Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this topic.
| Name |
Description |
| Cause for a Constitution: Part 1: | In this lesson, students will read an informational text about the events leading up to the American Revolution. They will discuss the preamble to the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Students will engage in a discourse circle about how the experiences of the colonists leading up to the American Revolution laid the groundwork that would later be reflected in the Constitution. This is lesson 1 of 3 in a mini-unit integrating civics and social studies. |
| Lesson 3: Productivity: |
•Why microalgae are important to all life on Earth
•How nutrients enter the ocean
•The relationship between microalgae, nutrients, and productivity
|
| Civic Responsibility Ads: | Students will work collaboratively to rank civic duties and responsibilities needed to keep a constitutional republic. They will utilize mathematical strategies to convert measurements of time as they calculate costs using the four operations with decimals and create an effective schedule for the ads within a budget in this model eliciting activity.
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. |
| Florida: My Florida: | This lesson is #2 of an integrated unit using the text, Florida, by Tamra Orr. Using chapter 1 of the text, Florida, by Tamra Orr issues specific to Florida are explored. Students work in groups to identify issues that could become problems. Students then brainstorm ways that citizens could help and begin making connections with volunteerism and working with state and local government officials to resolve issues.
This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource. |
| I Am the Greatest-Athenian Leadership: | This lesson will be taught during the Ancient Greece unit. While the lesson teaches about the civic accomplishments of Solon, Cleisthenes, Themistocles, and Pericles, students are asked to go one step further by selecting the most influential leader and justifying their selections. |
| Conducting a Values Debate: Analyzing Foundational American Documents: | In this lesson, students will analyze, with partners, how to create a values debate argument. In order to do this, they will first look at excerpts from several foundational American documents and then use a worksheet to analyze, summarize, and incorporate the documents' components into a full values debates. Finally, they will pick their own values topic and prepare a brief argument both for and against that they will then argue with their partner based on a coin toss. |
| Researching Athenian Democracy: Part 1: | In the first part of this four-part lesson, students will collaborate to research an assigned topic to learn about the influence of Athenian democracy and its governing principles. Students will compile their research and cite their sources. Students will then reflect on their learning and their collaboration. In the subsequent parts of this lesson, students will continue collaborating to turn their research into a multimedia presentation and will finally demonstrate their learning individually by responding to a writing prompt. |
| Researching Athenian Democracy: Part 2: | In the second part of this four-part lesson, student groups will collaborate to use information they previously researched to produce a multimedia presentation on the influence of Athenian democracy and its government principles. Students will then reflect on their learning and their collaboration. In the subsequent parts of this lesson, students will deliver their presentation to the class and demonstrate their learning individually by responding to a writing prompt. |
| Researching Athenian Democracy: Part 3: | In the third part of this four-part lesson, student groups will collaborate to present a multimedia presentation based on their previous research on the influence of Athenian democracy and its government principles. Students will then reflect on their learning and their collaboration. In the final part of this lesson, students will deliver their presentation to the class and demonstrate their learning individually by responding to a writing prompt. |
| Researching Rome’s Republic: Part 3: | In the third part of this four-part lesson, student groups will collaborate to present a multimedia presentation based on their previous research on the influence of the Roman Republic and its government principles. Students will take notes on others’ topics when they are not presenting. Students will then reflect on their learning and their collaboration. In the final part of this lesson, students will demonstrate their learning individually by responding to a writing prompt. |
| Greece or Rome? You Choose!: | In this lesson, students will review and evaluate what has been taught about the democratic concepts and governments of Greece and Rome in preparation for a Philosophical Chairs discussion. During this discussion, students will be tasked with deciding which civilization had the greatest influence on the United States’ constitutional republic. |
| Do You Know Your Rights?: | In this lesson, students will be analyze, describe and explain the meaning and purpose of each amendment in the Bill of Rights and how the Bill of Rights affects citizens and the government. |
| Florida: What's Up, Citizens?: | This lesson is the first in a unit using the text Florida, by Tamra Orr. Students focus on understanding and using key concepts such as citizen, public issue, and taxation. Students then make connections to the impact that public issues such as taxation, transportation, schools, etc. have on their own lives, such as hurricane damage, non-native species, endangered and protected species, beach erosion, and so forth.
