This cluster includes the following access points.
Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this topic.
| Name |
Description |
| Great American Inventors: Using Nonfiction to Learn About Technology Inventions: | Students use technology every day, but do they ever stop and wonder about the inventors who made certain technology possible? This lesson encourages students to investigate three American inventors-Alexander Graham Bell, George Washington Carver, and Stephanie Kwolek-through research and readings of their biographies. As students read, gather, and present information about Bell, Carver, and Kwolek, they learn how this trio's inventions changed and shaped America's past and influenced the future of technology.
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| Cuts In A Rush: | In this time rush to get a haircut, students will add elapsed time to find the total time spent at the hair salon and the time of departure from the salon. They must use this information determine which salon is the best for the new family in the neighborhood. Students will submit a letter to the client explaining their procedure for ranking the hair salons. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom. |
| Rift Raft Floating: | In this pool of floating rafts, students will divide to find the cost of each flotation device. They must then determine which raft is the best for public use based on cost, warranty, and assembly. Students will submit a letter to the client explaining their procedure for ranking the flotation devices. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom. |
| Parts of a Plant: | In this lesson, third grade students learn the basic functions of a plant and recognize their importance (flower, stem, seed, leaf, and roots). The lesson will provide students the opportunity to review parts of a plant with a five flap activity. |
| Playground Protection: | Students will decide which type of protective surface should be put in under a new playground unit. They will consider many factors before ranking their decisions about the best surface. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom. |
| Rocking through the Regions (of the United States): | Rocking through the Regions (of the United States) is a 27-day third grade research project on the five regions of the United States and the states that are located within the regions. Students will begin by writing letters to states" Departments of Tourism requesting information about their state. Then, students will work in groups to use the information received along with other print and digital resources they locate to gather information about their region. Once all information is gathered, students will begin writing an informative report and publish their report in an engaging presentation. By the end of this unit, students will be able to identify all five regions on a blank map of the United States and label all 50 states. |
| Favorite Family Traditions: | Students use the text The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant as a springboard for discussion about family traditions. After identifying the traditions observed by the relatives, students will meet in small groups to brainstorm new traditions that could arise from the families gathering together during the winter or other time of year. The lesson is concluded by having each student write a personal narrative paragraph about their own favorite family tradition. Students will then share their writing with a partner for peer editing. |
| Who's Who?: | Students will collect evidence from nonfiction books and the internet to show the importance of a historical figure. |
