What was life like for Irish immigrants settling in America during the late 1800's? Learners examine primary source documents, such as lyrics, poems, and letters, to understand the immigrant experience. They then use those primary source...

A scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, politician, and the founder of a nation—and that's just one person! Learners investigate the many lives of Benjamin Franklin. Using a hands-on interactive online resource, they analyze primary...

How difficult was it to get everyone to agree on the contents of the Constitution? Historians analyze the task of the Founding Fathers in creating the United States Constitution. They research a directory of video clips, primary sources,...

"How did the slavery system undermine the United States' democratic principles?" This question launches a study of how the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, and Article IV,...

Take a close look at a number of newspapers with collection of lessons and activities. Using a poster (which can be found under the materials tab), learners examine the hard copy of a local newspaper. This leads into an exploration of...

Madison was there! Scholars go on a journey to discover the person behind the founding father label as they explore James Madison's role in the formation of the United States government. The culmination is a writing assignment and...

Delve into the responsibilities of the president by looking at President Hamilton's opinion of the presidential office in his own words. The second in a three-part series, the resource also offers an interesting compare-and-contrast...

Where did the cherished ideals enshrined in the Bill of Rights originate? While history gives the Founding Fathers much of the credit, laws in colonial America influenced the Bill of Rights. An interactive web-based activity allows...

Young geologists attempt to predict the appearnace of a geode's internal structure based on how it looks from the outside, its mass, and its physical characteristics. In this geologly lesson, learners use scientific equipment to collect...

Social Studies and role-playing can go hand in hand. Learners use supporting evidence found in primary and secondary source material to develop a character from the Five Points neighborhood in the 1850s. Each student takes on the role of...

Calcareous ooze ... what an interesting name! The 15th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on sediments found on the ocean floor. After viewing the slideshow lecture,...

Take to the stage! Integrate both drama and civic skills by asking pupils to create and perform skills that demonstrate the importance of the amendments in the Bill of Rights. After reviewing the Preamble to the Constitution, learners...

Here's a tip: only one substance is commonly found as a solid, liquid, and gas. Learners use that knowledge as they investigate the properties of water in each state. They interact with water in each of its three phases and record what...

Students use chromatography to separate plant pigments collected from a fictitious crime scene and suspects. They compare the Rf values of the plant pigments to determine whether the plant pigments found on any of the suspects match the...

The Harlem Renaissance brought forth many American art forms including jazz, and the writings of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. Using a carefully curated set of documents from the Library of Congress, pupils see the cultural...

Who has the power? The founding fathers asked the same question when the United States was formed. Learners explore issues that arose during Madison’s presidency that raised constitutional questions. Through discovery, discussion, and...

Students become forensic investigators. In this crime scene lesson, students go to the science lab which is the "scene of the crime." They collect evidence such as fingerprints, "blood" evidence, chromatography, footprints, and more. 

Students study Nutrition Facts labels. In this life science lesson plan, students explore Nutrition Facts labels, then determine and analyze the nutrients found in a variety of foods. Additionally students construct bug boxes used to...

Students examine brackish water. In this Science lesson, students observe organisms found in brackish water. Students record their observations of the various organisms.

An amazing set of resources! Found here are several lessons that work in conjunction to help learners better understand the juvenile court system. Learners review the judicial process, discuss how juveniles are tried, and hold a class...

Young scholars discover the nutrients found in pumpkins. They classify different foods as either fruits or vegetables. They end the lesson by making pumpkin seeds or planting them.

Here is another version of the classic M&M math lesson plan. In this one, upper graders utilize the ClarisWorks Spreadsheet program in order to document the data they come up with from their bags of M&M's. After making their...

Young scholars brainstorm a list of things they already know about the history of Fairfax County, Virginia. After reading a primary source document, they discuss the similarities and differences between their prior knowledge and what...

How much is a million? This unit has a set of lessons investigating large numbers on the order of millions and billions. A culminating project has groups creating a slideshow and poster about large numbers found in the school and/or...