This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource. |
| To Sod or Not To Sod: | The “To Sod or Not To Sod” MEA provides students with an environmental dilemma in which they must work as a team to develop a procedure to select the most environmentally friendly grass for the lawns in a new neighborhood. The lesson provides students with the opportunity to recognize how the voice of citizens can be used to build a sense of community through environmental awareness in this model eliciting activity.
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. |
| Let's Volunteer!: | In this lesson, students will learn about civic virtue and volunteerism. Students will identify ways to volunteer in their school and the local community. |
| Researching Rome’s Republic: Part 1: | In the first part of this four-part lesson, students will collaborate to research an assigned topic to learn about the influence of the Roman Republic and its government principles. Students will compile their research and cite their sources. Students will then reflect on their learning and their collaboration. In the subsequent parts of this lesson, students will continue collaborating to turn their research into a multimedia presentation and will finally demonstrate their learning individually by responding to a writing prompt. |
| Researching Rome’s Republic: Part 2: | In the second part of this four-part lesson, student groups will collaborate to use information they previously researched to produce a multimedia presentation on the influence of the Roman Republic and its government principles. Students will then reflect on their learning and their collaboration. In the subsequent parts of this lesson, students will deliver their presentation to the class and demonstrate their learning individually by responding to a writing prompt. |
| Create a Class Flag!: | In this lesson plan, students will analyze and discuss the U.S. flag, the FL state flag, and the importance to use what they learn to create a flag that is a representation of the class. |
| Do you know the difference? U.S Constitution vs. FL Constitutions of 1838 and 1868: | In this lesson, students will be able to evaluate and explain how the Fl Constitution of 1838 was amended in 1868 to conform to the US Constitution in terms of citizenship, equal protection, and male suffrage.
Students will also evaluate the impact of the Reconstruction Era amendments. |
| Patriots or Loyalists: Which side would you choose?: | This lesson guides students through understanding the difference between a Patriot and a Loyalist during the colonial period and the start of the Revolutionary War. Students will be given a side to defend in a constructive conversation after reading several passages and reviewing a point/counterpoint document. |
| Over There: America Prepares for War: | This lesson will be part of the World War I unit. Students will analyze George M. Cohan’s song, “Over There” to evaluate how he used propaganda techniques to gather support for the nation’s entry into WWI. It will also demonstrate how one individual can influence public policy and how the song helped boost morale and prepare the people for war. |
| War and Words: | In this lesson plan, students will be placed into four groups. Each group will be tasked with becoming “experts” on one of the following topics: the Espionage Act of 1917, the Sedition Act of 1918, the Schenck v. United States (1919) Supreme Court ruling, and the Debs v. United States (1919) Supreme Court ruling. Using the jigsaw strategy, students will share their analyses and discuss and debate responses to the inquiry question: When, if ever, is the government justified in limiting individual rights? |
| Why Vote? : | In this lesson plan, students will explore the purpose of voting and how it impacts their community. The lesson's warm-up examines voting in a classroom to elicit student prior knowledge. The next activity allows students to learn more about the voting process through a "gallery walk." The concluding activity requires students to put their knowledge into action by creating a poster to encourage people to vote. |
| Who was Right?! The Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist: | In this lesson, students will recognize the views of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists on adding the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. Students will evaluate primary source excerpts from the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers and explain which perspective each provides. |
| What’s the Deal with the Electoral College?: | In this lesson plan, students will take notes on the history, changes, pros, and cons of the Electoral College while being guided through an interactive PowerPoint. Following reading and notetaking, students will be introduced to an activity with movement, discussion, and debate called Hop the Line. Students will engage in respectful, evidence-based dialogue to share their evidence-based views on the following topic: The Electoral College should remain the process of electing the U.S. President. |
| Your Vote Counts: | In this lesson plan, students will learn the importance of voting and civility and participate in a class "election." |
| The Limits of Speech: | In this lesson plan, students will study four landmark Supreme Court cases all dealing with First Amendment free speech issues. Students will analyze all four cases using a graphic organizer. Then students will complete a short writing assignment in which they make and support a claim about one case and the Court's decision regarding free speech. |
| Breaking Up with Britain: | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the Declaration of Independence. The teacher will lead a discussion, breaking down the document into four sections and introducing challenging vocabulary. Student groups will use inferencing skills to complete cloze notes with terms given in a word bank. |
| Classroom Civility: | In this lesson plan, students will analyze images in order to identify characteristics of civility and civic virtue.
