Polar Trec
Science in Antarctica
PolarTREC brings polar researchers and educators together to benefit both science and education. Pupils select one research project in Antarctica to explore and present to their peers. Scholars polish research and presentation skills as...
Polar Trec
Touring the Poles
Would you want to vacation in the Arctic or Antarctic regions? Scholars research both regions and produce a travel brochure trying to convince tourists to visit. The project focuses on the geography, climate, flora, fauna, and indigenous...
While They Watched
Teaching the Holocaust
What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination? Between collaborators and bystanders? Guilt and responsibility? Prompt learners to think critically about a very complex and textured topic with an innovative packet of materials.
Fluence Learning
Writing Informative Text: Did Shakespeare Write Shakespeare?
William Shakespeare penned some of the richest and most fascinating works of literature—or did he? Middle schoolers read three brief informative passages and conduct additional research to evaluate the claim that Shakespeare did not...
Channel Islands Film
Magic Isle: Lesson Plan 4
After watching West of the West's documentary on Catalina Island, The Magic Isle, class members research how Walt Disney's and William Wrigley's different visions impacted the island.
Channel Islands Film
Magic Isle: Lesson Plan 3
Middle schoolers complete a writing assessment task to demonstrate their ability to craft a narrative based on a variety of informational texts. They view West of the West's documentary Magic Isle, read three print resources about the...
Channel Islands Film
Sa Hi Pa Ca (Once Upon a Time): Lesson Plan 2
What tools do archaeologists and anthropologist use to learned about what life was like in the past. After watching West of The West's documentary Once Upon a Time that details how scientists use artifacts to establish a history of the...
American Battle Monuments Commission
The Sicilian Campaign
The summer of 1943 saw Italy transition from a fascist state in an Allied campaign that eventually became a liberation. Explore the ways Canada, Great Britain, the United States, and the Northwest African Air Forces collaborated to put a...
Big Kid Science
Eclipse Classroom Activities: Cultural Significance Project
What better way to celebrate eclipses than across cultures? Explore myths of solar and lunar eclipses from ancient cultures like the Chinese, Ancient Greek, Mesoamerican, Incan, Egyptian, Ancient Babylonian, and Middle Eastern. Learners...
Channel Islands Film
Arlington Springs Man: Lesson Plan 1
Learning to craft quality questions is a skill that can be taught. Class members use the Question Formulation Technique to learn how to create and refine both closed-ended and open-ended questions. They then view West of the West's...
American Battle Monuments Commission
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive
America's entrance into World War I drastically changed the scope of the conflict. An interactive map and timeline takes learners through the Meuse-Argonne Campaign, which lasted from September 26, 1918, to the eventual German armistice...
American Battle Monuments Commission
The Great War: A Visual History
Immerse yourself in the military operatives of the Great War with an interactive timeline and map. As high schoolers click on each year of World War I, they can select individual battles, campaigns, troop movements, and notable victories...
Channel Islands Film
Island Cattle Ranching
Is cattle ranching on Santa Rosa island viable or non-viable? Rather than focusing on the issues of the transition of Santa Rosa island from a privately owned island cattle ranch to a national park, class members are asked to consider if...
American Battle Monuments Commission
The Battle of the Atlantic
World War II is known for its land and air battles in Europe, but the waters of the Atlantic saw its share of skirmishes from 1939 to 1945. Learn more about the roles of the Allied powers in establishing ocean territory during World War...
American Battle Monuments Commission
Liberating Rome: The Anzio and Rome-Arno Campaigns
Follow the liberation of Rome in both time and space with an interactive timeline and map. As class members click on various icons on the map, they can track different countries and their troops during the Anzio and Rome-Arno Campaigns...
Indiana Department of Education
Amusement of the Future
Take your class on the ride of their lives! Physical science scholars get an in-depth look at potential and kinetic energies in an amusement park-themed unit. Students research, design, and promote their own amusement parks, complete...
Channel Islands Film
First Contact: Lesson Plan 4 - Grades 5-6
After watching Treasure in the Sea, a documentary about Channel Islands National Park and the video First Contact, about the voyage of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo to the Channel islands, groups research and then compare the experiences of...
Nature Works Everywhere
Sharks and Shorelines
Examine predator-prey marine relationships through an interactive lesson design. Learners begin by studying a specific shark species and then analyze real-time shark-tracking data. They also study threats to shark populations and...
American Battlefield Trust
Gettysburg Virtual Tour
Step into one of the most iconic battlefields of the American Civil War with an educational interactive resource. Young historians learn about key moments, locations, soldiers, and turning points in the battle with a clickable map and...
NOAA
Fishy Deep-sea Designs!
Oceans represent more than 80 percent of all habitats, yet we know less about them than most other habitats on the planet. The instructor introduces the epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, twilight, and midnight zones in the ocean....
George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Teaching Primary and Secondary Sources
What makes a source primary or secondary? Middle schoolers read a definition of each term before exploring different examples and applying their knowledge to a research project.
Henry Ford Museum
You Can Be an Innovator ... Like Henry Ford
Why did Henry Ford want to invent a car for the masses? Why did Henry Ford locate his factory in Detroit? Why did Henry Ford encourage the idea of a 5-day work week? Young innovators find the answers to these and other question in a unit...
American Physiological Society
Sit On It
How do product designers come up with the variety of things we see in stores and on TV every day? They identify a need, then create something that meets that need. Sounds simple, right? A two-week lesson puts seventh graders in that role...
American Physiological Society
Why is Kettle Corn Cooked in Copper Pots?
The kitchen — it's not just for eating anymore! Specific heat is often a difficult concept to grasp, so give it context by relating it to cooking. Learners gain experience in the principles of thermal energy transfer by designing an...