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Articles 1 - 30 of 39
Full-Text Articles in Elementary Education
Brambles: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Drew Vogt
Brambles: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Drew Vogt
OER Materials
The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive, place-based learning experience that helps preservice teachers engage with their region’s environment of the MSUM Regional Science Center. This lesson uses inquiry-based learning through exploration of bramble plants. Students' activity engages in their learning through hands-on exploration, observation, and curiosity. Students observe the structure and function of bramble plants and their relationship with the surrounding environment. This lesson encourages curiosity and critical thinking skills to drive learning to better understand how plants interact with their environment.
Grass: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Riley Schaefer
Grass: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Riley Schaefer
OER Materials
The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive place-based learning experience that helps preservice teachers engage with their resources and design an inclusive place-based learning plan. Connecting to the MSUM Regional Science center where these resources will be made for. They are subject to change for other regional centers like the MSUM Regional Science Center.
Ish Bibliotherapy Guide, David Wolff
Ish Bibliotherapy Guide, David Wolff
OER Materials
The goal of this assignment was for preservice teachers to practice writing a chain of questions that focused on the social and/or emotional needs of young learners. Bibliotherapy is therapeutic in nature to help individuals understand themselves and the world around them through guided reading experiences (American Library Association, 2025; Delisle & Galbraith, 2002). Further, bibliotherapy allow individuals to identify a personal problem mirrored by a character in a book. As the reader connects with the character, the reader experiences the emotions expressed by the character. Finally, the reader applies the character’s experience to their own personal problem (American Library …
The Dot Bibliotherapy Guide, David Wolff
The Dot Bibliotherapy Guide, David Wolff
OER Materials
The goal of this assignment was for preservice teachers to practice writing a chain of questions that focused on the social and/or emotional needs of young learners. Bibliotherapy is therapeutic in nature to help individuals understand themselves and the world around them through guided reading experiences (American Library Association, 2025; Delisle & Galbraith, 2002). Further, bibliotherapy allow individuals to identify a personal problem mirrored by a character in a book. As the reader connects with the character, the reader experiences the emotions expressed by the character. Finally, the reader applies the character’s experience to their own personal problem (American Library …
Adaptation In The Tallgrass Prairie: The Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel, Katherine Sikorski
Adaptation In The Tallgrass Prairie: The Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel, Katherine Sikorski
OER Materials
The goal of this lesson was to design an immersive, place-based learning inquiry for students to observe and learn about animal adaptations influenced by the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. By exploring the MSUM Regional Science Center, students engage with the natural phenomenon of camouflage, specifically analyzing how the physical traits of the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel and the Prairie Pocket Gopher are influenced by their environment. Through a combination of hands-on "phenomenon walks" and argumentative journaling, this lesson empowers students to construct evidence-based arguments regarding how survival is tied to habitat-specific traits.
Shooting Star Flower: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Ava Bauch
Shooting Star Flower: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Ava Bauch
OER Materials
The lesson plan engages fourth-grade students in a hands-on field experience at the MSUM Regional Science Center located in Moorhead, Minnesota focusing on the Shooting Star flower with the scientific name Dodecatheon meadia. Aligned with Minnesota Science Standard 4L.4.1.1.1, the lesson emphasizes how environmental conditions influence the traits and survival of living organisms. Students begin by observing an image of the flower and generating questions and predictions to spark curiosity. Then explore the natural environment to locate the plant and record observations about its surroundings, structure, and survival strategies. Through guided discussion, students learn how the Shooting Star adapts to …
Prairie Clover Phenomenon: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Emma Kress
Prairie Clover Phenomenon: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Emma Kress
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This place-based learning lesson engages third grade students in scientific inquiry through direct observation of prairie clover at the MSUM Regional Science Center. Students participate in a curiosity/phenomenon walk where they explore a native prairie plant and its role within a tallgrass prairie ecosystem. By observing, recording, and generating questions, students practice thinking like scientists while developing an understanding of plant characteristics, pollinators, and ecosystem relationships. The lesson emphasizes inquiry-based learning aligned with Minnesota Science Standard 3.1.1.1 and supports student curiosity, critical thinking and environmental awareness. Differentiation strategies and formative assessments ensure accessibility for diverse learners while fostering engagement with …
How Plants Grow: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Regan Braun
How Plants Grow: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Regan Braun
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The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive, place-based learning experience that is based on natural phenomenon in the Minnesota State Moorhead Regional Science Center. Placed-based learning is to establish the connection between the classroom to the local community and the environment. The natural phenomenon is focused on how plants grow in different environments. This will zero in on how the plants grow in reaction to different soil, water access, and direct or indirect sunlight. Students will then be on a phenomenon walk that will help them develop their own curiosities and wonderings. Developed in their own curiosity, …
Life Cycles Of Living Organisms: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Thea Kunka