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| Analyzing Rule of Law in a U.S. Supreme Court Case: | In this lesson plan, students will learn about how the rule of law originated in the ancient world and how it has influenced our democracy by analyzing a U.S. Supreme Court case, Gideon v. Wainwright. |
| Civic Virtue in Their Own Words: Interviewing Leading Americans of the Antebellum Period: | In this lesson plan, students will explore the lives of citizens and leaders from the Colonial period through Reconstruction in order to analyze the role of civic virtue in broader American society during the antebellum period. |
| Analyzing Landmark Supreme Court Cases: | In this lesson, students will explore landmark case details and decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. In both individual and small group settings, students will explain the case arguments and legal interpretations, and analyze the individual/societal impacts of these landmark cases on rights and liberties. |
| The Power of the Veto: | In this lesson, students will analyze the U.S. Constitution and other primary sources to evaluate the power and impact of the presidential veto. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of checks and balances by answering a higher-level short-answer question about the power of the veto. |
| Analyzing the Reconstruction Amendments: | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the Reconstruction era voting rights amendments that expanded civic participation. Students will read and analyze the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments culminating in a closing discussion. |
| County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP) Part 2: | This 5-part student-centered activity places students in the role of a local emergency management team that is tasked by the County Board of Commissioners to develop a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). In part 2, student teams will utilize the research they conducted in part 1 to develop part of a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). Teams will complete a plan worksheet and upload it along with any relevant attachments to an online collaborative platform for feedback. The teacher’s role will be to facilitate plan development and assist with the document upload process. |
| County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP) Part 3: | This 5-part student-centered activity places students in the role of a local emergency management team that is tasked by the County Board of Commissioners to develop a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). In part 2, student teams utilized the research they conducted in part 1 to develop one portion of a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). Teams completed a plan worksheet and uploaded it along with any relevant attachments to an online collaborative platform for feedback. In part 3, student teams will review the draft submitted by a team working on a different portion of the CHEMP and provide feedback through the online collaborative platform. Teams will provide feedback to the other team using a checklist (attached). Once feedback has been given, teams will then utilize feedback to adjust their plan before developing a presentation to communicate their plan to the County Board of Commissioners. |
| What's the influence? Part 1: | Students will research significant leaders of ancient Greece and ancient Rome to explore their influence on civic participation and governance in the ancient world, in this lesson plan.
This is part 1 of a 4 part series that integrates Civics with Computer Science and Coding. |
| County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP) Part 1: | This 5-part student-centered activity places students in the role of a local emergency management team that is tasked by the County Board of Commissioners to develop a County Hurricane Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP). In part 1, the class will divide into teams responsible for different aspects of the CHEMP. Students will conduct research on the state’s expectations for local emergency management plans, the likely impacts of hurricanes in the local area, and the resources available to address preparation, response, and recovery in the event of a major hurricane. The teacher’s role will be to present the task and facilitate student research as they investigate their portion of the plan. |
| Planning for Weather: | Students will utilize temperature and precipitation data to rank locations best suited to host an outdoor celebration honoring Rosa Parks. They will interpret data using tables and graphs and apply knowledge of weather patterns while addressing state and national symbols in this integrated model eliciting activity. |
| To Audit, or Not?: | Students will take on the role of an auditor to assist an auditing firm in determining which bank branches need a full audit performed. Students will fill in missing transactions, review bank statements, and use their knowledge of the Bank Secrecy Act to determine the order in which the auditing firm should complete full audits in this model eliciting activity.
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. |
| What Would Happen Without Rules or Laws?: | In this lesson plan, students will explore the presence and function of rules and laws in their lives. They will provide examples of how rules and laws impact individuals and why we all have a responsibility to support the safety and happiness of the community. |
| The Class Decides: | In this lesson, students will work together in small groups to discuss ideas for a topic that will be voted on at the end of the lesson using responsible decision making. |
| The Great Debate Part 2: | In this lesson plan, students will engage in small group debates on the issues raised by the ratification debate centered on the U.S. Constitution. After the individual close-reads are completed the students will be grouped with one or more students who read another document that also expanded on their given position. The groups will then use the given organizers to prepare their debate points and to track their debate progress. The lesson will conclude with the group writing a consensus statement as to which arguments best answered the debate focus question. |
| Clean the pier- To fish or not to fish?: | Students will examine the impact humans can have on the water quality at a popular public fishing pier and ways that citizens can interact with the government to address cleaning the pier in this integrated MEA. Students will analyze the revenue from the fishing pier, peak visiting times, and amounts of marine debris accumulated to determine the pros/cons of closing the fishing pier more frequently to clean the marine debris. Students will research which government agency must be contacted with a proposal.
