Words matter. Words frame thought. Words are symbolic. Readers of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale examine how the words In Gilead's "New Language" reinforce the power of the government and provided insight into the symbolic level...

True or False: Only Presidential elections matter. Academics delve into common voting myths to understand what is true and why the election process is critical to democracy. The lesson uses group discussion, activities, and handouts to...

It all becomes a matter of timing. Groups use a variety of resources to research the history of vaccines by first creating a timeline of vaccine research using leading scientists' work. Learners read articles to develop a story of the...

Find out if there are enough squares. Given diagrams for the first four figures in a sequence, pupils try to determine the next figure. Individuals find the number of square and triangle pieces of fabric that are required to make...

Just what is jurisdiction and why does it matter? A helpful activity takes academics on a journey to understand how judicial jurisdiction works. Scholars read excerpts from the Constitution and court documents to understand the process...

Mary Ann Shadd Cary was an extraordinary woman, no matter the time period. Academics research the life and achievements of Mrs. Cary, who was born a free African American in 1823. The lesson uses primary sources, worksheets, written...

Liquids are what's the matter with the lesson! Learners investigate properties of different liquids as they interact with various types of paper. They then use their observations to identify a mystery liquid to finish the sixth lesson in...

Uncover the exciting interactions of light energy and matter ranging from color to optical illusions. Participants explore color using red and green apples, differences between reflection and refraction, and descriptions of related...

Heart of Darkness is not an easy read, both because of the subject matter and Conrad's Impressionistic style. A 20-slide presentation introduces readers to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The presentation begins with a brief review of...

With all due respect to Beatrice, Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing speaks with both mirth and matter. With the help of this guide, readers will fall in love with the "skirmish of wit" between Beatrice and Benedick, the hysterical...

"Battle" or "Massacre"? Words matter, especially when labeling historical events. That's the big idea in a lesson about the 1868 conflict at the Washita River. After examining two images of the event, groups read and discuss articles...

When you get to the heart of the matter, you learn a lot about an organism by studying its circulatory system! A perfect resource for a zoology or anatomy class, the simulation gives users a peek inside a variety of vertebrates to...

Your vote matters! An informative activity focuses on the Nineteenth Amendment and explains how it paved the way for universal voting rights. Young historians analyze several documents and a complete a worksheet, describing the impact of...

A picture speaks a thousand words, no matter how old! Scholars use political cartoons from the era of Prohibition and the Temperance Movement to analyze what, a primary document (in this case, a bootlegger's notebook) is telling them...

How do you summarize data that cannot be averaged? Using an exploratory method, learners complete a two-way frequency table on super powers. The subject matter builds upon 8th grade knowledge of two-way tables. 

What do Sherlock Holmes and geometry have in common? Why, it is a matter of deductive reasoning as the class learns how to justify each step of a problem. Pupils then present a known fact to ensure that their decision is correct.

It doesn't matter whether secant lines intersect inside or outside the circle, right? Scholars extend concepts from the previous lesson to investigate angles created by secant lines that intersect at a point exterior to the circle....

Does it matter how many points to dilate? The resource presents problems of dilating curved figures. Class members find out that not only do they need to dilate several points but the points need to be distributed about the entire curve...

Solving these percent problems is a matter of counting. Pupils find percents by counting the number of events that meet the criteria and the total number of possibilities. Participants create the ratio and convert it to a percent to...

No matter how you slice it, it's still a polygon! An engaging lesson plan examines the different ways you can slice a prism. The lesson plan begins with simple parallel and perpendicular slices. It then challenges scholars to slice the...

Sticks and stones may break bones, but words matter. Scholars analyze words in paragraphs from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail." They use new vocabulary words and discuss how King's words develop and support his...

Ravenous or hungry, happy or ecstatic—why does word choice matter? Scholars continue to analyze working conditions in the mill and how the conditions affect the protagonist of Katherine Paterson's novel, Lyddie. They engage in a close...

First and last impressions matter. Scholars compose the introductory and concluding sections of their narrative writing assignments. Also, to prepare for an upcoming performance task, pupils watch a modern-day monologue from the movie...

Context matters! Using the intuitive resource, pupils decipher context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words from an informational text. Also, in small groups, they practice identifying the author's opinion and supporting...