Life Cycles Of Living Organisms: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Thea Kunka
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The goal of this assignment was to create an immersive, place-based learning experience centered on a natural phenomenon for the Minnesota State Moorhead Regional Science Center in Glyndon, MN. Place-based learning involves establishing a connection between the classroom and the local community or environment. The natural phenomenon focused on is life cycles in living organisms, emphasizing how, despite the variety of living organisms (e.g., birds, animals, plants), their life cycles are quite similar. Students will explore this by taking a phenomenon walk, making observations to spark curiosity and questions, and ultimately developing a model of life cycles. This also briefly …
Grasshoppers: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Brooklyn Partlow
Grasshoppers: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Brooklyn Partlow
OER Materials
This submission is a curiosity and place-based science lesson designed for elementary students. It centers on observing grasshoppers during a field experience at MSUM’s Regional Science Center. The lesson engages students by making observations, asking questions, and recording data through a structured curiosity walk. By interacting within a natural phenomenon, students develop a deeper understanding of habitats, ecosystems, and animal adaptations such as camouflage and movement. The significance of this lesson lies in its emphasis on experiential, inquiry-based learning which promotes curiosity and scientific thinking. Additionally, the lesson incorporates Indigenous ways of knowing. Including this into my submission teaches students …
How Plants Get Nutrients: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Cami Mayo
How Plants Get Nutrients: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Cami Mayo
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The goal of this lesson is to engage students in learning how plants get the nutrients they need in order to survive. Further, this lesson is focused on fifth grade students but can be adapted to other grades. This lesson takes a place-based learning approach. Place-based learning is an approach that uses locations, environments or topics that are related to the community and incorporates it with the curriculum that is being used in the classroom. Specifically, this lesson is based on Clay County in Minnesota and is supposed to be used in tandem with the Regional Science Center in Glyndon, …
Indian Grass: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Michaela Barthel
Indian Grass: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Michaela Barthel
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This submission presents a 4th-grade science inquiry lesson focused on the role of Indian grass in preventing erosion, aligned with Minnesota Science Standard 4E.1.2.1.1. The lesson is designed to immerse students in a hands-on, field-based investigation in which they observe, sketch, and record measurements of Indian grass and surrounding soil conditions. Through direct engagement with a natural environment, students examine how vegetation contributes to reducing erosion caused by environmental forces such as wind and water, while also recognizing patterns within the landscape. Throughout the lesson, students are expected to make detailed observations and collect evidence, including soil stability, root depth …
Butterflies: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Cacee Danielson
Butterflies: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Cacee Danielson
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This submission presents a 4th grade science inquiry lesson that is focused on the life cycle of a butterfly. The lesson is designed to challenge students to use hands-on learning, field-based investigation, in which they get to observe, sketch, and record observations like physical characteristics, and observations about their habitat. Students will observe how butterflies interact with plants and their surroundings. Throughout the lesson, students are expected to make observations and collect evidence of things that they notice. These activities give students a challenge to interpret, collect and analyze data, draw and write, and its giving them more of an …
Searching For Animal Evidence: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Ian Vedbraaten
Searching For Animal Evidence: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Ian Vedbraaten
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The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive, place-based learning experience that helps pre-service teachers engage with primary sources connected to the history and culture of their region’s environment. In collaboration with the MSUM Regional Science Center, students visited the science center and went on a nature walk to examine animal evidence. They will analyze this evidence to learn about why animals do certain things. An example of this is why animals burrow underground.
Apple Trees Place Based Lesson Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Brooke Kraft
Apple Trees Place Based Lesson Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Brooke Kraft
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This lesson plan presents an inquiry-based, experiential field trip to the Minnesota State Moorhead Regional Science Center. It is designed to engage fifth-grade students in exploring the natural phenomenon of apple trees and fruit development. The primary focus of the lesson is to foster curiosity and scientific thinking through direct interaction with real-world environments. Students investigate the structures and functions of apple trees by observing visible components such as trunks, branches, leaves, and fruit, while also considering unseen processes like root systems and growth beneath the ground. Through guided questioning and collaborative discussion, learners are encouraged to make predictions, share …
Animal Survival: Place Based Lesson Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Clara Paleen
Animal Survival: Place Based Lesson Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Clara Paleen
OER Materials
The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive, place-based learning experience that helps preservice teachers engage with natural phenomena at the Minnesota State Moorhead Regional Science Center. Place based learning is to establish the connection between the classroom and the local community/environment. The natural phenomenon focused on is how animals survive the different seasons in Minnesota. Students will be on a phenomenon walk to develop their own curiosity and wonderings.
