The debate about immigration reform continues. To gain a deeper understanding of the issues involved, class members first examine a photo of an anti-immigration rally. Groups then conduct an internet search for an image that presents an...

An interesting middle school lesson focuses on the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Academics choose a civic project to complete, such as an oral history or photo essay. They then conduct interviews with members of the community...

Individuals learn how to conduct surveys and collect data for the class on age, pets, and number of people at home. Scholars compare their household size to the information in the census. Pupils then develop additional questions to ask...

Eggshells and seashells have a lot in common. Learners use the similarities to conduct an experiment that models the effect of ocean acidification on marine animals. Using varying levels of acidic liquids, pupils make observations on the...

Salary, education, census statistics ... how do people choose their careers? Scholars complete worksheets and rely on census data to determine their career aspirations. Then, pupils conduct Internet research about places they would...

Do women with college degrees get married later? Using a provided scatter plot of the percentage of women who earn bachelor's degrees and the median age at which women first get married over time, pupils conduct a linear regression...

Individuals have $50,000 to spend on a program at their schools—what will they do with the money? After looking at the Constitutional mandate, learners use a census simulation activity to consider the question. After conducting their own...

A thought-provoking resource guides learners as they interview agents of social change and share their findings. Scholars select an individual, create questions, conduct the interview, and create a profile of the person they selected....

Contemplate the causes of corrosion. An interesting lesson has learners first conduct an experiment where they place nails in different types of water. Based on the results, they consider how corrosion occurs and how engineers need to...

Three activities are designed to help middle schoolers develop the skills they need to get along with others, to develop tolerance and appreciation for similarities and differences, and to generate strategies for resolving conflicts. The...

Are there differences in the brains of liberals and conservatives? That is the question young political scientists are challenged to answer. Class members examine studies, consider how the results are presented, and how the studies were...

The National History Day Research program is designed to permit young historians to interview the staff at any historic site. As part of Women's History Month, class members select a site that focuses on the contributions of women. Using...

It is cowabunga time! Pupils read an article about the NASA LISA mission on gravitational waves and conduct additional research on them. The class participates in a science bowl type competition about gravitational waves. Panels of four...

The increasing number of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, red cards, and ejections from games points out the need for activities that help young people recognize behaviors that exemplify good sportsmanship. For homework, class members...

Get the story from those who experienced it. Engage learners with a structured oral history project involving Vietnam War era veterans. By conducting thoughtful interviews, class members learn what it was like to serve in the...

Perhaps one day humans will learn to control the weather. Future scientists simulate clouds and fog in a plastic bottle. They conduct an experiment where they place smoke and hot water in the bottle, then squeeze and release repeatedly....

The sky's the limit when learning about engineering. Future engineers conduct an activity to learn about forces associated with skyscrapers. They design and build a model of a skyscraper from basic household materials, then test their...

Gum be gone! Scholars conduct an experiment to find the best substance that would help remove gum from the bottom of a shoe. They test peanut butter, petroleum jelly, olive oil, vinegar, and rubbing alcohol in their experiments.

Watch those balloon cars go! Scholars build racers that run using the power of balloons and conduct races with the cars. They learn about Newton's third law of motion and how it applies to their balloon racers.

The forests of Minnesota provide middle schoolers with an integrated learning opportunity. They examine the three biomes and their histories, conduct experiments, read stories, and draw pictures. A lovely instructional activity about trees.

Take a little wade in the wetlands. A fun unit has pupils conduct a literature review to learn how climate change and human actions affect wetland ecosystems. They take a trip to a wetland, observe the fauna and flora, and then take and...

My body is my castle. Pupils learn about the innate immune system in the second lesson plan of a three-part unit on the immune system by comparing the innate immune system to a castle and moat. Groups conduct a simulation where they try...

And now moving on to the next story. The last of five lessons in Unit 1: The Big Climate Change Experiment requires groups to create a script for a news segment on climate change. They either make a video of their story or conduct a live...

Young historians delve into the origin of federal social programs to understand the impact of the New Deal. An informative activity explores some of the New Deal programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corp, using historical...