Read biographies and use the internet to research stories of courage.Young writers compare and contrast characteristics that societies value. They write reports about their family and community's heroes.

Students identify a veteran to interview. This could be a family member of one of students or someone contacted through an organization in the community. They use a storyboard to plan their movie about their subject.

Learners examine how a community works together to protect them from fire. They work together to design a functional tool that could be helpful in fighting fires. They share their tool with the class.

Scholars, in groups, gather information relating to community health care. Using video and digital cameras, they interview members of a health center staff. They then compile digital images, select music, and narrate a story about their...

Students read background material on lead poisoning, assessing its impact on students. They locate local sources that might contain lead-based paint. Students research what is being done in the community to alleviate the problem. They...

Second graders discover that people can connect the dots of the stars to make pictures in the sky and have been doing so for thousands of years. They understand that throughout the United States people worked together to plan an escape...

Young scholars research nonprofit organizations. As they research, they learn how those living in the colonial period formed community organizations to provide for the common good of their society. Each pupil chooses one organization to...

Using the prairie dog community as an example, middle school ecologists examine the food web. Pairs of learners take one species in the community and research its role in the ecosystem. They share their findings with the rest of the...

Fifth graders study how respiration and circulation are connected.  In this respiratory instructional activity students complete several activities to better understand heart rate and carbon dioxide in the body. 

Students in this workshop strive to be reflective listeners as Master Teachers. They focus on communication skills necessary to deal with common family problems and community problems.

Students engage in a study of science and mathematics with the practice of creating graphs. A guest speaker comes to the class to share statistics from the community and the students are shown how he uses the coordinate system in the...

Third graders explore the sources of the various foods they eat. They examine how everyone is intricately connected to the ecosystems in which natural resources are produced. Students observe how the lives of people living in those...

Students explore Mandalas. They observe a PowerPoint presentation explaining the history of Mandalas and the Aztecs of Mexico. Students discover the connections between geometry, medicine, and ancient history. They describe the geometric...

What do an early 20th century poet and a 1980's rock star have in common with a novel from the 1960's? Using Wilfred Owen's poem "Disabled" and George Michael's song "Mother's Pride," learners answer questions about the lyrics and themes...

Students put together a potato battery that powers a digital clock. In this potato battery lesson plan, students learn the connection between energy from biomass and how we can apply it.

Sixth graders are introduced to artifacts and explore an online archaeological site to  connect clues about how people once lived. In this deductive reasoning lesson plan, 6th graders participate in the stratigraphy game on Kids Dig...

Upper grade and middle schoolers collect data, analyze and interpret the data. This three-part instructional activity should provide learners with a firm understanding about the differences between mean, median, and mode and how to...

Use this model, based on urban youth poetry competitions, to create an engaging venue for your poets to share their work out loud, with expression. Build class community, have fun, and celebrate your authors' original verse....

Secondary carpenters apply their skills to improve display spaces in classrooms at their campus. Includes a contract between workers and teachers who sign on for improvements in the their rooms. Concurrent exploration of building and...

Pupils explore geography by participating in a mapping activity. In this concentric ring lesson, students utilize a poster board, string and markers to identify their current location within the entire world. Pupils write about their...

The ultra-glamorous Muppet, Miss Piggy, launches a study of discrimination and ways to develop a more inclusive community.  A series of videos and activities raise awareness of discrimination and journal prompts asks participants to...

Students implement a plan to carry out a service project with a nonprofit organization. In this philanthropy instructional activity, students use a decision-making model to choose a local organization to work with and keep a journal of...

Students explore gardening. In this agriculture lesson, students plan and plant seeds according to the procedure modeled by a "master gardener." Flowers are distributed at a local retirement home.

Young scholars make connections between their daily lives and the usage of natural resources as they relate to the importance of environmental quality.  In this ecology activity, students listen to the story The Lorax by...