Lesson Plan Sites

Kindergarten

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) (Texas Education Agency)
This page includes links to web sites from government agencies that contain lesson plans for use by teachers, home schoolers, and independent learners. It is not an exhaustive list and will be updated periodically. Each entry includes the grade levels and possible subject areas in Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) covered by the lesson plans. It is your responsibility to confirm compliance with TEKS and/or other federal and state codes regarding education.

Lesson Plan Sites Home | Alphabetical List of Lesson Plan Sites
By Grade Level: Kindergarten | Elementary School | Middle School | High School

Agriculture in the Classroom (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Classroom and Curricula)
Grade Levels: K-12, Higher education
TEKS: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

Themed Resources include Agriculture and the Environment; Plants and Animals for Food, Fiber and Energy; Food, Health & Lifestyles; STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics; and Culture, Society, Economy & Geography.

Changing the Face of Medicine. Lesson Plans (National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of Health)
Grade Levels: K-2, 3-4, 5-8, 9-12
TEKS: Health Education; Health Science Technology Education

Lesson plans bring the world of medicine into the classroom. The plans targeted for specific age groups within K-12 have been designed to enhance understanding of the physiology of the body and the field of medicine. The link above connects to Grades K-2. Other grade levels include: 3-4, 5-8, 9-12.

ChooseMyPlate.Gov (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Grade Levels: PreK-12
TEKS: Health Education

Preschoolers (2-5 years old) learn to develop healthy eating habits combined with activity.
Kids (6-11 years old) learn from science-based information from the MyPlate Kids’ Place resources to build healthy meals and to maintain or achieve a healthy weight.

Curricula and Lesson Plans (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: Health Education

A collection of health educational materials from the National Agricultural Library.

EDSITEment! (“The Best of the Humanities on the Web”) (National Endowment for the Humanities and National Trust for the Humanities)
Grade Levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Fine Arts; Languages Other Than English; Social Studies; Spanish Language Arts & Reading

This site includes lesson plans and study activities that can be used to support related lesson plans or as standalone activities in the classroom.

Educational Resources at the Census Bureau (U.S. Bureau of the Census)
Grade Levels: K-4, 5-8, 9-12
TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Mathematics; Social Studies

This page includes “Lesson Plans Using Census Data.” The purpose of the plans is to help students understand the importance and benefits of the census; to promote awareness and encourage greater participation in the national census at the local level; and to improve the accuracy of the census. The page also includes “Teacher Resources on the Web” which includes links to government educational websites that feature lesson plans in math, science and social studies. These lesson plans usually include classroom activities and projects that use the internet.

Energy Kids (U.S. Energy Information Administration. U.S. Dept. of Energy)
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: Science

Use the teacher’s guide to provide energy lessons that use this student-friendly website to explore energy sources and ways to save energy, through online puzzles, quizzes, and experiments.

Federal Reserve Education
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and Its Benefits; History; Social Studies

Here you can find links to instructional materials and tools that can increase your understanding of the Federal Reserve, economics and financial education. All of the Fed web sites, curriculum, newsletters, booklets and other resources are free. Includes links to other (non-governmental) economic education sites. The “Teachers Resources” portion houses several interactive tools and resources for educators, students and parents. The curriculum search tool facilitates integrating Fed education materials into the classroom by aligning materials with National Standards.

For Educators. Capitol Visitors Center (Texas State Preservation Board)
Grade Levels: K-8
TEKS: Social Studies

The Lesson Plans on this site relate directly to the tours, exhibits and films the students experience at the Texas State Capitol and the Visitors Center. They also cover material from the social studies TEKS. Separate lesson plans are available on the State Capitol for 4th and 7th grade classes.

JPL (NASA) Lesson Plans (Jet Propulsion Laboratory/NASA)
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: Chemistry, Engineering, Mathematics, Science

Standards aligned lesson plans in earth processes, engineering, mathematics, physical science, space science, and more for grades K-12

K-12 Resources. Lesson Plans for Soil and Conservation (National Resources Conservation Service. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: Science

Includes Lesson plans in Soil Science and Backyard Conservation.
Access to PLANTS Database
Free resources available from the NRCS Distribution Center

K-12 Resources on Invasive Species (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: Science

From the National Agricultural Library, this site provides general educational resources for students K-12 for invasive aquatic, animal, microbe, and plant species.

Lesson Plans & Activities (USGS)
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: Science; Social Studies

Tap into over 140 years of USGS research in the natural sciences in the form of lesson plans and activities, maps, podcasts, online lectures, videos and animations, datasets, and much more. Browse thousands of ideas for using these resources in elementary, secondary, university, and informal education settings.

