May 18th, 2022
Middle School Resource
In this lesson, students will understand the following:
- Identical twins are genetically identical.
- For this reason, twins separated at birth and later reunited have been subjects for scientific researchers investigating the influence of heredity and environment on human personality.
Related NY State Academic Standards: S.MS.LS.2.4, S.MS.LS.1.5, S.MS.LS.3.1, and more!
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May 16th, 2022
Elementary School Resource
In this activity, students will:
- define the terms “genes” and “heredity”
- identify learned and inherited behaviors; and
- describe and compare family traits and characteristics.
Related NY State Academic Standards: S.3.LS.3.1, S.3.LS.3.2, S.4.LS.1.1, and more!
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May 13th, 2022
High School Resource
In this activity, prepare a simple handout that lists a variety of different written forms (journal writing, informal letter, formal letter, letter to the editor, advertisement, petition, poem, short story, book review, book report, research paper, newspaper article, formal presentation, summary, letter of complaint, essay contest entry, and so forth).
For each form, include a simple topic, be sure to include enough details to make the writing situation clear. Then discuss the particular purposes of each writing situation and any secondary purposes that might be involved. Consider what writing decisions are made during this process. If time permits, ask each student to select one of the writing situations and write a one-page response. Collect these and read selected ones aloud. Discuss the way the writer achieved (or didn’t achieve) the planned purpose of the piece.
- Some Ideas for Writing Forms and Topics:
- Personal Letter (thank you for the birthday gift)
- Letter to the Editor (the proposed 10 pm curfew for people under 18 years old should not be considered)
- Book Report (Lord of the Flies or other book with which students are familiar)
- Letter to Friend (the appearance of a boy or girlfriend)
- Diary Entry (what happened on the recent class trip); Essay Contest Entry (“How I Would Improve the World”)
- Personal Writing (thoughts on the loss of a friend);
- Newspaper Article (Quiz Club Wins Regional Tournament)
- Letter to Neighbor (how you and your friend accidentally broke her window)
- Note to a Friend (how to use the camera you are lending her for her vacation)
- County Music Lyrics (my sweetheart left me and took my pick-up truck)
- Short Story (the misadventures of a teenaged super-hero)
- Essay (“My Ideal House”)
Related NY State Academic Standards: ELA1.C.SW2C!
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May 11th, 2022
Middle School Resource
In this activity, students write letters and exchange information with a pen pal from a school in a country that speaks the language they are studying.
Activity:
- Teacher secures information on schools in other countries and obtains the names and addresses of students in that school interested in being pen pals.
- Students select one of the pen pals and engage in an ongoing exchange of information about:
- Themselves
- Their families
- Their friends
- Everyday activities
- Interests at home, school, and community
- Using e-mail, digital cameras, scanners, and a webcam, students maintain an interactive communication with the pen pals.
- Teacher arranges video conferencing between the two classrooms so that the students have an opportunity for direct communication.
- Students should alternate between speaking in English and the foreign language so that the students in both countries have an opportunity to practice speaking.
Related NY State Academic Standards: W.5.4, L.5.1, L.5.2, and more!
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May 9th, 2022
Elementary School Resource
In this activity, students will use navy beans to spell different words. The teacher preprints the words on tag board with the corresponding picture – for example, spell the word apple and glue a picture of an apple. Using liquid Elmer’s glue, go over the letters of the preprinted letters on the card. The child places the beans on top of the glue to form the letters. You can use color words, children’s names, simple objects, or any word related to the theme you are working on.
Related NY State Academic Standards: L.PK.2.b, ELA1.E.SW2A, ELA1.E.SW2A.PK.01, and more!
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May 6th, 2022
High School Resource
This lesson idea video was designed to apply knowledge of trigonometric functions.
Related NY State Academic Standards: F-TF.5, Math.MP.2.1, and Math.MP.3.1!
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May 4th, 2022
Middle School Resource
In this lesson idea video, students construct an understanding of surface area.
Related NY State Academic Standards: 6.G.4!
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May 2nd, 2022
Elementary School Resource
This lesson idea video focuses on multiplying a fraction by a fraction.
Related NY State Academic Standards: 5.NF.4.b, Math.MP.2.1, Math.MP.3.1, and more!
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April 29th, 2022
High School Resource
The Timeline of Art History is a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world. The entire collection of works from the Metropolitan Museum of Art are referenced in the Timeline. At present, the Timeline extends from prehistory to 1800 A.D. It will span art history up to the present day by the fall of 2004.
Special Topics in the Timeline focus on specific themes in art history. They cover subjects such as artistic movements and periods, archaeological sites, empires and civilizations, recurrent themes and concepts, media such as painting, sculpture, and ceramics, and artists.
Related NY State Academic Standards: WST.9-10.6, WST.11-12.6, ARTS.VA.I.4.1.A, and more!
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April 27th, 2022
Middle School Resource
In the United States, the nineteenth century was a time of tremendous growth and change. The new nation experienced a shift from a farming economy to an industrial one, major westward expansion, displacement of native peoples, rapid advances in technology and transportation, and a civil war. In these lessons, works of art from the nineteenth century are paired with written documents to be used as primary sources for students to reconstruct the influence of technology, geography, economics, and politics on daily life.
Related NY State Academic Standards: ARTS.VA.I.1.1.B, ARTS.VA.I.1.1.D, and ARTS.VA.I.1.1.E!
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