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2001 Lesson Plans

K-3        4-6        7-9       10-12

K-3 Lesson Plans

Lightning It's Shocking, It's Frightening, It's Lightning! by Karen Byers
Opposites attract. That’s lightning! It is an electrical discharge between positive and negative regions of a thunderstorm. It was once only magical, mysterious, and misunderstood. However, we know much more about it today. Yet, for children, it is still magical and mysterious. Students’ will decide what they want to learn about lightning, how to go about finding their answers, and deciding what skills they need to further study some of their questions.

How to Recycle a Rock by Karen Byers
Rocks are almost everywhere and children are curious about them. Most of the time rocks aren’t noticed. Once you become aware of it, you’ll observe that a house can be built of stone, a driveway may be covered with gravel, and parks may have stone benches or statues. We use rocks for many things, but where do they come from? Rocks form naturally without the help of people. It is truly incredible how this occurs. The earth is active. Volcanoes are erupting, mountains are being pushed up and being ground down, rivers are carrying sand and mud and then depositing them on the bottom, earthquakes are shaking the earth, huge slabs of the earth’s surface are moving about as fast as your fingernails grow, and rocks are being made, changed and destroyed in many ways.

4-6 Lesson Plans

Agriculture in Idaho: Its Importance and Development from Historical Times to the Present by Monaquita Love
Agriculture affects almost every aspect of everyday life. It is an especially important industry in Idaho, where it is the largest industry. Idaho leads the nation in the production of potatoes, growing almost a third of the nation’s supply, and has done so since the 1950’s. The activities in this unit will help students understand how important agriculture is in their own lives and about its importance in the history of Idaho from its beginnings through the present.

Time Travel by Karen Tharp
In the 1800’s, an increasing number of non-native people began to move into the Idaho Territory. In 1805, Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on the now famous journey to the Pacific Ocean that paved the way for expansion. Through the activities presented in this lesson, students will become familiar with the early explorers of our state. In addition, they will conceptualize life during the 1800’s in relation to their own personal histories and knowledge of 19th century events.

The Oregon Trail by Tamara Dalley
In the 1840s, a mass migration of pioneers moved west on the Oregon Trail. For the next 25 years, pioneers traveled 2,000 miles from Missouri to Oregon's Willamette Valley in search of farmland or split off to California in search of gold. The Trail was the only feasible way for settlers to cross the mountains. Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah and Idaho would probably not be a part of the United States today were it not for the Oregon Trail. Through the activities presented in this unit, students will learn the significance of the Oregon Trail in Idaho history. In addition, students will conceptualize the Oregon Trail in relation to their own lives.

Crossing the Oregon Trail by Susan Wheeler
In the 1840's and 1850's, thousands of people left the Missouri valley to travel west to the Oregon Territory in hopes of a better life. Through the activities presented in this lesson, the students will become familiar with the sacrifices that the migrants endured crossing the plains to the west. The students will experience some of the problem solving that the pioneers faced and pay the natural consequences of their choices.

Aloha, Hawaii-Our 50th State-A Crossing of Cultures by Laurel Dalling
With the arrival of the “haole”, or foreigner, in 1778 to the Hawaiian Islands, many changes took place. As the strangers arrived in the island paradise, they brought an upheaval of traditions and culture. Through the activities presented in this lesson, the students will become familiar with the circumstances of the Hawaiian people and the changes that took place when Europeans arrived on the islands.

The Dirt on Worms! by Karen Byers
An ecosystem consists of a community of interacting organisms and the physical environment in which they live. Students will observe the behavior of worms in the classroom. Through a number of hands-on activities the students will make predictions, observe, collect and record data and learn the "Real Dirt on Worms!."

Soaring with Air Power by Karen Byers
Flying a glider is probably the closest thing any human will come to feeling like a bird. Powered only by gravity and air currents, these gliders move silently through the sky staying aloft by balancing the forces of gravity, lift, drag, and thrust. These are the four major forces that affect the glider’s flight. Students will view a Newton’s Apple show that explores glider mechanics, learn about the four forces, build and fly a glider to specific guidelines, adjust the glider for greater accuracy and distance using their knowledge of the four forces, and assess their performance.

