It's good thing that it isn't up to RJ to spin the earth on its axis; he can't even keep a basketball spinning! In this video animation, he and viewers learn about Earth's movements in space. One thing to consider before you use this...

Why did the United States choose to invade Cuba in 1898? As part of a 3-day lesson, your young historians will first develop working hypotheses to answer this question, then work with a variety of historical primary source documents that...

Nine historical documents, an interactive online notebook, and a fantastic opportunity for historical inquiry await your pupils in this 5-day lesson plan. Class members identify and discuss various causes for the Spanish-American War...

Although the lesson is specifically about the San Francisco Bay area, it's good enough to be adapted to any local region. Children research what the landscape in San Francisco was like prior to settlement, they consider the types of...

Whether out of choice or necessity, people want to know what will happen on a typical day in court. A helpful lesson walks scholars in the field of criminology through the trial process from opening statements to the final verdict. 

Learners can enjoy pi with pie! A collection of short activities celebrates pi day with a word search, a maze, and real-world problemsn. Using pi in formulas for area, circumference, and volume as well as exploring simple fractions is...

A lamp, four globes, and some signs taped around the room are all you need to set up a solar system simulation for teaching how Earth's tilted axis creates the seasons. (Sticky dots are also needed, but not mentioned in the materials...

Who needs a compass to find cardinal directions? Just place a stick in the ground and record the movement of its shadow over the course of a day. Then, measure the shadow lengths in order to determine a north-south line. A simple...

If only we could harness the energy of fifth graders, our energy problems would be over! The class discusses where different forms of energy come from and how we use them. They complete a chart of the activities that they do daily...

First graders label three major holidays on a February calendar. In this calendar instructional activity, 1st graders watch a video about and discuss Valentine's Day, President's Day and Arbor Day. Students label these three holidays on...

Did you know that you can find added sugars in three-quarters of the foods you find in grocery stores? Invite your learners to consider how much sugar exists in the food products we eat on a day-to-day basis, as well as to learn about...

Get your class thinking with animations of neurons in action and explanations of how stimuli is transported and processed. This film makes an ideal introduction or review of the nervous system. The parts of the brain and what they...

Tornadoes and hurricanes and blizzards, oh my! Severe storms are always occurring somewhere on the planet. By reading through these slides, learners discover the characteristics of each type. Have them do this as homework and then take...

We see curved mirrors every day in spoons, rear-view mirrors, stores as a safety measure, make-up mirrors, and in novelty stores. Scholars explore the changes to an image based on the curve of the mirror, the location of the image, and...

Students brainstorm how they can conserve energy in their daily lives. In this energy lesson plan, students discuss how they use energy and ways to conserve it.

Learners write from an animal's perspective. In this writing lesson plan students explore the landscape of San Francisco prior to the arrival of the explorers. Learners research animals indigenous to the area.

A set of seven slides presents an artist's rendition of our solar system, specifically, the asteroid belt, Kuiper Belt, and our outer planets: Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. The slides are beautiful, and a printable set with text is...

Third graders discover the concept of elapsed time. In this time lesson, 3rd graders watch a video which shows zoo feedings. They work in groups to find the elapsed time between feedings. 

It's hot today, but is that the weather or the climate? This colorful presentation isolates both concepts to allow for better understanding by covering the positioning of the planet, making comparisons of land versus water, and looking...

This activity manages to provide both fun and serious work solving exponential and logarithmic application problems in engaging story lines and real-life situations. A strong emphasis on science applications and numbers pulled...

Supreme Court justices debate the meaning of the US Constitution, but we expect teachers to explain it to scholars with far less training and experience. A daunting task for sure, but it's not insurmountable with resources that simplify...

What's the best way to make sense of the Constitution?  A helpful lesson contains both the text of Article III and annotation of each of its sections, breaking it down into easy-to-understand parts. It also includes links to a...

What's the right way to teach young historians about the Bill of Rights? Many an instructor has asked this question when pondering lesson plans over the US Constitution. The Constitution and Rights is a nifty resource that provides a...

Pigs and humans have the same metabolism level and similar organs and systems, which is why they are often used in scientific laboratories. This worthy virtual dissection of a fetal pig divides into eight chapters: anatomical references,...