A wind turbine is essentially just a giant pinwheel, right? Individuals first create pinwheels from paper, pins, and pencils. In groups, they model a wind farm along a coast and then test out their designs using an electric fan.

Ready for an educational movie day? Use a resource based on the movie Whale Rider to learn more about the Maori culture. Class members answer a variety of questions and listen to music from the soundtrack to further analyze and...

Convenience, taste, portability ... what's not to love about bottled water? Apparently, a lot. Scholars analyze the four main arguments supporting and opposing the sale of bottled water. They explore the health, environmental, and...

When thinking about the American whaling industry most imagine Moby Dick and Nantucket sleigh rides, harpoons and scrimshaw, whale-oil lamps and baleen in women's corsets. But it may come as a surprise that the industry was also...

Students explore invasive species on an environment.  In this exploratory instructional activity students hypothesize why shrimp are on the decline and make a brochure or poster showing their results. 

Students explore how varying force and mass effect the motion of an object.  In this motion activity students participate in a class activity and demonstrations.

Students study hearing and are able to differentiate between different sound waves.  In this sound wave lesson students develop a cause and effect model that shows the parts of the ear. 

Students recognize three basic types of tectonic plate boundaries and explain what happens to each one.  In plate tectonics lesson students draw and label a cross-sectional diagram of the Earth. 

Students observe the effectiveness of detergents on breaking down proteins.  For this investigative lesson students participate in an activity that shows how proteins are broken down in gelatin and fill out a worksheet. 

Discuss with your oceanographers what forces cause nearshore upwelling and downwelling. Display a line of wind vectors alongside a graph of the temperatures so that they can discover whether or not they are related. Discussion questions...

Students access information at remote sites using telecommunications, identify impacts by reviewing past El Ni??o events, make and use scale drawings, maps, and maps symbols to find locations and describe relationships.

In this geography worksheet, 5th graders identify the regions of the state of Virginia and sort them according to location. Then 10 questions focus upon the specifics of different regions.

Focus on the geography of Oklahoma.  In this activity, learners compare different geographic regions in Oklahoma, create a collage to share their results, and identify important landforms throughout the United States, such as the...

Spark some lively conversation about American holiday traditions and debunk accepted notions about the first Thanksgiving at the same time. After reviewing the mainstream version of the Thanksgiving story with your class, offer some...

This simple lesson has young mathematicians consider all of the expenses, and monetary rewards a typical lobsterman encounters when going about his business. Given a few pieces of information, pupils must figure out a lobsterman will...

Elementary schoolers study the history and purpose of potlatches. The listen to two stories about potlatches, then design a potlatch that they will host for their family members. They must come up with the gifts they would give, the...

Young scholars examine how goods and ideas moved along an ancient trade route between China and Europe. They make charts of items, ideas, etc. that were transported along the Silk Route.

First graders research Belize and its landscape and animals on the included internet sites. The students complete activities/centers across the curriculum utilizing the facts they discovered.

First graders access the internet and use the sites provided to research Belize, and in particular, the Howler Monkey and Jaguar. Students participate in activities/centers utilizing the information they discovered.

Students are introduced to an early American inventor, Eli Whitney, and his experiences with the Patent Office. The economic importance of the cotton gin and its impact on slavery are also addressed.

Students explore marine turtle habitats. Students research one species of marine turtle found in the Gulf of Mexico. They identify plants and animals in the habitat. They create a model or replica using information gathered through their...

Seventh graders observe and test for the presence of carbon dioxide gas. They compare concentrations of carbon dioxide gas and conclude high concentrations of carbon dioxide gas are unhealthy for human beings.

Fourth graders explore pollution. They conduct preliminary research on pollution using the internet. Students share their findings with the group. They work with a group and create lists of facts on pollution.

Learners investigate, read, and discuss about other famous Afro-American leaders. Students compare/contrast slaves home, activities, etc. with that of Afro- Americans today. Learners create a time line to post on the wall of Harriet's...