Understanding geography and government begins at the local level. Using maps and the parts of a newspaper, a unit plan introduces the concept of community. It starts with the creation of classroom and school maps, and then moves through...

Students research community gardens. In this community garden lesson, students discover the history of community gardens and assess the benefits of locally grown food. Students create propaganda posters aimed at inviting...

Barrio de Paz is the story of Nelsa Libertad Curbelo, a nun, who works with the gang youth of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The 17-minute documentary focuses on her explanations for the rise of gangs and for how gang culture reflects...

Motivate young scientists to stand up and take action with this environmental science lesson. To begin, the class works in small groups brainstorming actions that support the conservation of the earth before creating and implementing an...

See how changes in initial populations and parameters affect a biological community. Individuals use a special software program to simulate a desert community with five species. They adjust initial populations to see how the community...

Fifth graders brainstorm the relationship between trees and humans to determine how humans benefit from trees and how they benefit from us. They discuss oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange, soil stablization, animal habitat, shade, medicine...

Who keeps animals safe? Who keeps us safe? Discover the helpers that make learning and growing possible through a medley of activities that focus on habitats—ours and those in the rainforest. Scholars are asked to identify one...

General chemistry class members engage in a mini-unit on mole conversions. Through nine lab activites with varying degrees of difficulty, they practice measuring mass and volume, molar calculations, and stoichiometry. Terrific...

Students investigate the effects of hunger on a personal and community level. They examine how philanthropy can help alleviate hunger issues in the world and in their own community. They look at the available services using Internet...

Students, in cooperative groups, design and create a wildflower garden for the community. They write letters to property owners requesting use of their land and then write invitations to their parents and to local, state, and federal...

Elementary schoolers count and order objects using numbers 1-300. They bring recyclable items from home. Students group the items, skip count by 2's, 3's, and 5's, and arrange the items on a number line. Recyclable plastic bags are put...

Producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, decomposers. To begin a study of the forest ecosystem, learners examine the connections among the members of ecological communities.

Students participate in a service project about improving air quality. In this air quality lesson, students understand the problems and solutions for improvement of air quality issues. Students discuss and choose an air quality service...

Learners examine different types of land use by humans and evaluate the ways land is used in their local community. They also consider the environmental effects of the different types of land use. Students assume the role of community...

Students review and evaluate the ways land is covered and used in their local community. They consider the environmental effects of the different types of land use. Students act as community planning engineers to determine where to place...

An appropriate way to celebrate and conclude the construction of a rain garden is to share it with the community. Small groups collaborate to design an outreach product such as a PowerPoint presentation, brochure, or poster, to draw...

Young scholars study the HIV virus and how it has impacted the hispanic community.  In this infectious disease lesson students discover how HIV/Aids is found all over the world, what misconceptions are out there and what kinds of...

Fifth graders explore electrical concepts and host a guest speaker. This lesson sets up guidelines for students to follow when they have a guest speaker. Students are primed to become actively involved in a lecture or discussion, while...

Encourage your class to solve local environmental issues. Groups brainstorm environmental issues that are affecting the community, choose one they want to solve, and design a product or service to solve their chosen issue. They then...

Before your learners excuse themselves to get a drink at the water fountain, prompt them to think about where that water comes from. A middle school science lesson encourages groups to research their community's source of drinking water,...

As part of their study of the restoration projects on Santa Cruz Island, class members demonstrate their understanding of the connections among plant life, animals, and the actions of humans by crafting a model that reveals these...

Learners use an interactive simulation to explore the connection between force and air pressure. They adjust the mass of a vehicle and air pressure in its tires and predict the result. As the vehicle's mass increases, the tire pressure...

High schoolers communicate with an audience about a public health issue in multiple manners. They share their outreach materials with their peers and their chosen audience within the community.

Learners examine the relationship between animal adaptations, habitats and community interactions.  In this ecology lesson students complete a skull detective worksheet then use their knowledge to analyze a skull.