Scholars know him for his role in the American Revolution, but Ben Franklin was also a journalist and printer. Learners investigate his standards for what was fit to print using primary sources—including writings where Franklin explains...

It's never too early to start saving for retirement. In fact, the earlier one starts, the better! Use this retirement planning activity to teach the importance of a retirement strategy and why to start at a young age. 

Youngsters test magnetic strength by measuring the mass of paper clips that they "hook" with a magnet. Your first and second graders should love the hands-on activities associated with this plan. The reproducible materials are quite good...

Students investigate issues of degradation and weathering of polymeric materials during their useful life. They evaluate photodegradable plastics and their viability as an environmental solution for litter and investigate the qualitative...

Students examine physical and chemical properties of plastics, interfaces of plastics, and forms of plastics. In three lab activities, students discover the two characteristic responses of plastics to heating, thermoplastic or...

Tenth graders investigate the carbon monoxide level at a fixed latitude. They determine if there is a relationship to population density. They download data sets and generate a graph. They determine a link between human activity and...

Students are introduced to a gas chromatography using a discovery-based approach. They are presented with a scenario/industrial application where their job is to verify that the company's mouthwash contains a specific percentage of...

Chemistry classes pretend to be consultants to a grocery story trying to decide what polymer to use for therir new non-paper bags. They prepare tensile bars and use them to test plastic film samples for strength and stretchability. Both...

Learners explore the strength of intermolecular attractions. They make slime and compare the difference in the physical properties of sheet and powdered polyvinyl alcohol with polyvinyl acetate.

Students are introduced to how the differences in solubility of materials are used in the manufacture of fibers and films. They are also introduced to the various processes used to make films and fibers. Pupils prepare fibers using wet...

What is your credit score? How do you find it? Help your pupils answer these questions and more. They will access their free credit report and then analyze its meaning.

High schoolers will identify the factors that contribute to erosion and weathering. They will start by differentiating between chemical and mechanical weathering. They then apply what they learned by playing the online jeopardy game. Key...

Tenth graders investigate the carbon monoxide level at a fixed latitude to determine if there is a relationship to population density. They download data sets and generate a graph, and find locations using the Earth's coordinate system....

Young scholars take personal fitness inventories. For this personal health lesson, students take measurements of their heights and weights. Young scholars record the data, calculate their BMI, and then chart their physical activity.

Students participate in activities in which they explore how the space and objects around them can be altered. Using various types of software, they design and create a three-dimensional building and share it with the class. They also...

Students discover the value of oral history by creating their own audio recordings.  In this traditions and customs lesson, students listen to a local historian discuss the idea of preserving history through oral traditions....

Students are presented with the question: "Do longer legged people run faster than shorter legged people?" Students conduct an experiment, collect their data, create box and whisker plots using a computer and graphing program, and...

Students collect live buoy data about water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico from the Internet and work individually to organize their data and create a line graph using Excel Spreadsheet. Students analyze their data and examine any...

Students examine and define what technology is as well as the differences between science and technology. They assess the role of science and technology in society, conveniences technology offers and create a chart to compare the...

Students explore U.S. history by researching famous Americans. For this Benjamin Franklin lesson plan, students read portions of a biography about Franklin and identify his position within U.S. politics and as a leader in the battle for...

Students study Benjamin Franklin including who he was, what he invented and his experiment.  In this inventive lesson students follow the steps of Ben Franklin and build a Leyden jar.

Seventh graders compare and contrast different types of art associated with different cultures. They identify how cultures express their values in art. They create their own collage about Japan.

A watched printer never finishes—or does it? Engage your classes in a ratio and proportion task that asks them to predict how long it takes to print the numbers one through 88 on 88 sheets of paper. They use video to determine the rate...

Students describe the characteristics of anthrax infections, distinguish between the three anthrax forms and analyze the effectiveness of anthrax vaccinations. They relate anthrax to bioterrorism.