Classroom Resources

Ever wondered how you ended up with your eye color? The answer is all about heredity.

Heredity is the passing of traits, or features, from parents to offspring through genes. Genes, which are found inside cells, are shared from one generation to the next, passing on all kinds of characteristics like eye color, dimples, freckles, and height.

This classroom resource provides a video that describes the process of inherited traits. After utilizing this resource, the students can complete the short test to assess their understanding. This resource can provide background information to students before they construct and use their own models. 

Look outside your window. Ever wonder how all those things live and grow together in one place? That is an ecosystem, and it is a pretty amazing thing.

Each ecosystem is made up of living and non-living things that interact and depend on each other for life. Some examples of ecosystems are deserts, tropical rainforests, and grasslands.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe how living and non-living things a part of an interactive system. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

Ecosystems are constantly going through gradual changes. Sometimes those changes are natural, and sometimes they are caused by humans.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe how ecosystems can change over time due to natural and human activity. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

Symbiosis describes a relationship between two organisms in an environment. There are three main types of relationships: mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe the different ways organisms can interact within an ecosystem. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

There is a whole new world in the water, and we are here to learn all about it. Join us for a trip into the aquatic ecosystems!

There are two main types of aquatic ecosystems: freshwater and saltwater. The main difference between these two ecosystems is, you guessed it, saltiness. Oceans, rivers, swamps, bogs, and streams are all aquatic ecosystems.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe the different organisms that inhabit freshwater and saltwater ecosystems. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

Volcanoes produce some of the Earth's most violent geologic changes, but they are not always violent. Different kinds of volcanoes, including shield, cinder cone, composite, and ashflow caldera, produce different kinds of eruptions.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe the different varieties of volcanoes and how their eruptions cause changes to Earth's surface. This resource will provide background information to students before they create their own models. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

It’s all about families in this happy lesson full of illustrations, charts, diagrams, and photographs. Learn how inherited and acquired traits make families special. Meet some PURRfectly adorable cat families.

In this interactive lesson, students learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the two basic forms of reproduction. Students develop their literacy skills as they scientifically explore sexual and asexual reproduction. During this process, they read informational text, learn and practice vocabulary words (reproduction, offspring, traits, clone, genes, natural selection), and explore content through video and interactive activities.

In this interactive lesson, students will learn that life without friction is a 3-ring circus and an accident waiting to happen. A circus dog with lots of tricks will help you learn about compare and contrast, cause and effect, and the importance of friction.

Chocolate lovers, unite around this sweet interactive science lesson featuring a milk chocolate-loving cow. Melt chocolate and make fudge to learn about liquid and solid phases of matter. Read and record chocolate data using flowcharts and bar graphs.

In this blended lesson supporting literacy skills, students watch videos about gravity and investigate the motion of falling objects on Earth and on the Moon. They examine how the force of gravity acts on falling objects and how air resistance counteracts gravity. This resource is part of the Inspiring Middle School Literacy Collection. This lesson is a great resource to use to give students background information on gravity and forces before they conduct a test of a falling object. 

Students need to be signed in to complete this lesson. Go to "About This Activity" in "Support Materials" or click here.

Dig into reading practice and meet a cute little mole who loves dirt. Learn about finding the main idea in an informational text about the components that make up soil and get the dirt on how details can support the main idea. 

Jump in with both feet as you watch oobleck (cornstarch and water mixture) videos and learn about three states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases. Learn to use captions and charts to make reading comprehension less messy and loads of fun.

Read like a detective and solve a BIG problem on the island of Sumatra where man and Asian elephants struggle to live together and get along. The elephants are destroying all the farmland. This self-paced lesson is interesting for all ages (and the BIG solution at the end may surprise you.)

In this blended lesson supporting literacy skills, students learn that transitional fossils provide scientists with evidence to establish how major animal groups are related to one another in evolutionary terms. Students develop their literacy skills as they explore a science focus on a recently discovered fossil named Tiktaalik. During this process, they read informational text, learn and practice vocabulary words, and explore content through video and interactive activities. This resource is part of the Inspiring Middle School Literacy Collection.

Students need to be signed in to complete this lesson. Go to "About This Activity" in "Support Materials" or click here.

Make peace with glossaries and charts as you learn to use these text features to find and record information on matter, its properties, and how it is measured. A hippie hippo will make learning to observe and measure matter seem a little bit groovy for all ages.

The lithosphere is all of the rock on earth, and the hydrosphere is all of the water on earth. The last one is the atmosphere: the layers of gas surrounding the earth.

This resource presents a short slideshow about the different "spheres" of Earth and how they interact to support life. After utilizing this resource, the students can complete the short test to assess their understanding.

In this video from PBSLearningMedia, students learn how agriculture is feeding the demand of the country's growing diversity. Visit one of the county's successful niche farming operations. Over 3-dozen varieties of crops are grown here, tailored to a fast-growing ethnic market. 