Why Do Communities Build Bridges? Social Studies: 5e Model Inquiry Lesson Plan, Ryanna Thorson
Why Do Communities Build Bridges? Social Studies: 5e Model Inquiry Lesson Plan, Ryanna Thorson
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This lesson plan presents a 5E inquiry-based social studies lesson designed for 5th-grade students to explore the compelling question, “How does a bridge change a community?” Through the analysis of primary sources (including historical photographs, maps, engineering diagrams), students investigate how bridges influence transportation, access, safety, and community development. The lesson integrates vocabulary supports, structured observation, and literacy connections to help students evaluate the significance of human-made structures in shaping community life. Grounded in constructivist learning theory, this word demonstrates how inquiry and evidence-based reasoning can deepen students’ understanding of social studies concepts.
Buffalo River: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Ryanna Thorson
Buffalo River: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Ryanna Thorson
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This submission presents a place-based curiosity walk lesson designed to engage 5th-grade students in investigating how the Buffalo River shapes the land and supports like through processes such as water flow, erosion, deposition, and riparian ecosystem interactions. Using the bridge as a safe observation platform, the lesson engages students in documenting seasonal indicators such as snowmelt runoff, rising water levels, sediment movement, and ice breakup; phenomena that parallel Minnesota’s long-standing practice of tracking lake “ice-out” dates. By integrating scientific observation with Indigenous ways of knowing, the lesson emphasizes the ecological and cultural significance of understanding river cycles and …
Hidden Gems Of Clay County: “Snap + Say Something” Inquiry Protocol, David Wolff
Hidden Gems Of Clay County: “Snap + Say Something” Inquiry Protocol, David Wolff
OER Materials
The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive, place‑based learning experience that helps preservice teachers engage with primary sources connected to the history and culture of Clay County, Minnesota. In collaboration with the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, preservice teachers visited the Hjemkomst Center and used autophotography to document artifacts, exhibits, and moments that helped them understand what makes Moorhead and the wider Clay County community a unique and meaningful place. Alongside their photographs, they wrote reflections explaining why each image captures an aspect of Clay County as a “special place.” This approach is intended …
Wild Rice Life Cycle: An Integrated Science, Social Studies, And Ela Lesson, Rhett Zima, Lily Deming
Wild Rice Life Cycle: An Integrated Science, Social Studies, And Ela Lesson, Rhett Zima, Lily Deming
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This lesson is designed to deepen students’ understanding of wild rice, a plant native to Minnesota, by integrating life science concepts such as structure, function, life cycles, and seed dispersal with prior knowledge from English Language Arts and Social Studies. Using the 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), students participate in a structured, inquiry-based learning experience. They begin by connecting to prior knowledge and generating questions, then investigating the life cycle and growth patterns of wild rice through hands-on exploration. As students build their understanding, they analyze how the plant’s seed dispersal supports its survival and reproduction. …
Plant Phenomena Nature Walk: Msum Regional Science Center, Abigail Kor
Plant Phenomena Nature Walk: Msum Regional Science Center, Abigail Kor
OER Materials
The goal of this inquiry-based lesson plan is to provide teachers and students with a place-based learning experience focused on exploring natural phenomena in the world around them. The lesson was established to provide learners with an experience to observe nature in Minnesota, by exploring the grounds at the MSUM regional science center. This lesson can be adapted to suit other outdoor learning environments. The primary goal of this lesson is to provide students with a cross-curricular, hands-on learning experience that takes place in their community and environment.
