Learn about Mexican culture while simultaneously strengthening reading, writing and computer skills. In order to get the most out of Esperanza Rising, pupils should have prior knowledge of Mexican culture. Therefore, there are links to a...

Investigate nutrition and the food pyramid. Fifth graders will use computer software to write a paragraph about nutrition. They will then diagram the food pyramid and gather and organize a collection of healthy recipes.

Middle schoolers use pieces of farm pictures to investigate the elements of art.  In this farm art lesson, students use pieces of pictures to create an original artwork. Middle schoolers use the Internet to find images. ...

Investigate Hawaii's sandy shore ecosystem! Start by creating a vocabulary list and having your class complete a KWL chart. Next, pass out the "I think of" sheet. Each learner will then choose a word from a beach bucket and add it to...

Glucose is a simple sugar and a molecule that can be illustrated through modeling. Scientific investigators with visual impairments use hands-on models to reconstruct the process of bonding molecules. The tools used in this activity are...

Students investigate the art of baseball. For this sports lesson, students discuss their thoughts about the sport of baseball and create a baseball word list. Students use pattern blocks and drawing paper to create a...

Students design investigations to test various materials to prevent heat gain in frozen water. The task assess students' knowledge of scientific inquiry including the following skills: observation, data collection, measurement,...

Students take on the role of epidemiologists. They investigate an "outbreak" in serious birth defects that occur in infants born to teenage girls. students discover a link between the use of the acne drug called Accutane and birth defects.

Is the expansion of American corporations abroad a good or bad thing? After examining the global operations of Ford Motor Company, McDonald's, and Walmart, class members are asked to evaluate the impact of globalization and...

Winter, spring, summer, and fall—take the learning of the seasons beyond the elementary level to the middle school classroom. Curious learners begin by watching videos about the seasons and the rotation of planet Earth. Then,...

Learn more about the policy of the United States to contain communism during the Cold War. The fifth installment of an eight-part series looks at primary and secondary materials about a challenging time in history. After analyzing the...

Shake your earthquake-resistant building prototype! Groups create structures using coffee stirrers and clay that can withstand seismic waves. They then test their structures against their own earthquakes.

Students research the tetrahedral kites invented by Alexander Graham Bell. In this components of flight lesson, students examine the kites made by Bell and his team. Students create their own kite and add them together as a class to...

Students participate in an environmental clean-up activity. For this environmental lesson, students travel to a local beach. Working in small teams, students collect trash from the local beach. Returning to school, students sort the...

Students determine the cost of a t-shirt using a variety of mathematical operations to solve problems. Then they use a spreadsheet to calculate the cost of lettering a t-shirt and display this information in a graph.

Students analyze data and determine an appropriate concrete mixture. In this technical solutions lesson, students discuss weighted objectives, review sample scenarios, and rate concrete recipes to identify how well water infiltrates....

Music reflects culture and culture is reflected in popular music. Reading an article on how hip-hop has affected the lives of two young men of different races launches an investigation of the development and influences of various musical...

Students design and conduct an open-ended investigation using a variety of earth materials to answer a questions posed by the teacher: How does the erosion of sand compare with the erosion of gravel? After producing evidence that...

Students must design and conduct an experiment to determine which unknown liquid has a greater density based on basic information about the liquids and containers. Students are given specific materials to work with.

Students explore timed observations for science investigations. They record ideas on a chart related to a classroom closed terrarium. They repeat their observations for several days and time observations for changing shadows during the...

Eighth graders explore and demonstrate an understanding of the factors that contribute to the efficient operation of mechanisms and simple machines. They design and make a mechanical toy device that moves a given object a specified...

Investigate the current financial market and have your class explore savings, borrowing, financial markets, mutual funds, and the stock market. This four-part lesson is designed to help students become knowledgeable and informed consumers.

I love lessons that incorporate the arts, they're so engaging and address a more diverse set of learners. Your class will investigate the reasons fish from the coal reef have adapted such colorful fins. They design a fish that uses color...

Has your class ever wondered how animals and scientists stay warm in the Polar Regions? Kids will investigate to understand the three types of heat transfer and how heat transfer affects those trying to stay toasty in sub-zero...