eesmarts lessons align with Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Standards for Math & English Language Arts.
Each eesmarts lesson features materials* for students, hands-on activities, detailed teacher lesson plans, extensions and evaluation tools. The lessons are flexible and interdisciplinary and fit seamlessly into any class curriculum.
eesmarts can deliver an eesmarts lesson right in your classroom. Working with an eesmarts Educational Consultant, you can select which eesmarts lesson aligns with your lesson plans and is most appropriate for your students. A certified educator will present the eesmarts lesson, which always includes a hands-on activity for maximum student engagement.
Grade 3
| LEARNING SEQUENCE | SUMMARY | NGSS Related Performance Expectations |
COMMON CORE CONNECTIONS |
STATIC ELECTRICITY |
Students view a girl whose hair is standing on end and question how this happened. They conduct a series of activities that have them experience static electricity in a variety of ways; discuss the results of the activities and view videos to help explain the concept of static electricity; and build an electroscope to test for charges. |
3-PS2-3 - Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.
|
ELA/Literacy |
MAGNETISM |
Students view a video “10 Tricks with Magnets.” They work through a series of activities using magnets and discuss what they observed and discovered; read a book and view a video explaining magnets; and perform a magnetism challenge. |
3-PS2-3 - Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other. 3-PS2-4 - Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets |
ELA/Literacy |
FORCES AND MOTION |
Students ask questions and make observations while watching a video of Rube Goldberg Machine. They work through a series of stations all involving force and motion. The students discuss what they discovered and watch two videos explaining balanced and unbalanced forces. They manipulate (or watch a video of) a Newton’s Cradle and look for patterns to predict future motion. Finally, students rewatch the video of the Rube Goldberg Machine and identify the balanced and unbalanced forces as well as the patterns of motion. |
3-PS2-1 - Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. 3-PS2-2 - Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. |
ELA/Literacy |
Grade 4
| LEARNING SEQUENCE | SUMMARY | NGSS Related Performance Expectations |
COMMON CORE CONNECTIONS |
ENERGY PATHWAYS |
Students will examine an energy ball to try to determine how it lights up and makes a sound and how it demonstrates the transfer of energy. They will light a light bulb and draw schematics;l make a switch in a series circuit and test materials for conductivity; and, create a parallel circuit. |
4-PS3-2 - Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. 4-PS3-4- Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.
|
ELA/Literacy |
USING HEAT FROM THE SUN |
Students will imagine how it feels on their feet to walk on different surfaces to the beach. They will compare what happens when a light is shined upon on a white and a black soda can, both containing water, graph and discuss the results; design their own experiment testing different can coverings or what is inside the cans; and, complete a claim, evidence, reasoning sheet. |
4-PS3-2 - Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. |
ELA/Literacy |
RENEWABLE AND NONRENEWABLE |
Students sort items as to whether they are natural, almost natural, or processed. They will look at the need for energy during the processing of natural resources. Students read from non fiction sources and view a presentation and/or video about natural resources. Next, they complete a handout concerning renewable and nonrenewable natural resources that leads them to the topic of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and their impacts on the environment. Students perform a play about resources and a recycling activity. |
4-ESS3-1 - Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment. |
ELA/Literacy |
Grade 5
| LEARNING SEQUENCE | SUMMARY | NGSS Related Performance Expectations |
COMMON CORE CONNECTIONS |
WASTED ENERGY |
Students will compare different light bulbs. They will look at energy usage of the bulbs and of small appliances and calculate the annual costs. Students will identify phantom power. |
5-ESS3-1 - Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
|
ELA/Literacy: |
SEEDS TO FOOD |
Students will compare the amount of energy needed to bring a steak to the table and sprouts to the table. They will grow sprouts testing a variable against a control; bring some of the sprouts to seed looking at the life cycle of sprouts; and, share their results and look at the process of photosynthesis through an article, a video, and an experiment. |
5-PS3-1 - Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun. |
ELA/Literacy |
THE SUN |
Students view a video showing the relative sizes of objects such as stars and planets in space. They perform an activity exploring relative size and brightness. They track the sun’s reflection and calculate solar altitude at different times of the day. Students watch videos and read a book which explain the movement of the Earth and sun. Finally, students design and perform an investigation tracking the apparent movement of the sun.. |
5-ESS1-1 - Support an argument that the apparent brightness of the sun and stars is due to their relative distances from the Earth |
ELA/Literacy |
* Educators who have attended a workshop, can access curriculum and other materials, at Schoology, a learning management system that is separate from eesmarts. Using your Schoology teacher account and the Schoology access code provided at the eesmarts workshop, teachers can view, download, or print curriculum and other resources. Only teachers who have attended a workshop can download materials.
