Toolbox Lesson Plans

Cynthia Shepherd

Toolbox Stand-alone Lesson 1:

1. With a partner or by yourself, find a current science article, video, podcast that has
interest and meaning to you.
a. It doesn't have to be life science; it could be space, physics, anything as long as
it's science.
2. You can use the links on this page or you can search the internet for yourself.
a. https://www.sciencedaily.com/
b. http://www.livescience.com/
c. http://www.popsci.com/
3. While reading or listening to the material, consider the following questions and take
notes:
a. What does it say?
b. What does it mean?
c. What does it matter? (Why should we care?)
4. Discuss the questions with your partner how you will present the information to the class
5. Be ready to share your information with the class and lead a discussion about what you
chose.

Worksheet Example:
What does it say? What does it mean? What does it matter?

Toolbox Stand-alone Lesson 2:

 Toolbox Lesson Plans
Cynthia Shepherd

General Idea: This could be either a stand-alone lesson or it could be related to a specific unit or
lesson that the class is working on. My general idea is to have digital versions of articles and/or
textbook excerpts that are deliberately more difficult than the students grade level. For
example, for 7th grade life science might be given high school level biology text, 8th grade earth
science could be given chemistry or physics text, high school biology could be given college
level or profession journal texts, etc.

The students would then individually or in groups read using the color coding or other initial draft
reading activity. They could highlight, pick out unfamiliar vocabulary, and use a 5Ws and an H
to try and understand anything they could about the article. I would probably have a worksheet
template or two so they have some guidance to the procedure and it would all be activities that
they were already familiar with.

The next day (or whenever Im back) we could then talk about how reading science is different
from a novel in language arts and what we need to do to actually understand what the purpose
and subject of the article/text. In the short term I would want them to know whats going on in
that particular article, but I would also want to expand on the activity so the next time they have
an advanced reading they feel more comfortable and confident about their ability to take it apart
and comprehend it.

Toolbox Stand-alone Lesson 3 :

 Toolbox Lesson Plans
Cynthia Shepherd

Individually, each student should choose a question from the list, keep your question to yourself
and think quietly about it. After thinking for a few minutes, write down your thoughts in your
journal (assuming theres some sort of journal being kept). After youve finished everything you
plan to write, get together with a partner or small group and discuss your question with them.
Chances are each person will have chosen different questions, giving the group several ideas to
think about.

If time allows, break up the groups/pairs and have the students choose a different question than
anything theyve already discussed. Repeat the group sharing.

1. If you were to win $1m what would you do with the money?
2. What do you think is the most useful app?
3. How do you fit a giraffe in a fridge?
4. Would you rather fight a horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
5. Tell me about a time when you failed at something.
6. What are the three words that your parents would describe you with?
7. What have you done in the past to get out of a tricky situation?
8. Why is 99pc not good enough?
9. How many ways can you get a needle out of a haystack?
10. How would you explain Facebook to your Grandma?
11. If you entered into a room full of people with different interests, what would you do?
12. What do you mean by leadership?
13. By what criteria do you judge your own performance?
14. Describe the hardest decision you have faced in the past 12 months.
15. Who is your biggest hero?
16. In a fight between a lion and a tiger, who would win & why?
17. Do Attractive People Have Advantages Others Dont?
18. Apps Help You or Just Waste Your Time?
19. You Trust Your Government?
20. Are good manners important?
21. Would You Want to Be Home-Schooled?
22. Which is more important: talent or hard work? Why?
23. What would you put in your emergency go-bag? Why?
24. Are we losing the art of listening? Why or why not?
25. What questions do you have about how the world works?