Eighth graders design and construct a safe and efficient human powered watercraft that can be used on a trip on the Great Lakes. Students utilize math and measurement skills to design and cut the pieces for their boat. Working in...

Young scholars explore the principles of buoyancy and Archimedes' Principle and design their own flotation device. They compare the dimensions of a model to the real object to determine scale and analyze the models to suggest improvements.

Whatever floats your boat. Young engineers learn about density by measuring the masses and volumes of boxes filled with different materials. Using their knowledge of densities, they hypothesize whether objects with given densities will...

This overview of Theodore Taylor's The Cay is designed as an introduction for teachers who are considering using Theodore Taylor's novel for whole-class and/or book circle study. 

Designed for teachers who use Theodore Taylor's The Cay, this 11-page packet includes a synopsis of the story, chapter-based quizzes, and an answer key.

After reading Elvira Woodruff's George Washington's Socks, young readers and writers embark upon writing their own historically based story, with a focus on developing ideas and details throughout the piece. In small groups, class...

Build a spectrometer to analyze properties of light. Scholars examine the spectrum from CDs and DVDs from two different light sources. Using the spectrum, they work to identify different elements.

Learners design and make products and take into account how the products will be used. In this problem solving lesson, students use a range of sources of information to test their design thinking while creating a canal vessel that can...

Student design their own canal company logo/design. In this design and creativity lesson plan, learners use primary historical sources as the foundation upon which to develop their creativity and ability to investigate, develop, and...

Students develop a fast travelling hull for a boat. In this physical science lesson plan, the students' hulls will be tested in a channel (built by the teacher) with a fan as the driving force. The students will compete for who has the...

Students design a simple boat and predict how much weight it can carry. They should also discover why objects float or sink and how this can be determined experimentally. A great lesson on buoyancy!

Bridge the gaps in your knowledge of bridges. Individuals learn about bridge types by building models. The activity introduces beam bridges, arch bridges, truss bridges, and suspension bridges.

Pupils build a boat. They explore and examine the types of materials used in boat building. In groups, pupils copy their plans onto the plywood and begin to build the boat. During this fifteen day program, students follow instructions to...

Students create their own family crest using prior knowledge and Japanese and Native American examples of symbolic art. Lesson extensions include the creation of a school crest or woodblock examples of crests.

Students use arm muscle strength to perform a partner activity. In this strength building activity, students work with a partner to create a "boat" with mats and a scooter. Partners take turns being pulled or pulling the scooter boat.

Student read Sheryl Wilson's story, "A Day at the Beach" while classifying items they find. They design a chart of the items before using educational graphing software to create a graph.

If you happen to live in Indiana, or a neighboring state, and are planning a field trip to the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site, then this lesson plan will suit your needs quite well. In it, suggestions for activities before, during,...

A passage from Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is the text for a cloze reading activity designed to determine the comprehension skills of class members. The resource includes the instructional activity, an answer key, and step-by-step...

Students review and discuss five important summer safety tips.

Young scholars listen and respond to various forms of Caribbean music. In this music and culture lesson, students clap rhythms and respond to a sung call. Lyrics are analyzed for language blends and repetition. Music and culture from...

Students explore a transportation story. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read The Thumb in Box and discuss the provided discussion questions regarding the plot of the story.

Fifth graders investigate buoyancy by conducting a science experiment.  In this water properties lesson, 5th graders predict which of their different paper boat designs will float for the longest period.  Students conduct the...

For this ESL vocabulary worksheet, students cross out the words in the diagram by following the 10 directions. Students read the leftover words that creates a proverb.

Learners, using wood blocks and model boats, investigate how the shape of an object affects friction it encounters as it is drawn through a towing tank.