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. |
| Independent Regulatory Agency Interactions: | In this lesson plan, students will explore the interactions between the branches of the government, independent regulatory agencies, the American people, and industry. |
| Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation: | Students will be able to analyze images to determine which weakness in the Articles of Confederation is being represented, why that specific item was present in the Articles of Confederation, and what possible problems could occur because that weakness was included. |
| Compromise and the Constitution: | In this lesson plan, students analyze the meaning of “compromise,” differentiating the term from commonly confused concepts such as negotiation or acting responsibly. In groups, they will examine primary source excerpts to identify the major compromises of the Constitutional Convention and recognize the necessity of the compromises. |
| Constitutional Controversy: | In this lesson, students will compare the viewpoints of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists regarding ratification of the U.S. Constitution and including a bill of rights. Students will collaborate to analyze the ideas about the U.S. Constitution put forth by the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists' ideas about the need for a bill of rights. |
| Extemporaneous Speaking Practice: A Socratic Seminar: | In this lesson intended for the debate classroom, students will read through pivotal court cases in preparation for an Extemporaneous Speaking Socratic Seminar. Teachers will divide their class up into two groups. Each student in each group will get 10 minutes to prep individually after the question has been posted on the board. When prep time is over, the whole group debates using refutation, claim, warrant, data, impact format. They have 15 minutes for each student to make his/her argument. |
| Congressional Argument and Free Speech: | In this lesson plan, students will work collaboratively to make arguments for and against a proposed piece of legislation: A Bill to Eliminate Bot Social Media Accounts to Stifle Misinformation. |
| Creating Visual Aids for Informative Speaking: | In this lesson plan intended for the debate classroom, students will brainstorm creative ideas for digital visual enhancements to an Informative Speaking speech. Students will also create and share a practice digital board. |
| Congressional Debate: Learning Station Rotation: | In this lesson plan intended for a debate class, students will create Congressional arguments based on proposed legislation randomly assigned to them at different stations. |
| Introduction to Impromptu Speaking : | In this lesson plan, students will learn what an Impromptu Speech is and how to present one. Students will be given prompts focused on U.S. citizenship to create their own speeches and present them in class. |
| Offensive and Defensive Arguments in Debate: | In this lesson plan intended for the debate classroom, students will work in small groups to develop a brief speech employing both offensive and defensive arguments on the topic of the government balancing the interests of individuals with the public good. |
| Who Are The People in Your Neighborhood? Finding Your Elected Officials: | In this lesson, students will use the U.S. Constitution and their web searching skills to determine the constitutional qualifications for office, term length, authority, duties, activities, compensation, and names of elected officials for Florida and their district. |
| Sources of Income: | Students will conduct research to explore then compare and contrast different sources of income, in this lesson plan. |
| Sources of Income: Scenarios: | Students will demonstrate their knowledge of different sources of income by analyzing then sorting career and job scenarios into income categories, in this lesson plan. |
| Lesson 5: Harmful Algal Blooms: |
•What harmful algal blooms are
•How harmful algal blooms occur
•Different types of harmful algal blooms and where they occur in Florida
|
| Lesson 4: Interannual Variability- El Nino & La Nina: |
•The El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle
•How El Niño/La Niña events affect Florida
•How El Niño/La Niña events affect productivity off the coast of Peru
|
| Lesson 1: Introduction to Oceanography & Remote Sensing: | This lesson covers:
•How the ocean moves and why it is important to all life on Earth
•Different geologic features in the ocean and how they impact currents
•How the Earth and ocean are studied by satellites and remote sensing
•How to use a web based program to interpret real world satellite data |
| Lesson 2: Currents and Temperature: | This lesson covers:
- How wind influences ocean currents
- How currents transport heat and water around the world
- Florida specific currents and oceanography
- How currents connect the world’s climate
|
| Physical Science Unit: Water Beach Vacation Lesson 12 Engineering Design Problem: Beat the Heat Part 3: Testing a Cooler: | In this engineering design problem, students will have the opportunity to apply what they
learned about the changes water undergoes when it changes state through heating and
cooling by designing their own cooler. Students will be asked to use the engineering design
process to design a cooler that will reduce the melting of frozen water in hot temperatures
at the beach. Students will need to design and build their cooler, test their materials, and
justify their design decisions. In this lesson students will test their cooler’s effectiveness in
keeping ice from melting. In subsequent lessons students will improve their designs.
