The system of checks and balances is integral to the functionality of the United States government. Learn more about the ways the three branches of the government work together—and about the limitations of their power—with an informative...

If we stack up all the cross sections of a figure, does it create the figure? Pupils make the connection between the complete set of cross sections and the solid. They then view videos in order to see how 3D printers use Cavalerie's...

Consumer technology has made it possible for filmmakers to create entire movies from the comfort of their home computer. Guide high school film buffs through the process of designing a documentary with an extensive unit published by...

Can your class solve the Mystery of the Crooked Cell? Junior geneticists collaborate to learn about sickle cell anemia in a fascinating lesson plan. The included materials help them to examine the genetic factors behind the disease...

Scholars become experts on the moon, its phases, and craters with a series of lessons, activities, and extension opportunities. Learners' expert level of knowledge includes moon facts, how moon craters are created, the ability to...

Lois Lowry's The Giver is one of the most engaging and thought-provoking works of literature in the middle school curriculum. Round out your novel unit with a collection of reading activities, comprehension questions, memoir and...

Construct tangent lines and make the connection to tangent functions. An informative lesson reviews the geometry origins of the tangent function. Pupils use that information to determine how to construct a tangent to a circle from a...

What's in your water? And, why is water quality so important? Enhance your class's level of water appreciation through a instructional activity that demonstrates the necessity of water quality. Environmental enthusiasts explore the EPA's...

Scholars revisit the Circle of Life to examine positive character traits—mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional. Pupils discuss how those character traits could help them make responsible decisions and not contract HIV/AIDS. Learners...

Close reading is key to the analysis and interpretation of literature. A close reading of the title and the epigraph of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” offers readers an opportunity to examine how even single words or names can...

Use simulations to determine the probabilities of events to make decisions. Class members are presented with several scenarios, some with known probabilities and others without. Groups run simulations to gather data that they then...

What lengths will one go to for love? Louis, a swan in The Trumpet of The Swan, struggles to gain the attentions of a girl because he cannot trumpet. Thankfully, his father creates a plan that may work. Scholars discover Louis's attempts...

Be 100 percent confident who has the most and by how much. Pupils use percentages to help make the comparisons by finding what percent one quantity is of the other. They also determine the percent differences between the two...

All it takes is a little adventure to interrupt a quiet, simple life. A study guide for The Hobbit explores the adventures that disrupt Bilbo Baggins' quiet life. Questions discuss key events found within J.R.R....

Laura Ingalls Wilder memorialized life in the American West with her Little House on the Prairie series. Readers explore the first book in the series using a novel study guide. Along with standard text-based questions, scholars...

Some people believe that no matter how hard a man works, the American dream will always remain out of reach. A study guide for The Great Gatsby explores the themes, such as the illusory American dream, and elements of F. Scott...

Author Michael Buckley's novel The Sisters Grimm features two fairy-tale sleuths who are tasked with stopping a giant from destroying their town. Using the novel study, individuals acquire new vocabulary and answer...

Mary from The Secret Garden finds a key that could possibly unlock the door to a secret garden. Scholars read Frances Hodgson Burnett's class novel and match vocabulary words with definitions, answer comprehension questions, and create...

Watch your pupils go round and round as they explore periodic behavior. Learners graph the height of a Ferris wheel over time. They repeat the process with Ferris wheels of different diameters.

Increase your sample and increase your accuracy! Scholars complete an activity that compares sample size to variability in results. Learners realize that the greater the sample size, the smaller the range in the distribution of sample...

As part of a study of  Sean Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens learners write autobiographical e-mails, hold discussions, create a collage, and compose a personal mission statement. Pupils then have a...

Do ratios have values? The seventh lesson in a series of 29 introduces the value of a ratio. Pupils create associated ratios to a given ratio. They also describe the fraction associated to the ratio as the value of the ratio.

Are witches like lions in sheep clothing? A boy and his grandmother in The Witches thinks so. They have even discovered the secret to recognizing these evil beings that disguise themselves as sweet ladies. Scholars use the resource to...

Everyone wants to feel like they belong. James, in James and the Giant Peach, finds a feeling of belonging in a very odd place—inside a peach! Scholars read the story of James and the Peach and work through vocabulary, language, and...