Making inferences can be a tricky proposition for middle schoolers. In the lesson presented here, pupils practice the skill of drawing a conclusion and making a judgment - which are what making an inference is all about! There are five...

Here is a lesson which is "flexible," and can operate as an individual or whole class activity. After reading a book of their choosing, with the use of a semantic map, learners identify character traits. They infer how their feelings...

Traveling through space is an amazing experience, but it definitely takes a toll on the body. After reading an article and watching a brief video, learners perform an experiment that simulates the effects of zero gravity on the...

Students examine the adaptation of plants to their environments. They analyze and observe the structure, shape, and internal structure of various leaves, and make inferences about the structures.

Middle schoolers discuss the types of information they can get from artifacts. In groups, they practice "reading" artifacts and determining their usage. They use inferences to test against official information about certain pieces. ...

Get your young scientists excited about geology through the study of dinosaur tracks! They will use their power of observation to learn how tracks are made and use critical thinking strategies to suggest a scenario in which they were...

Students examine the case of a map making expedition. In groups, they read a case study on "The Lost Gorge" in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. They examine maps and determine where the error in the map-making occured to end...

Students participate in four different activities which reinforce an understanding of they way scientists think about the world. They make careful observations of two different pennies, write the procedure for making a peanut butter and...

Students explore ocean creatures. In this crustacean lesson, students determine how Black Nerite snails and Sally Light-foot crabs have adapted to their ocean habitats. Students complete diagrams and hypothesize about the necessity...

Life has its ups and downs ... especially if you're an animal! Biology scholars engage in a population study through an inquiry-based lesson. Pupils work together to explore the factors that affect deer populations, then examine the...

Students explore daily life and its influences in the late 1700s for two families in different colonies- Delaware and Massachusetts by becoming historical detectives. After gathering information from artifacts to make inferences about...

Students consider works of art in their historical context. In this art in historical context instructional activity, students are encouraged to think about and record their prior knowledge of the historical period and to make inferences...

Students view pictures of classmates' homes, make list of different objects in picture, and discuss what they can tell about place from evidence in picture. Students then observe artifact pictures, and read and complete artifact chart.

Students are introduced to the organization of data This lesson plan is designed using stem and leaf plots. After gather data, they create a visual representation of their data through the use of a stem and leaf plot. Students drawing...

Middle schoolers experiment with local lake water to determine the health of the lake waters. They explore the human impact on the lake water, hypothesize and share inferences in a scientific report.

Young scholars measure and analyze leaves from various environments. They discuss the environments, and make inferences about environmental variables that could have contributed to the differences in leaf size and texture.

Learners read Paul Fleischman's Bull Run in Readers Theater format. Next, students examine and interpret primary source images of Civil War era learners and reveal their understanding of a child's perspective in a literary portrait.

Students read the fictitious newspaper article entitled, "Levels of Radon in Jersey Town Exceed Limits." This helps them get a basic vocabulary started for the terms and concepts related to radon. In groups, they identify words that they...

Middle schoolers read a document which explains the roles and responsibilities of the President of the United States. In groups, they tour the George Bush Presidential Museum and participate in a Presidential scavenger hunt. Once back...

Young scholars investigate how to create secrete messages through filters. They view pictures with red and green filters and discuss what they observe. They select the color filter that works best to read secret messages. They view...

Students research weather patterns. In this weather lesson, students read Chester Noongwook's Rules of Weather Observation and keep a weather journal for one month. Students observe the weather patterns throughout the month.

Young scholars participate in a prey-predator game. After reading background information, they discover the impact from the changes global warming presents to the polar bears and ringed seals. They role play the role of either the seal...

Students identify and analyze portraits of Revolutionary-era women. Creating a concept web, they record the actions by women during the war to be made into a chart and timeline. They discuss the cultural and social expectations of women...

Double click that mouse because you just found an amazing lesson! This cross-curricular Ornithology lesson incorporates literature, writing, reading informational text, data collection, scientific inquiry, Internet research, art, and...