ORC Resource Types

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: The purpose of this promising practice lesson is to explore the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. This lesson taps into student curiosity about dinosaurs in order to lead them to consider life forms that no longer exist....

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: The objective of this promising practice lesson is to carry out an investigation in order to answer a central question: Does soap float? The focus of this lesson is on scientific inquiry, but it incorporates scientific topics such as sinking and floating so it is recommended that students have at least some prior experience with these...

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: The objective of this promising practice lesson is to explore plate tectonics and to understand how mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes are related to the movements of plates. In this lesson, students learn about the idea of continental drift and the theory of plate tectonics to ascertain a fuller picture of how land formations on earth's surface...

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: The purpose of this promising practice lesson is to orient students to the plight of endangered species and to help them understand and gain perspective on human issues that continue to endanger species and threaten our global environment. The lesson looks at endangered species from a global perspective....

Projects: Standards First

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: The purpose of this lesson is to use Internet resources to explore the side effects of technology; and to design, implement and evaluate solutions related to the problem of waste disposal. At the end of the lesson students apply what they've learned to a practical real-life problem, reducing the school's garbage....

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: The purpose of this promising practice lesson is to develop the idea that carbon dating is based on gathering evidence in the present and extrapolating it to the past. Students are asked to consider the case of when Frosty the Snowman met his demise (began to melt)....

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: The purpose of this lesson is to help students identify the various natural resources used to produce common items and to understand how people use science and technology to produce those items. The lesson is meant to help students develop an understanding of what many of the common items we use every day are made of...

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: The purpose of this promisng practice lesson is to introduce students to the realm and power of inventions, and help them to better recognize their impact on people and society. This lesson is the first of a two-part series on technology and inventions....

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: Inventions 2: The Impact, a promising practice lesson, focuses on the process of inventing. Students are introduced to the short- and long-term issues inventors have to consider before developing an invention....

Discipline: Science

Professional Commentary: The purpose of this promising practice lesson is to explore light and color, including how colors are mixed to produce new colors, how light is filtered, and how light is reflected off of surfaces. The lesson focuses on the idea that we can see objects because they either emit or reflect light....