This is a lesson in the Grade 3 Physical Science Unit on Water. This is a themed unit of SaM-1's adventures while on a Beach Vacation. To see all the lessons in the unit please visit https://www.cpalms.org/page818.aspx.
|
| Physical Science Unit: Water Beach Vacation Lesson 13 Engineering Design Problem: Beat the Heat Part 4: Improve a Cooler: | In this engineering design problem, students will have the opportunity to apply what they
learned about the changes water undergoes when it changes state through heating and
cooling by designing their own cooler. Students will be asked to use the engineering design
process to design a cooler that will reduce the melting of frozen water in hot temperatures
at the beach. Students will need to design and build their cooler, test their materials, and
justify their design decisions. In this lesson students will improve their cooler designs.
This is a lesson in the Grade 3 Physical Science Unit on Water. This is a themed unit of SaM-1's adventures while on a Beach Vacation. To see all the lessons in the unit please visit https://www.cpalms.org/page818.aspx. |
| Physical Science Unit: Water Beach Vacation Lesson 10 Engineering Design Problem: Beat the Heat Part 1: Design a Cooler: | In this engineering design problem, students will have the opportunity to apply what they learned about the changes water undergoes when it changes state through heating and cooling by designing their own cooler. Students will be asked to use the engineering design process to design a cooler that will reduce the melting of frozen water in hot temperatures at the beach. Students will need to design and build their cooler, test their materials, and justify their design decisions. This lesson is the first of several lessons based on engineering design; in subsequent lessons, students will build and test their designs with ice.
This is a lesson in the Grade 3 Physical Science Unit on Water. This is a themed unit of SaM-1's adventures while on a Beach Vacation. To see all the lessons in the unit please visit https://www.cpalms.org/page818.aspx.
. |
| Physical Science Unit: Water Beach Vacation Lesson 11 Engineering Design Problem: Beat the Heat Part 2: Build a Cooler: | In this engineering design problem, students will have the opportunity to apply what they
learned about the changes water undergoes when it changes state through heating and
cooling by designing their own cooler. Students will be asked to use the engineering design
process to design a cooler that will reduce the melting of frozen water in hot temperatures
at the beach. Students will need to design and build their cooler, test their materials, and
justify their design decisions. In this lesson students will build their cooler. In subsequent
lessons students will test their designs with ice and improve their designs.
This is a lesson in the Grade 3 Physical Science Unit on Water. This is a themed unit of SaM-1's adventures while on a Beach Vacation. To see all the lessons in the unit please visit https://www.cpalms.org/page818.aspx.
. |
| Artistic Alley: | Students will use their knowledge of how to identify quadrilaterals and how to analyze data to determine a ranking for the best paver designs for a driveway. In this MEA, students will deepen their understanding of the attributes of parallelograms, rectangles, squares, trapezoids and quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these categories.
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. |
| Rockin' Road Trip MEA: | In this model-eliciting activity (MEA), students will work together to determine the best bus for a class trip. Students will be able to decide between several buses with varying capabilities and costs while practicing their application of multiplying one-digit whole numbers by a multiple of ten. 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. |
| David's big problem: | In this lesson students will work collaboratively in guided groups to resolve conflicts while demonstrating respect and kindness with a focus on recognizing the characteristics of responsible citizenship. They will collect data into categories and represent the results using tally marks or pictographs. |
| Best Vegetable Garden: | The students will plan a vegetable garden, deciding which kinds of vegetables to plant, how many plants of each kind will fit, and where each plant will be planted in a fixed-area garden design. Then they will revise their design based on new garden dimensions and additional plant options. Students will explore the concept of area to plan their garden and they will practice solving 1 and 2-step real-world problems using the four operations to develop their ideas. 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. |
| Fast Food Frenzy: | In this activity, students will engage critically with nutritional information and macronutrient content of several fast food meals. This is an MEA that requires students to build on prior knowledge of nutrition and working with percentages. 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. |
| Getting the Top Mini-Fridge not a Small Deal: | In this MEA, students will create a procedure to rank five mini-refrigerators to determine which one should be purchased for the school by the PTA based on size, type, features, energy usage, and cost. In the process, students will solve real-world problems involving the multiplication of multi-digit numbers with decimals to the hundredths, including using money. Students will also determine the volume of a rectangular prism using a formula. |
| Prom Preparations: | Students will make decisions concerning features of their prom. Students will perform operations with percent and decimals to solve real-world problems involving money. 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. |
| Fundraising on a Budget: | This Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA) is designed for a second grade level. Students will be working in small groups to figure out what companies to hire for the art gallery to have a successful charity event. The students will be evaluating criteria such as bands for the event, caterers, and artists. Students will need to add money to stay within a budget. They will write their procedure for making their selections.
