Lesson OverviewThis lesson, which will require multiple class periods to complete, involves a close reading of selected portions of The Declaration of Independence.  The lesson will begin by establishing students’ background knowledge regarding the American Revolution and the subsequent writing of The Declaration of Independence.  Vocabulary pertinent to the Declaration will be taught via a vocabulary board and periodically reviewed. The teacher will guide students through a PowerPoint presentation of the essential elements of a close reading of a text.  Students will work on developing reading strategies to manage a complex text such as the Declaration of Independence.  Students will analyze the tone, style, and organization of The Declaration of Independence as well as engage in a variety of small- and large-group discussions and routine writing activities.  Finally, they will compose an argument, asserting the rights of people with disabilities, connecting to The Declaration of Independence and as a source of evidence.Teacher Planning, Examples of Response Methods and MaterialsSee Full Lesson Plan AttachedEssential Question and NCSC Essential UnderstandingIs independence better described as a goal or a journey?Modified: “What does independence look like in my life goal and journey?”

We are naturally curious about the lives (and deaths) of authors, especially those, such as Edgar Allan Poe and Ambrose Bierce, who have left us with so many intriguing mysteries. But does biographical knowledge add to our understanding of their works? And if so, how do we distinguish between the accurate detail and the rumor; between truth and exaggeration? In this lesson, students become literary sleuths, attempting to separate biographical reality from myth. They also become careful critics, taking a stand on whether extra-literary materials such as biographies and letters should influence the way readers understand a writer's texts.

This activity can be used as an extension for unit over macromolecules or an application of the metabolism unit. The purpose behind this activitity is to really look at the foods and drinks we used to obtain energy and see of they do what they claim to do. The circle of viewpoints activity is built around generating a list of ideas/perspectives about a given topic and then using that information for a prompt to dive deeper into the topic.  This activity is built in in 3 parts Background reading and brainstormingQuestions and Reserch Socratic Circle

This Google Folder leads to an online module that is designed for students to learn concepts of evolution, descent with modification, natural selection, and more. There is both a student guide and a teacher's guide to help navigate through the module. Google forms are also available to support learning throughout the module. Interactive activities and simulations are also included for students to enjoy and learn from. 

In Unit 2 of the Explore the Salish Sea curriculum, students will review the water cycle, learn the parts of a watershed, and the effects of erosion and pollution, then learn ways of purifying these waters before they enter our streams and estuaries to safeguard these ecosystems for marine life and us.
Each unit in this series contains a detailed unit plan, a slideshow, student journal, and assessments. All elements are adaptable and can be tailored to your local community.

This Immersion Unit provides a coherent series of lessons designed to guide students in developing deep conceptual understanding that is aligned with the standards, key science concepts, and essential features of classroom inquiry (as defined by the National Science Education Standards).  Unit Overarching Concepts Populations of living organisms change or stay the same over time as a result of the interactions between the genetic variations that are expressed by the individuals in the populations and the environment in which the population lives. Science knowledge advances through inquiry. Unit Supporting Concepts Individual organisms with certain variations of traits (adaptations) are more likely than others to survive and reproduce successfully.When environmental conditions change it can affect the survival of both individual organisms and entire species. Natural selection determines the differential survival of groups of organisms. A small advantage in escaping a predator, resisting a drug, etc. can lead to the spread of a trait in a modest number of generations. Mutations are a source of variation in an individual’s genotype, and it can result in a change in phenotype––good or bad. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations, using appropriate tools and technology to perform tests, collect data, analyze relationships, and display data. No matter how well one scientific explanation fits observations, a new explanation might fit them just as well or better, or might fit a wider range of observations. In science, the testing, revising, and occasional discarding of explanations, new and old, never ends. This unit was developed through the large Math and Science Partnership project called System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE), involving a collaboration among Los Angeles School District educators, California State University science and education faculty, and UW-Madison SCALE staff.

The Fifth Grade Elementary Framework for Science and Integrated Subjects,Earth and Space: Patterns in the Sky, uses the phenomena of perceived sun and moon movements that seem to move around the Earth to explore stars, Earth orbit and rotation and moon orbit around Earth.  It is part of Elementary Framework for Science and Integrated Subjects project, a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, North Central ESD, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects  can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons.  Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for  current science curriculum. The EFSIS project brings together grade level teams of teachers to develop lessons or suites of lessons that are 1) pnenomena based, focused on grade level Performance Expectations, and 2) leverage ELA and Mathematics Washington State Learning Standards.

