give the story a makeover? This is an easy activity for all levels that allows for creativity within parameters that you control. Procedure: 1. Choose a story or passage a. From a recent text read in class (Guided Reading Book) b. Have the class vote on which story to use (HS--C1f (SOL 1.10)) c. Create one yourself 2. Delete key...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Fly Swatter Words Overview: Students will practice reading sight words in an activity that is fun and engaging. Procedure: The teacher will project a list of sight words (between 10-20 words) onto a white screen. Each student will be provided with a plastic fly swatter to “catch” the words. The teacher will state one of the words aloud and the student will be asked to touch the word with the swatter on the white screen. Each time that the student...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Facebook through History Overview: Using historical figures, students create imaginary Facebook pages with profiles, timelines, friends, photos, status updates, and conversations. Procedure: 1. Discuss Facebook with students and show sample pages. 2. Each student chooses a historical figure from a nonfiction text. 3. Have 2---3 Facebook---style templates both on student computers and paper, individualized with more or less complexity and levels of...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Echo Reading Overview: Echo Reading is a strategy to use during guided reading where the teacher or other trained adult reads a line in a text and the child reads it back matching the adult’s emphasis and fluency. Procedure: Using a book from Tarheel Reader (http://tarheelreader.org) or another book that has been read with the students prior to this activity, the teacher and students read the book together. The teacher reads aloud a line of text...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts Overview: Comprehension of fictional texts can be achieved using a variety of picture books, e---books and printable books. Starting with one particular book will allow for multiple concepts to be assessed including retelling, identifying characters and setting, answering “wh” questions. Procedure: Below are examples of using the book The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel to address a variety...
Description: Virginia Department of Education, November 2017 Character Traits Overview: Students love to listen to stories. Make each story more meaningful by incorporating comprehension techniques. This is an activity that will get your students engaged in exploring character traits. Procedure: 1) Explain to students that we will be reading a story and describing the characters. a) Inform students that character traits are how we can describe the characters. Model making a list of character traits. (happy,...
Description: Character Props Overview: Use character props as tools to enhance comprehension of characters in grade---appropriate text. Procedure: 1. Find or make inexpensive items to represent the characters in a current text. 2. Discuss with students why each prop was chosen for the character it represents. 3. When reading with students, refer to the prop when it comes up in the story. 4. When reading aloud, give each student a prop to raise in the air when the corresponding character is mentioned....