Students identify and solve problems as they modify the design of an everyday household item. They gather and analyze information and work in collaborative teams to create a design plan for a new product.

The pull to sloth can be strong in the summer. The couch and the beach beckon, but the lazy days also provide the opportunity to practice healthy habits. Two activities urge tweens to try something new. First, they research healthy items...

It's time for the feast! Young historians complete their study of the First Thanksgiving by completing an online activity, watching a slideshow, and examining a First Thanksgiving timeline. After answering text-dependent questions to...

Students observe the sounds of different brass instruments in order to understand how to create different pitches. In this musical instructional activity, students create a "brass" instrument from everyday household objects. The students...

Students work in groups and compare/contrast Mesopotamian Law to Hebrew Law. They chart their findings on a chart to show a natural progression to answering questions about values in these two societies.

Students, while examining an intense list of vocabulary terms on types of money, change and simple foods, name and state the cost of food items in supermarkets, grocery stores and flea markets with flash cards and newspaper ads.

Students discuss the 2006 midterm elections. They read an article about exit polls. They create a scavenger hunt using articles of the New York Times. They write a paper about the importance of midterm elections.

Students study the ancient African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. They brainstorm what they know about ancient African kingdoms before investigating the trade and barter situations, and researching one of the kingdoms for an oral...

Students visit various websites and calculate various prices of five items. They estimate the sale price of five items using the original price and discount rate, use percent to calculate the rate of discount and the original price, and...

Students examine primary documents about the establishment of labor unions. In this organized labor lesson, students research the working conditions that contributed to the growth of the labor union movement. Students make classroom...

Learners explore philosophy by researching the Dalai Lama. In this peaceful living lesson, students discuss the Dalai Lama and his unique views of the world before reading the story Can You Say Peace? Learners answer study questions...

Young scholars work in small groups using several different methods to sharpen pencils. The methods used show how production can be increased based on the methods used and the time consumed. Each group of students writes a report...

Students determine how buying on credit adds to the total cost of an item by computing the interest. They find a major item advertised in a magazine and identify the price. Then they identify the rate of a credit card and calculate the...

Young scholars explore the topic of air pollution. They complete a KWL chart, answer discussion questions, and define key vocabulary terms.

High schoolers engage in the democratic process and to learn how a bill become a law. Then they write a bill they would like as law in their classroom. Students also form committees that will review the list of bills to determine if they...

Fifth graders practice measuring items with unique tools.  In this length lesson, 5th graders examine several household items and must decide if they want to use a pencil width, piece of paper, or their thumb to measure the item....

Students view a video clip on bowerbirds. They research and compare and contrast the different types of bowers created by them. They work together to answer questions on the birds behavior.

Students explore different types of weather and examine the elements in the sky that create weather. They create a class lift of weather words and examine and discuss a weather poster. Students then complete the "What's the Weather?"...

Fifth to eighth graders explore reasons for and solutions to unemployment. They begin by making a list of luxury goods and discuss why sales of luxury goods would slump in times of unemployment. They then explore infrastructure and...

Fifth graders become familiar with the role of African Americans during WWII.  In this WWII lesson, 5th graders watch a newsreel and discuss its use as a primary source.  Students answer questions about the newsreel.

Third graders select a recipe and compare prices for ingredients at two different stores. They select the best place to buy the ingredients and answer questions about the process. They include their data on a spreadsheet related to their...

Students explore mass media by completing worksheets in class. In this consumerism lesson, students discuss the meaning behind advertisements and how they are used in television, the Internet and print. Students analyze a group of ads in...

Second graders explore geometry by utilizing pattern blocks. In this shape identification lesson, 2nd graders view the characteristics for several different geometric shapes and create them using building blocks and other classroom...

Explore what it takes to service the Hubble telescope. In the set of three activities, groups investigate several aspects of the Hubble telescope, including robotic arms used during repairs, spacesuits, and extravehicular activity (EVA)...