In this Unit, students embark on a mission to create a campaign which promotes seat belt use for a teenage audience. In the context of this project, students explore NGSS PE’s 3-PS2-2, 3-PS2-1, 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-PS2-3, and 3-PS2-4 while investigating the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces acting on an object. Through a series of collect evidence to write a claim based on evidence for why seatbelts are important.

Einstein called Galileo the "father of modern physics." This media-rich essay from the NOVA Web site looks at Galileo's quest to understand the mathematics of motion.

Scientists don't always get it right. This video segment adapted from NOVA looks at Galileo's failed theory for the motion of the tides.

Gene mutations occur naturally through the DNA replication process with some results being fatal and others being helpful.  This lesson will explore the types of mutations that occur, the effect they have on DNA, and examples of diseases or conditions caused by the specific type of mutation.  Students will participate in a gallery walk to learn more about the types of mutations. 

The Geniverse software is being developed as part of a five-year research project funded by the National Science Foundation. Still in its early stages, a Beta version of the software is currently being piloted in six schools throughout New England. We invite you to try the current Beta version, keeping in mind that you may encounter errors or pages that are not fully functional. If you encounter any problem, it may help to refresh or reload the web page.

The Wasted: Don't Trash the Earth curriculum asks students to examine the impact of the waste we locally and globally produce and seek creative solutions to reduce this wastefulness by answering the driving question: "How can we, as youth, rethink waste?"

This lesson provides teachers with support for using text-dependent questions and Common Core literacy strategies to help students derive big ideas and key understandings while developing vocabulary using the biographic text, Gloria Estefan. Along with her worldwide musical fame, Gloria Estefan also experienced tragedy, but continued to help others in unfortunate situations. Gloriaĺĺs success has allowed her to receive multiple honors and awards for her selfless work leading to her being referred to as "a star with a heart."

We will be using HHMI labs about lactose intolerance to discuss genetic variation and inheritance with our Lucile Packard Hospital School students.

After studying the basics of enzyme function, students will be exposed to the history and evolution of lactose intolerance/lactase persistence. Both whole group and individual activities will ask students to interact with the concept. They will conduct a lab to understand the role of enzymes in lactose digestion and communicate their knowledge by creating a public health poster.

After studying the basics of enzyme function, students will be exposed to the history and evolution of lactose intolerance/lactase persistence. Both whole group and individual activities will ask students to interact with the concept. They will conduct a lab to understand the role of enzymes in lactose digestion and communicate their knowledge by creating a public health poster.

Portland Public Schools has developed this unit. Their hope is that ALL K-5 students will be able to access rigorous, standards-aligned science instruction that engages them in hands-on experiences and sense-making through student discourse. They want to encourage all students to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners. To that end, the science and ESL departments at Portland Public Schools, in consultation with NGSS writer Rita Januszyk, have developed units that are aligned with both Next Generation Science Standards and Oregon’s English Language Proficiency standards.

In this unit, students observe glass objects, identify properties of glass and other materials, and investigate changes of materials when they are heated or cooled. They test materials to choose one to best solve an engineering problem with water bottles.

Portland Public Schools has developed this unit. Their hope is that ALL K-5 students will be able to access rigorous, standards-aligned science instruction that engages them in hands-on experiences and sense-making through student discourse. They want to encourage all students to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners. To that end, the science and ESL departments at Portland Public Schools, in consultation with NGSS writer Rita Januszyk, have developed units that are aligned with both Next Generation Science Standards and Oregon’s English Language Proficiency standards.

In this unit, students investigate how to protect a passenger in a mock car crash. Students learn about forces, including magnetic forces, and how they interact with objects. Students engineer a solution to protect a play-dough model based on what they have learned. Language focus is on describing movement, patterns, and supporting claims with evidence.

Portland Public Schools has developed this unit. Their hope is that ALL K-5 students will be able to access rigorous, standards-aligned science instruction that engages them in hands-on experiences and sense-making through student discourse. They want to encourage all students to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners. To that end, the science and ESL departments at Portland Public Schools, in consultation with NGSS writer Rita Januszyk, have developed units that are aligned with both Next Generation Science Standards and Oregon’s English Language Proficiency standards.

Students explore where the energy in our food comes from, the flow of energy in an ecosystem, and the cycle of matter. Students generate an initial model of a farm system and revise it throughout the unit as they learn more about the flow of energy and cycling of matter through seed investigations, observations, and discussions. The unit culminates in an engineering challenge using mostly recycled materials.