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Week 8 - Sea Life
Using a magnifier, mini marine biologists examine the barbules of a bird feather. They swirl the it into a mixture of oil and water and then re-examine the feather. After the activity, discuss how the oily feathers pose a problem to sea...
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Making Sense of Homographs
What is a homograph? Develop your students' vocabulary with a word association tool.  Language arts classes discover what a homograph is and how it can be used as a visual thesaurus. They discover the other uses for homographs such as...
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Using Details from Text to Identify Author's Purpose
Explore writing techniques by analyzing newspapers and magazines with middle schoolers. They will collaborate in small groups to read local news stories and identify the main ideas and author's intent. They also utilize an information...
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Bouncing Light
Students design an experiment to investigate how light reflects. In this physics lesson, students apply the scientific method in conducting the experiment. They collect data and formulate a conclusion.
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Identify Intended Media Messages
How does media convey different messages? Use this lesson to explore media by identifying and analyzing selected images. Middle schoolers analyze a poster and discuss the intended meaning of the imagery and how it makes them feel. They...
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Investigating the Countries of the World
Explore world geography by creating presentations for different countries around the world. Researchers identify many different countries on a globe and select one for which they will create a presentation. They share their research and...
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Our Environment
Students examine the world's environmental dilemmas and create project depicting how to improve the environment. They study ten endangered species.
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Creativity and Butterflies
Students study insects and butterflies. They perform activities to explore the facts about the insect or butterfly. Students write poems, create books, or make a model of the insects.
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Reason for the Seasons
Young scientists examine why we have seasons on Earth, and how the motion of the Earth around the Sun causes them. Groups of learners are given a variety of balls, a bamboo stick, a marker, and a flashlight, then use the objects to...
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Building Bridges to Others
Practice communication skills in order to make meaningful connections to others. Through studying effective communication, kids make meaningful relationships that can affect the community in a positive way.
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Habitats
Students examine how different living things interact with their environment. As a class, they discuss the characteristics of a habitat and write the list on the board. In groups, they focus on one habitat and create a mural of the...
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Mapping Perceptions of China
Students discuss what types of things are included on a map. They compare and contrast maps of China with a map they create and practice using different types of maps. They write analysis of their classmates maps.
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Crystal Growing
Young scholars grow crystals and document their observations by recording timeing and growth. Additional characteristics of crystals are observed under a black light, by growing under different conditions and mineral content is determined.
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Making a Pinhole Camera
Students are introduced to the basic straight line pattern of travel that light takes. A cereal box and wax paper provide the pinhole camera that captures the light's inverted image. Shifting this pattern provides additional challenges.
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Matter and Heat
Learners examine how heating causes substances to expand, and cooling cause it to contract. They investigate the states of matter.
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Bubble-ology
Students observe the visible spectrum while observing light hitting the surface of bubbles. They blow large bubbles and observe how the colors change.
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Everybody Needs a Rock
Students describe and classify rocks that they have chosen. They estimate and find the mass of their rocks.
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Mixtures
Young scholars observe that movement of a solute in the solvent increases the rate of dissolution. They demonstrate that when the solute is broken into smaller pieces it dissolves faster.
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Understanding Waves
Young scholars examine the physical properties of waves to explore the word crest and trough. They use toys to study waves in air, water and light.
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Bringing the Solar System to Life
Students make models of the planets and use the models to show revolution of the planets around the sun. They explain the rotation of the planets after demonstrating with balloons.
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Color Mixing
Pupils experiment with primary colored water to mix new colors. They record new colors on a simple data sheet and share opinions on their work.
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Patterns from Nature: Learning about Australia's Aborigines Through Contemporary Art
Students examine various artworks by aborigines in Australia to discover their culture. Using the artwork, they create their own piece based on their interpretations about their culture. They answer discussion questions and share their...
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The Golden Rule of Reciprocity: A Silk Road Encounters Project
Learners are introduced to the Golden Rule of Reciprocity. Using the four major world religions, they compare and contrast quotes about the Golden Rule. In groups, they create their own version of the Rule and share it with the class.
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Candy Bar Measurements
Geometers explore mathematics by completing an object measurement worksheet. They utilize a variety of candy bars and rulers to conduct a measurement experiment in class. They complete worksheets as a group based on the measurement...