In this video from PBSLearningMedia, students learn about Eid Al-Adha. Eid Al-Adha is a yearly four-day celebration of the Islamic faith remembering the story of Abraham. Known as the feast of sacrifice, the celebration centers around sacrifice to Allah.

In this video from PBSLearningMedia, students learn the peaceful transfer of power from one U.S. president to the next takes place during their inauguration ceremony. Nick walks us through traditions surrounding the big day, including the new president's address and ball.

In this video from PBSLearningMedia, students learn the story of Old St Stephens as a look at early Alabama history. This small town went from a frontier trading post to the First Territorial Capitol of Alabama until Yellow Fever caused the city to fade away.

In this video, students learn about Abraham Lincoln, Honest Abe. Such a great nickname. We certainly wish that was our nickname. Abraham Lincoln was the president who led the country through the Civil War and abolished slavery. He rocked that black top hat. Let's all give him a pat on the back.

In this video from KnowItAll.org, students learn the story of the Tuskegee Airman is, even more, a story about America than about a group of determined young African American men and women in the late 30’s and early 40’s. In this edition of CONNECTIONS, you will discover more about this remarkable event.

This is a brief video on World War I: how the war started, the U.S.' involvement, fighting the war, and the aftermath with the Treaty of Versailles.

*Important Note: Italy was originally a member of the Triple Alliance when World War I started. After the war started in 1914, when the Triple Alliance became the Central Powers, Italy joined the Triple Entente. The Triple Alliance was originally a defensive pact against the Triple Entente. After Italy switched sides, the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers.

In this video, students learn about Andrew Jackson. Believe it or not, the Battle of Orleans was not the time Drew Brees and the Saints finally won their Super Bowl. It was an actual battle, with an actual general at the helm--Andrew Jackson. He was a military hero and more. He threw very few interceptions to boot.

In this video, students learn about the Battle of Bunker Hill. It is the most pivotal moment in the American Revolution. It is the moment when everything changed. This was probably the most important battle because it was the first time the Americans could fend off the British and led the way to an American victory.

In this video, students learn about Benjamin Franklin.  What do the light bulb, the post office, the lightning rod, the Constitution, and the modern fire department have in common? They were all invented by Ben Franklin. He was the genius behind most of modern-day life and technology. Amazing, isn't it?

In this video, students learn about the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was made to protect Americans from too many restrictions and regulations in addition to assuring our well-being under our government. For the past 200 years, it's done a pretty good job, but on occasion, it is seen as too protective or not protective enough. Our video examines some of the things the bill provides for, and also raises a point that is not often taught.

Igneous rock forms from melted rock (magma). Magma exists inside the earth’s surface, and it becomes lava when it is released through a volcanic eruption. When it cools, that is when it becomes igneous rock.

The classroom resource provides a slide show that will describe how igneous rocks are formed during the rock cycle. There is a karaoke song that students can learn to help them remember the steps in the rock cycle process. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding. Students can use the information presented in this slide show to plan their own investigations.

Metamorphic rocks can be formed from igneous, sedimentary, and even other metamorphic rocks.

The classroom resource provides a slide show that will describe how metamorphic rocks are formed during the rock cycle. There is a karaoke song that students can learn to help them remember the steps in the rock cycle process. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding. Students can use the information presented in this slide show to plan their own investigations.

Sedimentary rock is naturally formed in the Earth’s crust. It is formed when sediment deposits form layers, compact, and then cement together, creating a new rock. Sedimentary rocks are used for building materials, and sometimes they even contain fossils.

The classroom resource provides a slide show that will describe how sedimentary rocks are formed during the rock cycle. There is a karaoke song that students can learn to help them remember the steps in the rock cycle process. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding. Students can use the information presented in this slide show to plan their own investigations.

Rock is the hard, solid material, consisting of one or more minerals, that make up the Earth. Rocks continuously change from one type to another through the rock cycle process. There are three types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe how rocks are formed through physical and chemical processes in the rock cycle. There is a karaoke song that students can learn to help them remember the steps in the rock cycle process. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding. Students can use the information presented in this video to plan their own investigations.

Soil is a layer of rock and decayed plant and animal matter that is layered above bedrock. It also contains water, air, and bacteria. In fact, the soil is packed with everything plants need to grow.

The classroom resource provides a slide show that will describe how soil is formed and its importance to living things on Earth. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding. Students can use the information presented in this resource to plan their own investigations using soil.

Earthquakes are caused by geologic movement in the earth’s crust. They occur in faults, or cracks, located on the Earth’s surface.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe how and why earthquakes occur at certain locations on Earth. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

Weathering and erosion are continuous processes that gradually change the natural environment over time. Weathering is the process of wearing down materials into the sediment. Erosion occurs when this sediment is moved.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe how weathering and erosion shape Earth's surface over a long period of time. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.