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. |
| Spring Festival Flower: | In this MEA, students will help pick a flower that will be the focus of the Spring Festival. They will practice counting pictures and representing the number of pictures with a written numeral. |
| Fill It Up - Piñatas!: | This MEA focuses on students' problem solving skills. After reading a story about what is in a piñata, students are asked to help a company find the best way to fill a piñata. It focuses on math skills, including counting and adding three numbers to make 20. 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. |
| Peace Love Baseball: | Batter Up!!! Help the Peace Love Baseball Championship find a home!!! In this interactive Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), the students will successfully multiply one digit whole numbers by multiples of 10. The students will also work collaboratively to express their opinions, while considering those of their peers. 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. |
| Buy Buy Toy Store is Relocating: | This is a Model Eliciting Activity in which students are asked to assist a toy company in ranking several cities for them to consider where they will open their next store. They also read data and apply multiplication skills. 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. |
| To Oregon by Wagon: | Students work in teams to plan the contents of a covered wagon for a family relocating from Missouri to Oregon. Students must calculate the weight and cost of the wagon by adding, subtracting, and multiplying with decimals. |
| Park Planning: | Students are asked to plan a playground for a new park within a given budget and area limit. They will analyze the best use of playground equipment using a data table of area requirements and cost. Students will convert units within a single measurement system, calculate the area of a rectangle, and perform addition/subtraction calculations involving money using decimal notation. |
| Museum Dilemma: | In this MEA, students evaluate the contributions of various explorers to help a museum select the subject who provided the most impact on Western development for a new exhibit. Students will need to convert units to have the necessary information to help come up with a solution to the problem. |
| Pioneer Places: | In this MEA, students decide which type of pioneer dwelling was the best to build if you were traveling west. 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. |
| Parker County Public Works Project: | Have you ever considered what sort of discussion is done before deciding to build a water park or hospital in your town or county? What about the roads? The schools? This resource is a valuable tool in teaching students about the importance of developing a thought process and about the value in public works. The students will be conducting an MEA that revolves around the premise of deciding on what is the most important public works project for Parker County, FL. |
| Pounds to Ounces: MEA: | The client, Twi N. Key Bakery, wants your students to help them determine which product to sell in your school. Along the way your students will have to convert pounds to ounces as well as survey their peers. 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. |
| Wildlife Refuge MEA- Feeding the Animals: | Students use mathematical practices to recommend food packages for the Wildlife Refuge of North America to order.
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. |
| The Kissing Hand and A Pocket Full of Kisses: Compare and Contrast: | In this close reading lesson, students will compare and contrast the actions of the characters in two of Audrey Penn's beloved books, The Kissing Hand and A Pocket Full of Kisses. They will answer text-dependent questions, and they will describe and sequence story elements as they analyze the two books. Students will truly enjoy interacting with these two delightful stories! |
| Five Little Monkeys: Comparing and Contrasting: | In this close reading lesson, students will compare and contrast the actions of the characters in two of Eileen Christelow's beloved books, Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed and Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree. They will answer text-dependent questions and describe story elements as they analyze the two books. Students will truly enjoy interacting with these two delightful stories! |
| If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Take Him to School: Comparing and Contrasting: | In this close reading lesson, students will compare and contrast the actions of the characters in two of Laura Numeroff's beloved books, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Take a Mouse to School. They will answer text-dependent questions, and they will describe and sequence story elements as they analyze the two books. Students will truly enjoy interacting with these two delightful stories! |
| We Learned About the Challenger: | This series includes four parts focused on the Challenger explosion. Students will read President Reagan’s address to the nation presented on the evening of the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion in January 1986. Students will then analyze the speech and determine which relevant details support Reagan’s central idea. Additionally, students will complete close reading activities individually, with partners, and in small groups as they prepare to draft an expository essay outlining the relevant details that support Reagan’s central idea. |
| Inventions and Innovations MEA: | Inventive minds have persisted throughout history. Inventors have improved our lives with inventions created out of a desire to solve a problem or make the quality of peoples' lives better. Our president is concerned that we are not keeping up with other countries in the area of engineering and inventive thinking. Why is this? As students explore famous inventions from around the world throughout history, they will decide what the best inventions of all time are and support their opinion with strong reasons. |
