Fifth graders explore human rights- what are they and why do we have them? As a class, explore the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and incorporate close readings of selected articles. This 11-part unit is very detailed,...

My saying for distinguishing between a waxing moon and a waning moon is, "wax on, wane off." When the moon is "turning on" or on its way to a full moon, we call it waxing. When the moon is "turning off" or on its way to a new moon, we...

The excavation of a cache of artifacts, believed to have been buried by Juana Maria, a Nicoleno Native American who lived alone on San Nicolas Island for over 18 years, is the focus of a unit that shows how archaeologists uncover...

The tale of the restoration of California's Channel Islands begins with a video that details the devastation of Santa Cruz Island by introducing species that are not native to the region. Additionally, the video discusses the controversy...

The Last Roundup explores the issues raised by the transitioning of Santa Rosa Island from a privately owned to a National Park. The documentary is short, poignant, and weaves together vintage family photos and videos with interviews...

The three units in Module 3B ask fifth-graders to consider multiple perspectives about using natural resources in Canada. In the first unit, young scholars study how hundreds of years ago, the Inuit people used the natural resources in...

Using what they have learned about how the Inuit people adapted to living in the Arctic, the lessons in Module 3B, Unit 2 ask fifth-graders to research how Canadians today use available resources to meet their needs and wants. Learners...

Oh no! An emergency has emerged, and there is no time to leave plans for a substitute. Never fear; help is here in the form of an Emergency Sub Plan kit. Create a boldly labeled folder or basket and keep it near your desk where subs will...

Long before grocery stores, refrigerators, insulated clothing, central heating, snowmobiles, and motorboats, the native Inuit people of Canada learn how to use the natural resources available to survive in the Arctic. In the first unit...

Researching to Build Knowledge and Teaching Others: Inventions That Changed People’s Lives is an eight-week, three-unit module designed for fifth graders. In the first unit of the module, scholars examine and discuss a graphic novel,...

The first unit in the three-unit Module 2B series has fifth graders begin to build background knowledge about the process of scientific inquiry and how new or improved technologies are developed to meet society's needs. Scholars take a...

Seventeen lessons in Unit 3 of Module 2B have class members crafting a graphic novel about Philo Farnsworth, the inventor of television. They begin with a storyboard, then add text and images, a glossary of key words, table of contents,...

In Unit 2, students continue to build their reading and writing skills and their understanding of how new or improved technologies are developed to meet the needs of society through a case study of Philo Farnsworth, the inventor of...

In the first unit of a three-unit module, young scientists gather background knowledge about the rainforest's biodiversity. They learn how to identify the main idea in an interview and an article and practice notetaking, synthesizing,...

Fifth graders continue their investigation of the process scientists use to research by reading Kathryn Lasky’s The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy, the story of Meg Lowman, and the research methods she...

Enhance your literacy unit with a set of videos featuring textual analysis and reading comprehension strategies. From discerning the main idea of a text to evaluating an author's purpose and tone, the ten-part series engages upper...

The Price of Freedom: Americans at War is a collection of 13 resources from a printable exhibition curated by the Smithsonian Museum of American History.  Each resource begins with a summary and a table of contents. The resources...