Teaching Tolerance
Inventing a Better World
From play pumps that provide clean water to shoes made from trash, innovators change the world one invention at a time. After researching various inventions, young entrepreneurs develop their own. Extension opportunities include prompts...
American Battlefield Trust
Creating Civil War Multimedia
What was it like to live through the Civil War? Learners investigate the question by creating multimedia presentations. With a scaffolded approach that includes research, creating a biopic poem, storyboard, and then polished multimedia...
Thoughtful Learning
Using Progressive Relaxation
Stress makes a mess of our minds and bodies. Like a vicious circle, stress causes our bodies to tense and makes it more difficult to get rid of the stress. Break the cycle for you and your students by practicing progressive relaxation....
McGill University
Peer Relationships
A nine-lesson unit introduces learners to strategies they need to develop healthy peer relationships. The scripted lessons focus on the etiquette of two-way conversations, sharing and turn-taking, good sportsmanship, and the...
BrainPOP
Famous Historical Figures Lesson Plan: Who Am I?
History detectives select a famous person to research, fill a bag with items associated with their subject, then ask class members to guess the historical figure represented by the artifacts.
National Wildlife Federation
Danger from Afar: Non-Point Source Pollution and the Lake Superior Basin
How prevalent is pollution in the water system? A hands-on activity focuses on one area that is prone to pollution. Learners use game chips to represent clean water and polluted water and complete an activity that demonstrates how...
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Einstein Stationary
No need to be an Einstein for this project! Clever crafters add their name, address, and country to three Einstein-themed templates and create their own, personalized stationary. A great way to stay connected while social distancing.
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Stationary
Revive the art of letter writing with a project that enables class members to craft their own, personalized stationary. Young scholars add their name, address, and country to three different templates that features images of mythic...
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Mythic Mask or Puppet
No need to wait until Halloween to create a mask. Young anthropologists get involved in the centuries-old tradition of mask and puppet making with the help of an engaging resource that shows them how to craft their own masks or puppets.
American Museum of Natural History
The Legend of the Flying Frog
Young conservation biologists have an opportunity to get involved in the effort to save endangered species. After reading and illustrating the tale of the Flying Frog, they craft a tale about another fictional endangered species.
American Museum of Natural History
Cuban Wildlife Matching Game
Young biologists match Cuban wildlife to their ecosystems by dragging images of the creatures to either a forest, coral reef, cave, or wetland habitat.
American Museum of Natural History
Mint Your Own Coin
Provide young archaeologists with an opportunity to craft their own artifacts. The step-by-step directions in an engaging resource show them how to mint their own coin, complete with image, date, and motto.
National Wildlife Federation
Build a Bat House!
Bats usually get a bad rap. Scholars learn about the importance of bats and the threat their declining population has on the environment. They then build bat houses to attract and welcome bats into the area.
National Wildlife Federation
At-Risk Species
Certain behaviors make species vulnerable to extinction and others protect them. By studying species that are currently endangered, learners draw conclusions about these behaviors. They then apply their conclusions to healthy species and...
National Wildlife Federation
Go with the Flow
The quality of a watershed has a direct impact on the community it services. Learners study their own watershed using a topographical map. They recreate the watershed components using colored pencils to track the upstream and downstream...
National Wildlife Federation
Life in the Cold: Climate Challenges
What does it take to make it in the Arctic? Learners examine the cold weather adaptations of a polar bear that help it survive. With everyday objects, they model these characteristics as they become make-shift polar bears. Modeling helps...
US Geological Survey
Water, Water, Everywhere?
Less than one percent of the earth's water is available for human use. A hands-on activity models the phenomenon for young scientists. Beginning with a specific volume of water, learners remove water that correlates to the percent of...
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Paper
Paper, paper everywhere. Paper is so prolific that few think about where the idea for it originated and how it is made. Introduce young readers to the paper-making process with an activity that lets them create their own.
American Museum of Natural History
Piecing It All Together
Archaeology digs are much like giant jigsaw puzzles. The artifacts found are often in pieces and scientists must reconstruct them. A hands-on activity lets young archaeologists experience this facet of the job as they create, smash, and...
DiscoverE
Circuits Activity Packet Grades: 6-12
Generate a buzz about circuits. Scholars conduct four activities to learn about electric circuits. They create dance pads that buzz and flash when stepped on, build hidden alarms, design creatures with eyes that flash, and take part in...
DiscoverE
Bridges, Buildings and Beyond Activity Packet: Grades 3-5
The road to a better understanding of engineering lies with bridges and tunnels. A set of four engaging activities teaches learners about engineering concepts related to construction projects. They perform an experiment to find the...
National Wildlife Federation
What's Your Habitat?
How do human habitats compare to animal habitats? Individuals begin their nature discovery by drawing their own habitats that extend beyond their houses. Pupils ensure their drawings include the four habitat elements of food, water,...
National Wildlife Federation
Create a Fish
Don't just teach learners to fish, but to create fish. The class discusses fish heads and predicts whether where the fish might live and what it eats. Given an index card with a fish adaptation written on it, pupils construct an...
National Wildlife Federation
Who Is Faster?
Am I going to catch it? Individuals time how long it takes them to walk, jog, and run a given distance and calculate their speed. They then research two animals and find their speeds. Using a chart, pupils compare the speeds of the...