To demonstrate their ability to craft an analysis of informational text, class members read excerpts from James Madison's "The Federalist No. 10," from George Washington's Farewell Address, and from Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural...

How does your class measure up? Young scientists create a scale drawing of the JOIDES Resolution in a collaborative activity. The lesson incorporates mathematical principles with deep-sea exploration to focus on enhancing measurement...

Study diffraction patterns using CDs and DVDs! Scholars measure the diffraction patterns of a light wave as it hits a CD or DVD. Using the information, they can measure the distance between the tracks. 

Explore optics using an inquiry-based experimental approach! Young scholars use a set of materials to design and build a unit capable of focusing a beam of light. They experiment with different lenses to determine the best approach to...

Does pride really goeth before the fall, or can it be essential to one's development? Second graders read two of Aesop's fables that refer to pride in their morals, and write a short essay about whether pride is good or bad, based on...

Challenge writers to compose an essay detailing their stance on, and the history of, voting. Three assignments, each broken down into three parts, requires fifth graders to take notes, read and complete charts, write paragraphs, compare...

Leonardo da Vinci is the focus of a hands-on activity that encourages scholars to become inventors. Pupils brainstorm and sketch their idea, compose a detailed depiction using a mirror writing technique, and antique the paper for a...

Your classroom will overflow with learning as they analyze the volume in a pot of meatballs. Young mathematicians predict the number of meatballs that will make a pot of sauce overflow. They incorporate both the volume of cylinders and...

Does the size of a sample change the physical properties of that substance? It turns out it can! Young scientists combine physics and chemistry to synthesize CdSe quantum dots and record their color properties. Learners should...

Dig deep into a lesson studying volume. Learners view images of a Guatemalan sinkhole that seems too big to be true! Their task is to determine the amount of material needed to fill the hole using information from news articles and videos.

Around and around you'll go! Learners analyze the periodic nature of a Ferris wheel. Using a trigonometric function, they make predictions about the location of a specific car at the end of the ride and its total trips around the circle.

The incredibly shrinking meter—decimeters to centimeters, to millimeters, and now to nanometers! Learners may have a difficult time visualizing particles on a nanoscale. Help them see a little clearer using a well-designed lesson...

Chart your way to an understanding of nanoscale. Using a Google map, learners estimate a radius around their location of 1,000 and 1,000,000 meters. Predicting what 1,000,000,000 meters would look like takes them off the charts!...

Don't let your eyes play tricks on you ... use scale to keep your eyes in check! Young scholars observe images without scale and try to identify the structure. Then, they look at the same image with a scale bar and assess whether their...

Young mathematicians demonstrate what they know about measurement with a four-task assessment that focuses on estimation, length, and inches.

Test mathematicians' knowledge of adding fractions with a brief assessment that challenges them to play teacher while correcting a peer's work. Scholars examine Carl's mathematical response, identify where he went wrong,...

Three options offer young writers the opportunity to read a short story, answer questions, and write a response. A handy language arts resource focuses on reading comprehension and analyziing the story's lesson: look before you leap. 

Two informational texts feature community gardens of the past and present and how seeds grow. Scholars read, discuss what they have read, complete a timeline, define words, and compose a brief essay about the texts' main idea.

Physics class sure can have its ups and downs! The first in a series of seven interactives from the Waves and Sound series introduces young learners to the concept of wavelength. Scholars work through the interactive to discover the...

What can your class tell about a wave just by looking at it? Using a simulation, physics pupils work through a series of case studies to determine the effects of speed, frequency, and density on waves. Part of a larger playlist on waves...

Sometimes it's okay to rock the boat! Science scholars manipulate wave properties using a fun interactive. Part of a larger playlist that dives into waves and sound, the lesson helps users work their way from apprentice to wizard by...

Turn it up! Sound scientists explore the decibel scale through an interactive that calculates movement up and down the scale. Part of a series of interactives that explore sounds and waves, the resource includes a help feature to support...

Don't string your class along! Physics scholars discover the fascinating forces behind the music of stringed instruments using an interactive. From a series covering sounds and waves, the interactive asks users to identify nodes and...

Ever wonder what really goes on inside a clarinet? Show your young scientists the physics of open-end air columns through an easy-to-use interactive. Learners examine the features of standing waves and calculate frequency and length in a...