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How can we help save the Pika who live in the Columbia River Gorge? (4th grade Life Science Unit)

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This integrated OER unit focuses on the 4th grade NGSS bundle addressing Structure, Function, and Information Processing (Performance expectations 4-PS4-2, 4-LS1-1, and 4-LS1-2). Students are engaged in a storyline which presents them with the problem of preserving the pika population who live in the Columbia River Gorge, a species which has recently been threatened in this region due to climate change. Through a series of activities, labs, and field STEM experiences, students engage in scientific modeling and investigation, while building their understanding of how an organism’s internal and external structures enable survival, growth and reproduction. The unit culminates with the development of a product that can be shared with a public audience to instigate positive change in the community and help protect the pika.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Pranjali Upadhyay

Ecosystem Invasion! (3rd Grade Life Science Unit)

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This integrated 3rd grade unit addresses the NGSS Life Science bundles for Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems (3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-3, and 3-LS4-4) and Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Life Cycles and Traits (3-LS1-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, and 3-LS4-2). Students embark on a mission to protect their native plants and animals by devising a plan to regulate and prevent the spread of invasive species in the area. Through a series of FOSS investigations and other OER (open educational resource) lessons and activities, students learn about how an organism’s traits aid in survival, how parents pass on traits to their offspring, and how the environment influences plant and animal traits and behaviors.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Pranjali Upadhyay

What's for Dinner? 5th Grade STEM Project

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Meaningful STEM learning can happen at home as we problem-solve around the house and make sense of intriguing phenomena around us! Join us as we embark on a mission to create a healthy and nutritious meal for our family! This STEM mini-project can be launched by the teacher and can provide families with a fun project to do in the kitchen.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Pranjali Upadhyay

What's For Lunch? 5th Grade STEM Storyline

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As our 5th grade students start the shift from childhood to adolescence, it is important for them to be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to take care of their bodies by making healthy eating choices! This unit strives to engage students in the task of crafting a healthy and delicious snack for younger students in their building. Students master Physical Science performance expectations (5-PS1-1, 5-PS1-2, 5-PS1-3, 5-PS1-4), while learning about the properties of different foods that make them healthy or not! The unit culminates with students constructing a snack for their 1st grade buddies.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Homework/Assignment

Author: Pranjali Upadhyay

Climate, Weather, and Ways We Shelter

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In this 3rd grade integrated STEM Storyline focused around the topics of climate and weather, we present students with the challenge of designing and building prototype temporary shelters for people in need. The unit launches with a discussion about the importance of shelter for humans. Then, students explore the significance of local weather conditions, the local climate, and how these may affect us. Students continue by exploring climate conditions around the world and how people have designed housing that shelters them from daily weather and climate. This unit culminates with students engaging in a design thinking process (similar to engineering design) where they design and test a shelter for people to use.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Pranjali Upadhyay