Young scholars prepare experiment plans for a peer review session to test the intelligence level of gorillas. They view and discuss a Discovery Channel video on the wild behaviors of gorillas then create three experiments that could...

Learners analyze photographs to understand life on a plantation.  In this vanished occupations instructional activity, students examine why iron plantations were created and what natural resources were needed to make iron. Learners...

Students use their imaginations to write about an imaginary trip. In this creative writing instructional activity, students write about an imaginary trip. Students brainstorm writing ideas as a class and use past...

Middle schoolers work with primary documents and latter-day photographs to recapture the experience of traveling on the Oregon Trail. Working in groups, they write a scene for the movie that is historically accurate and based on the...

Third graders review common fairy tales and work in teams to rewrite the fairy tales as news articles. They answer questions using the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, why). Student articles include eye-catching headlines.

Students identify and explain various fish behaviors through observation. Over several months, they watch one fish in the classroom aquarium and record its behaviors in notebooks. They visit a virtual aquarium Website to find...

Students critique the transition of "Holes" from a novel to screenplay and consider how the details in a book are brought to life in a movie. They then choose a scene in a book and transform it into an original script after brainstorming...

Students investigate the impact of historical events. In this historical scavenger hunt lesson, students examine photographs of a local monument that zoom in on details. Students record their impressions regarding the photos. Students...

Students evaluate geography by drawing an image in class. In this river activity, students identify a list of vocabulary terms associated with bodies of water. Students identify how a river is formed and draw a picture of one including...

Students consider alternate uses of everyday items and create costumes and props from these items for skits to entertain Students.

Students observe geometric relationships in buildings and structures. They reason why structures are constructed in a specific way by applying geometric concepts. They construct a shelter using their geometric knowledge.

Students view a film segment and identify examples of world conflict. They examine why groups fight for control of land or natural resources. They discover ways in which conflict can be avoided.

Students explore islands. They create a two- or three-dimensional map of an island. They explain how the topography of an area influences the location of water sources, ecosystems, and human settlements. Lesson includes adaptations for...

Students describe the basic life history of one shorebird common to their area. They use the writing process which includes brainstorming, rough draft writing, peer editing, and re-writing to create a factually and grammatically...

Students break into families of 4 members. They brainstorm issues that they would encounter as an immigrant family by creating a web. Students are given roles to research focusing on that perspective: father, mother, grandparent, and child.

Students investigate how animals move. In this animals lesson, students use pictures of animals and demonstrate how each of them moves from place to place.

Learners identify the exploitations of child soldiers. In this global issues lesson, students listen to a story that puts them in the shoes a 16 year old child soldier. Learners discuss the plight of the teenager and then write creative...

High schoolers examine Sir Thomas More's Utopian vision. In this philosophy lesson, students read Utopia and determine the pros and cons of Utopian societies. High schoolers then create and present monologues of residents of the Utopia.

Students 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. 

Students discover the emergence of e-mail as a popular communication tool and explore its impact on society. They consider the advantages and disadvantages of different types of communication tools in various creative contexts.

Young scholars explore historical importance of fish as food source, examine works of Robert Harris, create their own fish, and compose accompanying poetry. Students then explore dramatic tradition of Chorus inspired by Greek theatre,...

Young scholars work in groups to imagine, research and simulate a dinner party involving an author, a fictional character, and a significant historical figure as dinner guests. The activity uses Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and...

Fourth graders develop their speaking skills. In this monologue lesson, 4th graders watch their instructors model a monologue regarding Abraham Lincoln. Students apply these skills as they research a historical figure from their state...

Students examine how a screw works as an inclined plane and a hand drill works as a screw. For this physics lesson, students complete two hands-on activities working with simple machines including screws and hand drills. This lesson...