A Strawberry’S Meaning, Ava Bauch, Michaela Barthel, Cacee Danielson, Brooke Kraft
A Strawberry’S Meaning, Ava Bauch, Michaela Barthel, Cacee Danielson, Brooke Kraft
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This lesson plan provides a culturally responsive and interdisciplinary learning experience for second-grade students by integrating social studies, literacy, and character education through the topic of strawberries in Cherokee culture. Using the 5E instructional model students learn that items in nature can hold important meaning for different cultures. The lesson aligns with standards focused on identifying how people are influenced by their environment and how natural resources can shape traditions and beliefs. Students begin by discussing their own experiences with strawberries and sharing what strawberries mean to them. This opening activity activates prior knowledge and helps students understand that objects …
Strawberry Exploration: Using Our Senses, Ava Bauch, Michaela Barthel, Cacee Danielson, Brooke Kraft
Strawberry Exploration: Using Our Senses, Ava Bauch, Michaela Barthel, Cacee Danielson, Brooke Kraft
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This lesson plan provides an engaging inquiry-based science experience for second-grade students by using strawberries as a hands-on tool for exploring the five senses and developing observation skills. The lesson aligns with science standards focused on planning and conducting investigations based on observable properties. Students learn how scientists use their senses to gather information while also building communication and collaboration skills. The central focus is for students to investigate strawberries through sight, touch, smell, and taste, then record and compare their findings with classmates. The lesson begins with an introduction to the five senses through visuals and guided discussion. Students …
Case Study Of The Loch Ness Monster, Ava Bauch, Cami Mayo, Sean Savage
Case Study Of The Loch Ness Monster, Ava Bauch, Cami Mayo, Sean Savage
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This lesson plan presents an engaging interdisciplinary learning experience for fourth-grade students that integrates social studies and language arts through the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster. Using the 5E instructional model, students investigate the legend while developing literacy and geographic reasoning skills. The lesson aligns with standards requiring students to make inferences using text evidence and use geographic tools to gather and report information. Students begin by examining a map of Scotland through See-Think-Wonder and Think-Pair-Share strategies, using observation and discussion to identify locations and making predictions about where the Loch Ness Monster story takes place. This opening activity …
Ecosystem Of The Loch Ness Monster, Ava Bauch, Cami Mayo, Sean Savage
Ecosystem Of The Loch Ness Monster, Ava Bauch, Cami Mayo, Sean Savage
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This lesson plan provides an engaging interdisciplinary learning experience for fourth-grade students by combining language arts and science through the theme of the Loch Ness ecosystem. Using the 5E instructional model students build understanding of ecosystems, food webs, and informational text comprehension. The lesson aligns with standards focused on making inferences with text evidence and constructing arguments about how plants and animals use structures for survival, growth, and reproduction. Students begin by analyzing an image of the Loch Ness Monster and discussing what they see, think, and wonder. This introductory activity activates prior knowledge from earlier lessons while encouraging curiosity …
Bison Detectives: Place Based Walk Lesson Plan For Msum Regional Science Center, Caylin Kelly
Bison Detectives: Place Based Walk Lesson Plan For Msum Regional Science Center, Caylin Kelly
OER Materials
This lesson takes students on a detective walk at the MSUM Regional Science Center to answer the question, “How do we know bison lived in this area even though we do not see them?” Students observe a bison hide and look for clues in the prairie, such as tracks, bones, plants, and wallows. They share ideas, ask questions, and record their observations in a notebook. Students learn how to use evidence to support their ideas. This lesson connects students to local history and nature while helping them think like scientists.
Chickadees In The Environment: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Evelyn Ames
Chickadees In The Environment: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Evelyn Ames
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This field trip lesson engages students in investigating how environmental conditions influence that traits of living organisms through the study of the black-capped Chickadee at the MSUM Regional Science Center. Students observe chickadees and their habitats, collect evidence about physical and behavioral traits, and construct scientific arguments connecting those traits to environmental factors such as Minnesota’s cold winters and seasonal food availability. Through authentic field-based experiences, students develop observation, critical thinking, and argumentation skills while exploring the natural phenomenon of how organisms survive and adapt to their environments.
“Bald Eagles”: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Addison Tidwell
“Bald Eagles”: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Addison Tidwell
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This lesson guides elementary students through a phenomenon walk at the MSUM Regional Science Center to explore bald eagles and their connection to the Buffalo River ecosystem. Students observe habitat features, record evidence, and explain why eagles rely on river environments. The experience supports Minnesota science benchmarks and includes Indigenous perspectives on the cultural importance of eagles and caring for local ecosystems. Through observation, discussion, and reflection, students build an understanding of how bald eagles depend on healthy habitats and how humans can help protect them.
Bison: Place Based Walk Lesson Plan For Msum Regional Science Center, Gerald Melin
Bison: Place Based Walk Lesson Plan For Msum Regional Science Center, Gerald Melin
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This lesson plan describes a curiosity walk at the MSUM Regional Science Center where fifth-grade students investigate why bison are considered a keystone species in the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Through observations, field journals, and evidence collection, students explore how bison influence prairie grasses, wildflowers, insects, birds, and other organisms. The lesson aligns with Minnesota science standards by helping students examine ecosystem interactions, organism survival, and the movement of matter within the environment. Students engage in inquiry-based learning through guided observations, discussion, and the creation of a Prairie Connections Map that demonstrates relationships within the ecosystem. By incorporating Indigenous Ways of …
Badgers: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Mitchell Bartell
Badgers: Place-Based Learning Plan For The Msum Regional Science Center, Mitchell Bartell
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The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive, place-based learning experience that helps preservice teachers connect with the local environment of the MSUM Regional Science Center through the study of badgers. This lesson uses inquiry-based learning through hands-on exploration, observation, and questioning. They investigate the physical characteristics of badgers, how they use their burrows, and how they interact with other organisms and their surrounding environment. This lesson encourages curiosity and critical thinking skills to deepen students’ understanding of how badgers adapt to their habitats and contribute to the ecosystem.