Students view the video "Jefferson's Blood" and complete a series of activities, dealing with both Thomas Jefferson's public and private life, in order to better explain Jefferson as a man and politician.

Students role-play as engineers designing wedge tools. They devise methods for shaping quarry rocks into pyramid blocks. Following a teacher demonstration, they use materials such as soap, clay, and foam for blocks and wood, plastic,...

Students role-play as villagers, the governor, volcanologists, or the press in a simulation about the possible threat of a nearby volcanic eruption.

Students analyze the details of a topographic map and create one of their own by utilyzing a map of elevations.

Students complete a writing assignment focused on the use of data to support the theory of plate tectonics. They access data using the "Our Dynamic Planet" CDROM, capture images of the data plots, and incorporate them into their writing. T

Students identify and study New York State Breeding Bird Atlas maps to learn where different bird species nest and how their distributions have changed over time. They also identify how maps serve as representations of a geographic...

Middle schoolers gain understanding about where some of today's words originated by reviewing a list of Latin words and their meanings. They work in small groups to create dictionary pages which will then be compiled into a large...

Students model a watershed and delineate one using topographic maps. In this hydrology lesson, students use aluminum foil to model a landscape and observe how water moves on it. They also observe the features of a topographic map and use...

Students recognize that for a trout habitat to be ideal, several components must be present.  In this trout lesson, students explore what makes a healthy stream.  Students create paintings for a mural of a trout habitat....

Young scholars experiment with locating oil reserves. In this conservation lesson, students use a cardboard box to create sand, rocks, and an oil reserve (water balloon). They use a probe to dig around in the box to find the oil reserve...

Learners identify the different parts and functions of the cardiovascular system. In this forensics lesson, students collect and analyze evidence on a fictional crime. They describe different causes of cardiac arrest.

Students create a timeline of the times dinosaurs lived.  In this  dinosaur timeline instructional activity, students research the various periods when dinosaurs lived. Students work in groups to research the dinosaurs of a...

Students compare geologic time periods to the calendar year. They set up a live-action student timeline in the classroom.

Young scholars observe how math is important in navigation and engineering. They study how surveyors use math and science to calcute, count, measure, label, and indicate distances on a map. They estimate specific distances.

Students pan for minerals in a stream and discover why magnets attract magenitite but not nonmagnetic grains. They participate in the actual panning process and bag samples to be examined in class. Students recognize minerals by color...

Students explore the plate boundaries of the earth. Through the use of video, internet and hands-on activities, students examine the types of plate boundaries. They create a model to illustrate the movement and interaction of the...

Students take a closer look at flooding. In this floods lesson plan, students investigate the causes of flooding and the impact of flooding as they examine a flooding animation.

Eighth graders study the earth's surface.  In this planet structure lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation then draw and label the earths layers. 

Students observe different substances under the microscope. In this space science lesson, students identify the different features of SEM images. They formulate a conclusion about the images of Mars meteorites.

Students identify the different factors affecting the size and shape of ocean waves. For this math lesson, students calculate wave speed and wavelength given a mathematical formula.

Students research and design an educational earthquake Web site, using the current disaster in Afghanistan as a starting point. They begin by reading and discussing As Many as 2,000 Feared Dead in Afghan Earthquakes which is imbedded in...

Students simulate the impact of fluctuating river volumes on structures and landforms. They experiment with table top-sized riverbed models and water. Students consider how human design can help mitigate the effects of a flood.

Eighth graders build a structure that is able to withstand a simulated earthquake. They research earthquakes, earthquake measurement, and society's preparation for and reaction to them. Pupils build models and present them to the...

Young scholars examine the absolute dating of fossils, they use a list of names and ages to determine the difference between relative age and absolute age. They explore the relative age and absolute age of people and of fossils.