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TE Lesson: Factors Affecting Friction
Middle schoolers investigate the effect of weight on normal friction or the friction due to surface roughness. They tell about the effects of contact area that occurs as a result of molecular attraction by looking at data on line graphs.
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Microbes and Health
Students participate in activities that show them how tiny germs are spread. In this germs lesson plan, students engage in hands on lessons to show them how microorganisms can easily spread disease through the mouth and hands.
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Simple Machines and Modern Day Engineering Analogies
Young scholars apply the mechanical advantages and problem-solving capabilities of six types of simple machines (wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, pulley) as they discuss modern structures in the spirit of the...
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The Late Middle Ages (850 to 1492 A. D.)
Learners discuss what roles the clergy, nobles and peasants played during the late Middle Ages. They explain what led to the growth of trade and towns in Western Europe. Ultimately, students describe how kings in Western Europe built...
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The Cuban Missile Crisis
Students explore facets of the Cold War. In this Cold War history lesson, students research a Cold War event in order to write a news story about the events that features direct quotations and images.
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Challenges of Sampling
In this sampling worksheet, students try different sampling methods to determine which is the best for determining contamination on a substance. This worksheet has 5 short answer questions.
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Who Are the Arab Americans?
Students explore the concept of diversity. In this Teaching Tolerance lesson, students take a quiz titled "Who Are the Arab Americans?" and then use the quiz as a lens through which to discuss misperceptions regarding Arab Americans....
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Scooting Away from Justice?
Students examine President Bush's July 2007, decision to commute the 30-month sentence of former White House official, I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby by reading a New York Times article. They scan editorial sources on various sides of the...
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Flying Against The Wind
Eighth graders discuss the various actions of non-Jewish Germans during World War II. Through various readings and activities, they explore the rejection of Nazi ideology and how many German citizens worked to help Jewish citizens during...
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Western Expansion or Eastern Invasion?
Fifth graders read from their textbook a story about the pioneer settlement of the Western Frontier. They review the pioneer standpoint, but also discuss how the Homestead Act of 1862 affected Native Americans. They write another story...
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Lunch in Outer Space!
Students explore the challenges astronauts face while eating in outer space. In small groups, they design and construct an original model device to assist astronauts eat in a microgravity environment.
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Stop Heat from Escaping
Students explore the uses of insulation and describe how insulation helps to conserve energy. They work in groups and use plastic, wool, paper and aluminum to experiment with the heat-retaining properties of various materials.
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Pea Soup Ponds
Students perform an experiment where they learn how water can be polluted by algal bloom. They grow algae with different concentrations of fertilizers or nutrients and analyze their results.
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Hide and Seek with Geocaching
Students locate objects using a Global Positioning System. In this global geography lesson, students explore latitude and longitude using a GPS in order to locate objects.
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Elements and the Periocic Table
Eighth graders draw the structure of an atom. They construct atomic models, list parts/locations of an atom, organize parts of the periodic table and write a descriptive report about an element.
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Earthquakes Rock!
Young scholars study the main methods to measure earthquakes; the Richter Scale and Mercalli Scale. They make a model of a seismograph and investigate which structural designs are most likely to survive an earthquake.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost
Young scholars expand their understanding of solid waste management. They examine the effects of packaging decisions. They study engineering advancements in packaging materials and solid waste management.
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Rock Solid
Students investigate the three types of material stress related to rocks. They watch a PowerPoint Presentation, view an online animation of the three types of rock stress, identify the various types of rocks, answer true or false...
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Aqua-Thrusters!
Students construct their own rocket-powered boat called an "aqua-thruster." These aqua-thrusters will be made from a film canister and will use carbon dioxide gas - produced from a chemical reaction between an antacid tablet and water -...
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TE Activity: Heavy Helicopters
Learners study the concepts of weight and drag while making paper helicopters. They measure how adding more weight to the helicopter changes the time for the helicopter to fall to the ground. They apply what they examine to the work of...
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TE Activity: You're in Hot Water
Learners study different ways of using solar energy. They design a solar water heater and determine how much water it can heat in a set amount of time. They examine how the heaters work by solar radiation and convection.
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TE Lesson: Land on the Run
Students study the causes of different types and speeds of landslides. They determine that landslides are the result of gravity, friction, and the materials involved. They examine the step engineers are taking to prevent and avoid...
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Stomata: Microscopic Openings that Let Plants Breathe
Young scholars participate in a lab experiment to observe and measure the opening and closing of stomata. They focus on photoperiod, locate and identify stomata on a leaf and explain the role of stomata in the daily functioning of a plant.
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Impact of Ancient Rome on Life Today
Middle schoolers research the importance of ancient Rome to the world today. In this ancient Rome lesson, students view video and research to gather information for a slide show about Ancient Rome.