What makes sports so special to many Americans? Scholars ponder the question as they participate in a gallery walk, immersing themselves in images and texts about sports. Pupils also complete a vocabulary strategies anchor chart to...

A land with no trees. Scholars analyze the text The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations and discuss the word landscape. They imagine what it would be like living on a land with no trees. At the end, individuals work in...

That's a disaster! Scholars complete a gallery walk to view images and make inferences about natural disasters. They fill out a note catcher about what they observe and infer any questions they may have. They then participate in a World...

Students examine the concept of 'nation building,' focusing on outcomes of U.S. involvement in nation building efforts in Afghanistan, past and present attempts at nation building and how the U.S. should proceed in the war against...

Middle schoolers create tornado proof buildings.  In this weather instructional activity, students review tornadoes, discuss creation of tornado proof buildings, and learn about the Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity.  Middle...

Students compare and contrast castles and forts. They observe buildings in their community and consider how castles and forts are similar. They design their own castle or fort and brainstorm materials to build with, discuss how the...

Students attempt to design and build the most stable "earthquke resistant" structure. They create model buildings and test them on a shake table to see which design holds up the best.

Students examine skyscrapers by conducting Internet research and by creating and interpreting graphs. After reading the book, "Skyscraper," they discuss reasons why the structures are built. Once they have researched the tallest...

Students identify the equipment and people needed to build a house. In this professions lesson, students construct a KWL chart on the topic of "Who builds a house?" Students read the book How a House is Built. Students add facts to the...

In this earthquake learning exercise, students fill in 9 blanks with given terms related to earthquake fault zones, earthquakes and safety related to earthquakes. They also answer 4 questions about earthquake zones, building codes and...

Students explore the architecture of New England by identifying geometric shapes.  In this architectural lesson plan, students examine photographs of classic building architecture and use a transparency to trace geometric shapes...

Students develop a creative building design. In this technology instructional activity, students create a model of their building using a computer software. They present their final product in class.

Students explore Green Construction. In this lesson based on the experiences of Peace Corps volunteers, students gain insight into alternative construction in Guatemala. They examine the pros and cons of using alternative building...

Learners design and build a pedestal or platform that holds a toy animal. In this building lesson, students use knowledge from a prior lesson as they build a platform or pedestal for a toy animal using on index cards. They learn the...

Fifth graders investigate growth patterns using blocks. In this square and triangle numbers lesson, 5th graders predict sizes of larger triangles and squares based on numerical patterns they observed while building. 

Students plan and build a ramp designed for maximum distance a car can travel. In this physics and data collection math lesson, students work in groups to design a ramp using various household materials. Students test small cars on their...

Students determine how much it would cost to build a pyramid using modern materials and ancient methods. They design scale drawings, models and submit final cost bids in an attempt to get the job of building a pyramid.

Students examine the causes of tsunamis and observe a table top wave making machine. They make model houses while working in groups so that the can see how different construction types work. They discuss how engineers can design and...

Students research using Google Earth a variety of websites to explore America's most prominent and famous buildings. They then compare and contrast architectural styles and write a position paper defending or arguing against their chosen...

Sixth graders build figures out of tangrams. For this symmetry lesson, 6th graders view tangrams and identify the polygons included in them. Students divide into groups, identify their tangram pieces, define the lines of symmetry, and...

Eighth graders design and build a gingerbread house. In this technology lesson plan, 8th graders research the important components of a house. They evaluate the strength of their design and suggest modifications when necessary.

Fourth graders participate in activities to examine how simple machines help build things. They identify the six types of simple machines. They discover how simple machines where use historically to build pyramids and how they are still...

Learners experiment with different structures to determine which ones are able to handle the greatest amount of load using spaghetti and marshmallows. They discuss how engineers design buildings, construct their buildings and complete a...

Students explore bridges.  In this bridge lesson, students design and build a suspension bridge after visiting related websites and reviewing famous bridges in non-fiction books.  Students follow the instructions from the...