Why do we sometimes see different things when looking at the same object? How does a one-way mirror work? Though most everyone knows that one-way mirrors exist, having students model how they work turns out to be a very effective way to develop their thinking about how visible light travels and how we see images. Initial student models in this 6th grade light and matter science unit reveal a wide variety of ideas and explanations that motivate the unit investigations that help students figure out what is going on and lead them to a deeper understanding of the world around them.

OpenSciEd content is highly rated in EdReports and is aligned to NGSS standards.

This module is designed to highlight the many contributors to the advancements in space science—those who most often receive recognition and those who are often overlooked. To set up this juxtaposition for students, Unit 1 is designed to provide background information about the Space Race of the 1960s, featuring popular accounts of this historic course of events. Students generate excitement about the topic by watching videos, viewing images, and reading primary sources about the Space Race, a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to be the first country to land an astronaut on the moon. Students learn how the Space Race supported advancements in math and science and notice which figures are highlighted in these sources.

As students build their background knowledge, they practice citing text evidence, identifying central idea(s), and determining the points of view expressed in the different texts. Critical to their understanding of this time period is the exposure to varying perspectives, including those who believed the funds used to send humans to the moon could be better spent improving the lives of the destitute and depressed at home. Students learn to trace the arguments in these claims by identifying the evidence and reasoning that supports these views. Once students begin their reading of the anchor text, Hidden Figures (Young Readers’ Edition) by Margot Lee Shetterly, in Unit 2, they will have the necessary background to better appreciate the contributions of the black women of NASA and how they impacted scientific and social progress in the face of both racial and gender discrimination.

Students will use words acquired through reading to describe images (with adjectives) that demonstrate an understanding of characters in a story. The teacher will read Miss Nelson is Back which has great descriptors and will hold a class discussion to garner a variety of words that the students can choose from to describe the character. This lesson includes several photos and videos of the lesson being modeled, printable worksheets, and examples of student's work.

Get the facts about the Canvasback, a wild duck who only lives in North America. Besides finding a detailed physical description of one of the fastest flying ducks, you?ll also learn about some of this bird's unique facts and characteristics. Also included in this Bird Fact Sheet on the Canvasback is information on its habitat and habits, range, feeding, breeding, and conservation efforts. Don?t forget to check out the video and sound clips of the Canvasback at the top of the webpage. A list of resources completes the fact sheet.

Get the facts about coyotes. Besides finding a detailed description of the coyote, you'll also learn about some of its unique facts and characteristics. Also included in this Mammal Fact Sheet on coyotes is information on their habitat and habits, range, feeding, breeding, and conservation efforts. Don't forget to check out the sound clips of coyotes using the link near the top of the webpage. A list of resources completes the fact sheet.

Students investigate the relationship between daily weather and seasonal weather. Students will read about how weather data is collected, then interpret examples of weekly and monthly weather data to find seasonal patterns. Visual supports (images), maps, and data alongside informational text provide students with the context they need to recognize differences between daily and seasonal weather. Support materials are provided.

The 12th grade learning experience consists of 7 mostly month-long units aligned to the Common Core State Standards, with available course material for teachers and students easily accessible online. Over the course of the year there is a steady progression in text complexity levels, sophistication of writing tasks, speaking and listening activities, and increased opportunities for independent and collaborative work. Rubrics and student models accompany many writing assignments.Throughout the 12th grade year, in addition to the Common Read texts that the whole class reads together, students each select an Independent Reading book and engage with peers in group Book Talks. Language study is embedded in every 12th grade unit as students use annotation to closely review aspects of each text. Teacher resources provide additional materials to support each unit.

This project unit—a multimedia self-portrait published in digital form—is the capstone of your students' high school careers. It is a chance for them to pause and reflect on where they've been, where they're going, and who they are as a person. Students will reflect on what they want others to know about them: what they want their message to be and what types of media they might use to convey that message. Students will have the opportunity to express themselves in many different formats—through writing, of course, but also through other media of their choosing. Students will be able to convey your message through visual art, photography, a graphic novel, audio, poetry, or video—practically any type of media they want!

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Students will complete a multimedia self-portrait, capturing important aspects of the essence of themselves.
Students will contribute one chapter from their multimedia self-portrait to a class anthology.
Students will present one chapter from their multimedia self-portrait to the class.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

These questions are a guide to stimulate thinking, discussion, and writing on the themes and ideas in the unit. For complete and thoughtful answers and for meaningful discussions, students must use evidence based on careful reading of the texts.

How is late adolescence a moment of internal and external change?
What are the most important qualities of your character—past, present, and future?
How can you portray these key aspects of yourself using multimedia?

BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT: Cold Read

During this unit, on a day of your choosing, we recommend you administer a Cold Read to assess students’ reading comprehension. For this assessment, students read a text they have never seen before and then respond to multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. The assessment is not included in this course materials.

Time to write! Students will get started on the first draft of the written chapter of their self-portrait. They’ll spend time focusing on ways to create a strong and memorable opening to draw their readers in.

Get the facts about the Evening Grosbeak. Besides finding a detailed physical description of this member of the finch family, you?ll also learn about some of this bird's unique facts and characteristics. Also included in this Bird Fact Sheet on the Evening Grosbeak is information on its habitat and habits, range, feeding, breeding, and conservation efforts. A list of resources completes the fact sheet.

Observe and annotate various images of weather phenomena in this interactive drawing tool. Students can use the images in this tool to observe weather conditions and document evidence of weather that happened earlier in the day. Teacher and student support materials are provided.

Delve into the Tertiary Period portion of the Evolving Planet exhibit, and trace the climate and continental shift during this time. Includes an overview of the period, a collection of images, and a look at the Tertiary Period's contribution to the evolution of our planet and its creatures.

Video and images that provide an overview of the genocide that occurred in Armenia during World War I. Images of the atrocities that took place are shown in detail.

Online exhibition for teachers and students of citizenship, history and media studies, which examines the use of propaganda during the main conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Ken Burns and his collaborators have been creating historical documentary films for more than forty years. Known for a signature style that brings primary source documents, images, and archival video footage to life on screen, these films present the opportunity to pose thought-provoking questions for students, and introduce new ideas, perspectives, and primary sources. This collection includes: Media Gallery (141), Video (391), Document (6), Lesson Plan (49), Image (25), Interactive (3) for Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12.

Learn about art history in Mesopotamia and its surrounding regions, circa 3000 B.C. Explore the history of the region through various topics including cities, rulers and religious vestments.

Students get a whole new perspective of the world through images obtained from the International Space Station. Students can even request images to be taken through ISS EarthKAM. Activities and educator guides are provided.

This article discusses the ocean phenomenon known as La Nina, its effects, and its formation.

This site has a description of the Space Shuttle and its uses. Included are vocabulary words linked to a glossary of terms, graphics and a printable version.

This site provides a short description of the space shuttle and what it is used for, with diagrams and one quiz question.