Consider how America's founding fathers and their experiences contributed to the rights we all enjoy today. A collection of reading, writing, and collaborative exercises prompt high schoolers to think about the ways their current lives...

Here's a very powerful video that deserves a place in a Veterans Day lesson. Four young girls talk about what it's like to have a parent deployed and how they support one another during the deployment.

What is identity? What is bullying? What is identity-based bullying? After discussing these questions as a class, pupils engage in partner discussions before participating in a small group activity to act out bullying scenarios. Then,...

Did you know that many women were Confederate spies during the Civil War? The resource focuses particularly on the important role women played for both the Union and Confederacy. It uses exercises such as a discussion, video, analyzing...

Learners locate Japan on a globe, name the major physical features, and describe the physical environment. They survey the differences and similarities between the life and culture of Japanese young people and American young people.

Learners view and analyze three different images related to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. They also answer a variety of questions in a graphic organizer to help keep the information straight.

Young sleuths don their trench coats, tip their fedoras, and grab their notepads to investigate one of four famous unsolved mysteries. After examining multiple primary and secondary sources related to their cold case, they propose a...

Are you a peace-keeper or a problem-solver? Explore conflict management styles through a lesson, fourth in a 15-part series, that combines individual assessment and collaborative work. Groups learn the basic tendencies of each style,...

Science, engineering, and United States history? Pupils research collections of artifacts from the Smithsonian to learn about historical scientific innovations. At the end of the lesson, they write an essay to discuss technology's...

Middle school years can be tough. An educator's guide for the works of Lynda Mullaly Hunt introduces readers to two texts that discuss the struggles pre-teens face during middle school. Chapter-by-chapter questions and activities for two...

Here’s a clever way to combine language arts and social studies. Shakespeare’s The Tempest is believed to have been inspired by the wreck of the Sea Venture on Bermuda in 1609. The class views a brief scene from Castaway in which Tom...

Middle schoolers continue to study the problem solving process by identifying the pros and cons of different options they listed on their "How Could I Do This" activity sheet from the previous lesson. After weighing the options, they...

Do research projects at your school look like a class of eighth graders staring at a blank screen? Use the Big 6 research method to guide middle schoolers through the process of finding a topic, searching for and evaluating sources,...

The I-STOP law was designed to regulate the distribution and tracking of prescription drugs. After reading an article about its signing and implementation, middle and high schoolers work together to come up with their own ideas for an...

What does it mean to be a good steward? Middle school environmentalists learn to care for their state's waterways through research, a guest speaker, and poster activity. Groups must locate and learn more about a river basin and the human...

One hundred metric tons of CO2 can accumulate in one acre of forest over time—that's a lot of carbon! In the activity, groups of middle school learners determine what makes forests important. They then solidify the concept by using a...

You'll find everything but the kitchen sink here ... or just a carbon sink. In the activity, pairs or groups of middle school learners go outside and measure a tree's circumference and height to estimate its carbon storage potential and...

The Olympics are about more than sports—at times, the games are also a place of racism and prejudice! Pupils investigate the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. They analyze the meaning behind the materials included in the United States...

As part of their study of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa, middle schoolers create engaging public service announcements for preschool and kindergarten classes, teaching them how and when to wash their hands. To begin, class...

Students study the Orangeburg Massacre. In this social studies lesson, students discuss the Civil Rights Movement and the protest movements that took place. Students examine the events that led up to the Orangeburg Massacre at South...

Middle school classes describe the White Mountains in New Hampshire using the five themes of geography. They discuss the five themes, categorize objects into each, and develop a list of words to describe the White Mountains. This...

Young scholars explore ancient cultures. In this ancient religions lesson, students study the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia they watch "Garden of Eden" and discuss their impressions. Young scholars then research Sumer...

Students examine the clothing of medieval times. In this Middle Ages lesson, students view their instructor in the clothing of the era. Students then research the clothing worn by the people of the time period and create booklets that...

Students use the internet to research a list of people, places and events from the Roman Empire (753 BC to 476 AD) in this lesson intended for a Social Studies classroom at the middle school level. The lesson suggests using...