Will the time come when women outperform men at the Olympic Games?Scholars investigate gender differences in Olympic Games performances. They study the historical participation of women and then analyze data to determine if women will...

Mystery is an exciting genre for young readers to investigate. The plots are so intriguing! Here is a series of lessons featuring Sherlock Holmes stories that invite learners to enter the world of the mystery genre.  Based on what...

What a fantastic project idea for discussing not only the history of America's expansion into the West, but for reviewing any major unit of history in your class. Pupils build stamp collections to visually represent themes of the...

Students discover how to find authoritative resources. In this research skills lesson, students examine strategies for using the Internet effectively to research global development issues.

Students interview a veteran or he/her family to gather information about the person's life. They produce an iMovie that describes the veteran's military experience.

Keep your pets slim, trim, and healthy using mathematics! Pupils use a linear programming model to optimize the amount and type of food to provide to a pet rabbit. They model constraints by graphing inequalities and use them to analyze a...

Obesity is a worldwide concern. Using survey results, learners compare local BMI statistics to celebrity BMI statistics. Scholars create box plots of the data, make observations about the shape and spread of the data, and examine the...

What can we learn from the data? Young scholars analyze actual solar data to answer specific questions. The activity presents an opportunity for an open-ended investigation of the data to conclude a five-part series on solar winds.

Students practice analyzing images, maps and graphs from Internet-based educational resources. They explore the correlation between sea surface temperature and coral bleaching. Students comprehend that coral reefs are collections of tiny...

How do seeds get around? It's not like plants can control seed dispersal—or can they? Dig deeper into the amazing mechanisms of seed dispersal observed in tropical plants through interactives, a video, and plenty of hands-on data...

This writing pre-assessment has minimal instruction but maximum support and encouragement. It begins with a review of the book, Rain School, through a think-pair-share and small group discussion. The discussion...

Consider how well students' favorite TV shows, movies and video games reflect the diversity of society. The lesson introduces your class to several media literacy concepts, such as how media conveys values and messages, as well as the...

Food companies understand how to use math to their advantage. Learners explore the math related to the packaging and serving size of yogurt. They then use unit analysis and percent values to make decisions on the product development.

Ever wonder how a butcher creates the different types of ground beef? Young mathematicians explore the methods butchers use to create their desired ground beef quality. Given a combination of two types of meat with varying...

If members of your class wonder where they can use the math they learn in middle school, let them discover the answer. Learners apply geometry concepts of scale and measure to calculate the costs of framing a house addition.

Viruses can spread like wildfire, and mathematics can model the speed of infection. Given a function, scholars analyze it to describe the spread of a disease within a stadium. Learners find the initial number infected and the maximum...

Take a close look at news reporting techniques and global issues. Begin by creating a graphic representation of developing nations and defining the term. After class discussion, the second day's activities pick up by deconstructing news...

Pupils explore financial applications of linear functions. As they investigate the steps necessary to plan a fundraising event, learners explore minimizing cost and maximizing profits.

Students investigate the history of civil rights by viewing historical photographs.  In this U.S. history lesson, students discuss why Black Soldiers fought for their rights by joining the Union Army in the 1800's.  Students...

Young scholars name objects that are the same size, shape, and weight as the human brain. They touch the model brain, feeling the folds, etc. They make connections to the chart displaying the brain-like objects. They touch the 'potato...

Students identify and evaluate primary and secondary sources relating to James Smithson and his gift to the United States. In this Smithson to Smithsonian lesson, students also examine the debate surrounding how to use the gift from...

Babies grow at an incredible rate! Demonstrate how to model growth using a linear function. Learners build the function from two data points, and then use the function to make predictions.

Pupils design a fence for a backyard pool. Scholars develop a fence design based on given constraints, determine the amount of material they need, and calculate the cost of the project. 

It's the stairway to learning! Scholars research all aspects of building a staircase. Using information from building codes, they write and graph a system of inequalities to analyze the constraints. The completed project is a scale model...