Bead it! by Karen Byers
Students need many early experiences with algebraic concepts before they formally begin to study the subject. Algebra can be defined as the study of patterns. Children learn to see relations and make predictions, generalizations, and connections through the study of patterns.

7-9 Lesson Plans

The Holocaust: The Life of a Jew by Jennifer Schilling
The Nazi legacy was an empire of murder and exploitation that has affected people in all parts of the world. The toll in lives was enormous. The full magnitude, and the moral and ethical implications of this tragic era are only now beginning to be understood more fully. Through the activities presented in this lesson, students will look at what harsh treatment and sacrifices the Jews and other minorities had to face during W.W.II under Hitler's dictatorship. In addition, students will become an advocate of their Jewish Profile as they follow his or her life. They will try to record their feelings as if they were living in those times.

Sacagawea and the Lemhi Shoshoni: Contributions to the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Alice Higgins & Trisha Evans
Often overlooked in celebration of the Lewis and Clark expedition are the invaluable contributions of the Native Americans that were encountered along the way. Though her presence is recognized, the role of Sacagawea is often misrepresented and misunderstood in history books. This lesson specifically aims at the contributions of Sacagawea and her relatives, the Lemhi Shoshoni Indians, to the success of the Corps of Discovery. Activities in this lesson will enrich students’ historical knowledge by considering the experiences and perspectives of Sacagawea and the Lemhi Shoshoni Indians during this time period. In addition, the lesson will also demonstrate their reasons and motivations for aiding the explorers during their journey.

Pulsar Stars and Black Holes by Rob Clouse
Students will learn about the discovery of pulsar stars, and the characteristics of pulsar stars. Theories and ideas behind black holes are also examined.

Volcanoes and the Atmospheres by Laura Petrunic
Understanding the origination of the atmosphere gives a basis for how life exists today. The goal of this lesson is to identify the volcano as the primary source of atmospheric gases, to understand the formation of ozone, and to recognize the dangers of volcanic gases through the use of technology in the classroom.

The Wonders of Wetlands by Angie Thornhill
Wetlands are a magnificent source of plant and animal diversity, and a great example of nature's water filter. During these activities students will explore the importance of the wetland ecosystem, its properties and functions, as well as, the many birds, animals, and plant life found there.

"You Can't Order a Poem Like You Order a Taco": An Intoduction to Poetry by Brandy Lynn Stredder
Poetry is an exciting and engaging form of literature through which students can express ideas and emotions. However, for students unfamiliar with poetry, the mere idea of it can be intimidating and ambiguous. Students need to build on a foundation of knowledge, expanding through research and exploration. In order for students to be able to successfully read and write poetry, they should be introduced to it through others perspectives.

Through this lesson's activities, students will explore what poetry is and certain aspects within it. They will write their own knowledge and perceptions of poetry and the expand that knowledge and experience through listening to, reading, and writing poetry and exploring poetic terminology.

10 -12 Lesson Plans

Implications of the Human Genome Project by Shannon Loudy
Students will learn about the Human Genome Project through classroom discussion and the video, Cracking the Code of Life. They will research and produce reports about the issues of disease, human health, and the ethical, legal, and societal implications of the Human Genome Project using classroom discussion and specified web resources.

Oh, Say Can You See by Nancy Orme
This lesson will explore the anatomy of the eye. Students will explore different parts of the eye and functions of each part through a video and a dissection of a cow’s eye. Students will discover different causes of blindness.

A Streetcar Named Desire by Summer Smith
Studying the drama genre is often a fun way for students to engage in literature. Tennessee Williams wrote several worthwhile plays during his lifetime, and secondary English teachers continue to teach these works in their classrooms today. In reading his play A Streetcar Named Desire, students gain an idea of southern life in post WWII and an understanding of familial relationships as presented in this play. As well, students are introduced to the film genre and can begin to understand how versions of a play can compare and differ. Through the activities presented in this activity, students will examine written and film versions of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Advertising Techniques and Target Audiences Used In Commercials by Guy Wells
The class will begin to understand the power of advertising by researching advertising techniques, target audiences and a variety of ads. The class will look at commercials during their favorite television programs and keep a TV log. The purpose is to see what types of products are advertised and who the target audiences are. Students will also learn and identify what advertising techniques are used: Bandwagon, Propaganda, and Testimonial.