Winter in the cold Northwoods of Wisconsin can be hard on animals that aren't adapted to the climate. Investigate the animals that are out and about even in the coldest winter temperatures as you and your class examine animal...

Circulate this news: the heart is a pump containing one-way valves! Following the previous lesson on the external structure of the heart, learners now take a look at the inside. They use a three-color diagram to label a black-and-white...

The water cycle is one of earth's most easily observable processes, but demonstrating each step within classroom walls can be a challenge. Through a series of videos and quick demonstrations, cover each aspect of the hydrologic cycle in...

Beginning biologists explore passive transport through two demonstrations and a hands-on inquiry. Spray air freshener from one spot in the classroom and have class members raise their hands as the scent reaches them. Also, place a teabag...

Learners use primary sources - diaries, letters, and photographs - to explore the experiences of women in the Civil War. By looking at a series of document galleries, the perspectives of slave women, plantation mistresses, female spies,...

Honor each individual in your class by setting aside a week for each learner. Send out a copy of this letter and the materials listed in it each week to the parents or guardians of a particular pupil.

Students build a sense of community within the classroom. In this community instructional activity students create individual pieces of a puzzle that when put together represent the community within their classroom. The central piece is...

An amazing amount of information is packed into this 44-page packet. Everything from how to avoid first day jiggers to planning first day activities, from personal and classroom safety tips to how to break up fights, from classroom...

How can you foster a thoughtful learning community for your class? First, the class brainstorms a list of behaviors that will help make the classroom a great place to learn. Then learners group similar ideas together and come up with...

Spiff up your classroom walls with three adorable templates! Each hot air balloon, puzzle piece, or surfboard can be decorated by a teacher or pupil and pinned up on the wall to create a cute class display.

Turn your class into a group of self-motivated learners with this goal setting resource. Children will take ownership over their own education as they set goals for themselves and reflect on their progress, creating a record...

Young mathematicians demonstrate their understanding of cardinality with this simple math worksheet. Given a series of ten empty fishbowls, learners are asked to draw in the number of fish indicated on each bowl.

Ever wonder how to memorialize World War I heroes in the classroom? Activities in a high-quality social studies resource prompt middle schoolers to research Internet sources, complete a graphic organizer, and write an editorial feature...

What better way to elicit the support of parents and guardians in project-based learning than with a letter directed to them that details the project, the activities involved, and suggestions for how they can support their learner. The...

Some parent/guardian contact forms are just better than others. This one is great. Respectful, informative, complete, this communication form even includes an assurance that the information will not be shared.

Whose responsibility is it to protect equal rights? Class members engage in a series of activities that create awareness of the prejudice and intolerance persons with disabilities face. They then create a message addressed to their...

An excellent lesson plan on the classic book, Where the Red Fern Grows. Learners view the W. Wilson Rawls website and engage in a series of activities generated by the website. They write in their reflective journals, watch a video, and...

Foster community in your classroom and encourage learners to get up and get to know each other. Individuals each receive the classmate inventory handout included and use it to fill in information about their fellow scholars. Once they...

Upper elementary schoolers investigate philanthropy and selflessness by reading a children's book. In this ethics lesson, they read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, and research Mahatma Gandhi's troublesome, yet inspiring, life....

Set up each pupil's desk with one of these back-to-school printables. Each desk decoration includes a line to write in the individual's name as well as a copy of the alphabet, complete with arrows and numbers that show learners how to...