| Best Babysitter: | Teams of students will use math to solve an open-ended, real-world problem to help their parent or caregiver choose the best babysitter. Students will apply mathematical skills of place value (two-digit number tens and ones) and counting to perform math calculations while analyzing data sets. This MEA will facilitate students demonstrating higher level critical thinking and problem solving during class discussions and in writing. 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. |
| Yum Pizza: | Yum Pizza is looking for a better and healthier pizza to sell in stores around town. They are only able to promote one style and need help figuring out which one that should be. Students will practice subtracting dollar amounts and writing a letter explaining their reasoning. 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. |
| Adding Umph into My Narratives: | This series includes two lessons focused on descriptive writing. Students will recognize the importance of descriptive words in writing by adding their own descriptive words and phrases to a basic sentence in order to enhance meaning and by engaging in a sorting activity containing descriptive and simple sentences. Then students will improve their writing by revising their previously written narrative pieces to include adjectives to add meaning and detail to their writing. |
| Sequential Story Tellers: | In this lesson, students will become story sequencers as they participate in whole group, partner, and independent activities. Students will recall important events from the story The Little Red Hen and help generate a class story to demonstrate their understanding of beginning, middle, and end before completing their summative assessment. At the end of the lesson students will become authors of their own narrative when they write a sequential story of a special event. They will use suggestions and revisions from their peers and teacher to create a final draft of their narrative that will be shared with the class. |
| X-treme Roller Coasters: | This MEA asks students to assist Ms. Joy Ride who is creating a virtual TV series about extreme roller coasters. They work together to determine which roller coaster is most extreme and should be featured in the first episode. Students are presented with research of five extreme roller coasters and they must use their math skills to convert units of measurements while learning about force and motion.
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. |
| Helen Keller: A Journey in Time: | After reading the biography, A Picture Book of Helen Keller by David Adler, students will retell the life of Helen Keller using the central idea and relevant details by answering who, what, when, where, why and how questions. In addition, students will write a nonfiction narrative piece retelling the events of her life in proper sequential order using transition words. |
| Preserving Our Marine Ecosystems: | The focus of this MEA is oil spills and their effect on the environment. In this activity, students from a fictitious class are studying about the effects of an oil spill on marine ecosystems and have performed an experiment in which they were asked to try to rid a teaspoon of corn oil from a baking pan filled with two liters of water as thoroughly as possible in a limited timeframe and with limited resources. By examining, analyzing, and evaluating experimental data related to resource usage, disposal, and labor costs, students must face the tradeoffs that are involved in trying to preserve an ecosystem when time, money, and resources are limited. |
| Popsicle Problem: | Students will work in teams to help choose the best Popsicle to sell. They will develop a procedure based on the following criteria: taste, color, cost, and melting speed. They will reassess the Popsicles during the twist incorporating flavors and a fourth Popsicle choice. Students may arrange the criteria based on their team's interpretation of most important to least important. Students may have to make trade offs based on these interpretations. 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. |
| Pizza Party Planners: | In the story Curious George and the Pizza Party (by Rey, H.A., and Margret Rey), Curious George attends a pizza party for a friend. Now the man with the yellow hat wants to plan his own pizza party for Curious George, but he needs the students' help. Help the man with the yellow hat use the data about the different pizza companies in his area to rank the options from best to worst, considering the toppings offered, crust options, prices, and customer satisfaction ratings. Then the students will use the special promotions from each pizza company and their math skills to figure out which pizza place offers the best deals. Each team of students will write letters to the man with the yellow hat explaining how they ranked the companies and why they chose their rankings to help him choose the best pizza for George's party. 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. |
| Crazy Crayons!: | In teams, students will make a decision on how to select the best crayons for a school supply store based on various crayon characteristics such as cost, transfer to paper, vibrancy of color, color residue, and breakage. 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. |
| Balls Galore: Evaluating Playground Ball Companies: | This MEA gives the students the opportunity to evaluate and rank several playground ball companies based on their use in a summer camp program. Students should use multiplication to determine the total cost of the balls for each company. 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. |
| Better Building Blocks: | Students will help choose the best value of connecting blocks by developing a procedure based on the following criteria: color, ease of use, variety of blocks, and number of blocks per set. They will reassess these blocks during the twist incorporating a new type of block. They will need to calculate the total costs of each set of blocks.