Lesson Plans from TES (Teaching Environmental Sciences) (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality)
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies

Teachers who participated in the TCEQ’s Teaching Environmental Sciences (TES) program developed the lesson plans and ideas for field trips and other activities contained in this publication. (TES is a graduate-level course for teachers and nonformal educators interested in integrating environmental topics into their lessons and activities.) Correlations to TEKS is shown on each lesson plan. Chapters cover air, water, and waste. Appendix A is a list of lesson plans by grade level. This is an online version of a TCEQ publication also available in print in the Library. (Texas Documents: N330.5 L566P 2001)

MyMoney.Gov (Federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission)
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies; Technology Applications

This special section of MyMoney.gov provides information about and links to a collection of federal guides and curricula for teaching financial capability concepts. The collection is designed specifically for teachers and educators.
The Spotlight Resources below provide a taste of the types of available resources.
To find more resources in the MyMoney collection, use the search box on the navigation bar. Simply type in the word or phrase that describes your topic, and the site will do the searching for you.

National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
Grade Levels: PreK-12
TEKS: [Literacy and Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies]

The Teachers’ National Park Service website provides resources from all 401 national parks. The site includes distance learning resources and is searchable by location, keyword, and more than 125 subjects, from archeology, to biology, to Constitutional law. Teachers will, for the first time, be able to rate NPS-provided content. In addition to park-created content, the site also features educational materials created by NPS national programs like the National Register of Historic Places and its award-winning Teaching with Historic Places series of 147 lesson plans.

NASA Educational Materials
Grade Levels: K-4, 5-8, 9-12
TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Mathematics; Science; Technology Applications

An extensive list of educational materials can be browsed by type (bookmarks, classroom activities, educator guides, etc.), by grade level, or by subject. Broad subject areas include: Careers, Earth Science, History, Life Science, Mathematics, Physical Science, Space Science, Spanish, and Technology.

NASA Quest (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: Mathematics; Science; Technology Applications

NASA Quest is no longer an active site. However, the Library of Congress archived the site covering the dates of 2001-2015.
NASA Quest offers a wide range of free online tools and resources for teachers, students, parents and others including web and print lesson plans, educator guides and workbooks. Some units include correlations to Texas standards.

NGA Lessons & Activities (National Gallery of Art)
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Fine Arts; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies

A place where teachers and students can connect art and curriculum. Resources can be accessed by grade level, topics, or artists.

National Park Service
Grade Levels: PreK-12
TEKS: Literacy and Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies

Brought to you by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Teachers’ National Park Service website provides resources from all 401 national parks. The site is searchable by location, keyword, and more than 125 subjects, from archeology, to biology, to Constitutional law. Teachers will, for the first time, be able to rate NPS-provided content. In addition to park-created content, the site also features educational materials created by NPS national programs like the National Register of Historic Places and its award-winning Teaching with Historic Places series of 147 lesson plans.

Resources on Sustainability for Educators (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Classroom and Curricula)
Grade Levels: K-12, Higher education
TEKS: Science

From the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education, this resource covers a variety of topics including animal production, crop production, energy, farm business management, natural resources/environment, pest management, soil management, sustainable communities.
Some resources are: The Farmer Field Day Toolkit; The Ogallala Aquifer of the Texas High Plains: A Race Against Time; Sustainable Agriculture Resources and Programs for K-12; Sustainable Agriculture Learning Modules for High School Agriculture.

Smithsonian Lesson Plans (Educators. Smithsonian Education)
Grade Levels: PreK-3, 4-8, 9-12
TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Fine Arts; Science; Social Studies; Technology Applications

Lesson plans in art & design, science & technology, history & culture, and language arts are available. Browse lesson plans by subject area or search by grade levels and keywords.

STEM Rising (Education Toolbox. U.S. Dept. of Energy)
Grade Levels: K-12, Higher education
TEKS: Science

STEM resources for students, teachers, and the energy workforce. Includes links to resources for grade-appropriate lesson plans, curriculum, and educational materials for teaching students and children about energy, particularly energy literacy, efficiency, and renewable energy. Includes links to sites that are non-governmental agencies and institutions.

Sustainable Agriculture (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Grade Levels: K-12, College
TEKS: Science

Review instructional books, teaching aids, course outlines, support organizations and other teaching resources for all levels - kindergarten, high school and beyond.

TEA Curriculum, Assessment, & Rules (Texas Education Agency)
Grade Levels: PreK-12
TEKS: [Comprehensive site]

Teacher Toolkit: Activities and Lesson Plans (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
Grade Levels: K-12
TEKS: English Language Arts & Reading; Science

Lesson plans on ecological concepts, terrestrial ecology, aquatic activities, archaeology, and journal and creative writing.

Teachers (U.S. National Park Service)
Grade Levels: PreK-12
TEKS: [Literacy and Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies]

Brought to you by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Teachers’ National Park Service website provides resources from all 401 national parks. The site is searchable by location, keyword, and more than 125 subjects, from archaeology, to biology, to Constitutional law. Teachers will, for the first time, be able to rate NPS-provided content. In addition to park-created content, the site also features educational materials created by NPS national programs like the National Register of Historic Places and its award-winning Teaching with Historic Places series of 147 lesson plans.

Government Documents Home
Updated December 2021: Kimberly Wirth, Coordinator of Information Literacy/Research Librarian.