Students may arrange the criteria based on their teams’ interpretation of most important to least important. Students may have to make trade-offs based on these interpretations (i.e., price versus the other criteria in the data sets). 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. |
| Cell Phone Inquiry: | Students will determine what cell phone would be the best phone for their teacher to purchase for science class. Factors to consider are price, touch screen, camera, voice command, weight and display size. Students will need to compare decimals to determine how to order and rank the phone brands.
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. |
| Arthur's Perfect Pet: | In the story Arthur's Pet Business, Arthur shows his parents that he is responsible enough to deserve a pet dog and his mom gives him permission to get one. However, Arthur needs your help choosing the perfect dog. Help Arthur meet all the requirements needed to find the perfect pet for his family from the research he shares with you about the breeds they are considering, taking into consideration size, shedding, barking, friendliness, etc. Then write a justification to describe why you chose the perfect pet for Arthur and his family. 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. |
| Pineville Playground: | This MEA is designed on a Kindergarten grade level. Students will work in teams to determine the best piece of playground equipment to add to the city playground. Students will use criteria such as safety, cost, degree of fun, and time to build to make their determinations. 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. |
| Crumbly Cookie Company: | Students will determine the best variety for a new cookie entering the market. Students will have to consider flavor, smell, appearance, and the number of cookies in the package. 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. |
| Kelly's Jelly: | Students use problem solving skills, data sets presented in a chart, two and three digit addition, writing skills and money skills to determine which brand of jelly beans they would like to purchase. The jelly beans differ in taste, quantity, and cost. The students must then check their procedure to determine if it will work when given an additional piece of data. 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. |
| From the Apple Farm to Market!: | This MEA is designed at a Kindergarten grade level. Students will work in teams to determine the best apple treat to showcase in a display at a farm stand. Students will use criteria such as smell, taste, and profit to make their determinations. 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. |
| Efficient Storage: | The topic of this MEA is work and power. Students will be assigned the task of hiring employees to complete a given task. In order to make a decision as to which candidates to hire, the students initially must calculate the required work. The power each potential employee is capable of, the days they are available to work, the percentage of work-shifts they have missed over the past 12 months, and the hourly pay rate each worker commands will be provided to assist in the decision process. Full- and/or part-time positions are available. Through data analysis, the students will need to evaluate which factors are most significant in the hiring process. For instance, some groups may prioritize speed of work, while others prioritize cost or availability/dependability.
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. |
| Birthday Parties 'R' Us: | Students will determine which pizza place should be used to cater parties at the Birthday Parties 'R' Us facility given a set of data. They will create a procedure for determining the best pizza place, write an explanation about their procedure, and present their recommendations to the class. 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. |
| Scuba Diving Mask Search: | This MEA asks the students to decide which company would be the “best and the worst” to use to purchase scuba diving masks for Tino’s Scuba Diving School to provide to their diving certification students. Furthermore, the students are asked to suggest which type of scuba diving masks should be purchased in term of multiple panes – single pane mask, double pane mask, full face mask, skirt color, fit, durability, and price. Students must provide a "top choice" scuba diving mask to the company owner and explain how they arrived at their solution. 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. |
| What's the Scoop?: | In this open-ended question, students, in teams will make decisions about how to rank new ice cream flavors for Frosty's based on various ice cream characteristics (e.g., taste, smell, color and fun factor). Students will practice analyzing data sets and their writing skills to record their process and thinking. 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. |
| Turning Tires Model Eliciting Activity: | The Turning Tires MEA provides students with an engineering problem in which they must work as a team to design a procedure to select the best tire material for certain situations. The main focus of the MEA is applying surface area concepts and algebra through modeling. 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. |
| Hopping Hippo Needs Help: | In this open-ended question, students, in teams will make decisions about how to rank shoes based on various shoe characteristics (e.g., color, comfort, shoelaces, lights, and customer ratings). 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. |
| Stop! Think! Take Responsibility!: | Using the case study, Taking Responsibility, students will discuss guiding questions related to the case, and consider the perspectives of others involved in the incident. The teacher will explicitly teach a strategy for taking responsibility, and the students will be presented with scenarios in which they discuss ways to take responsibility. Finally, the teacher will evaluate the students’ discussion by observation. |
Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this topic.
