Young geographers collect samples of different kinds of soil to match to the soil terms in Barry Rudner's rhyming book Filet of Soil: dirt, mud, dust, soot, etc. They start a glossary for the project on index cards or large sheets...

Elementary schoolers discover how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings. They take a close look at some of the materials used: sand, salt, water, and shredded paper and evaluate the efficiency of each material. An incredible...

Using a pinhole in an index card, learners of light find that it can be used as a magnifier. 

What would Ben do? Jumping off from the pseudonymous letters Ben Franklin fooled his older brother into publishing when he was still a teenager, young literary lovers dive into acting, writing, and addressing a local issue with wit and...

Linear measurement is the focus of this math instructional activity. Youngsters work in groups to build towers with blocks. They build towers represented on index cards and determine how many blocks taller one tower is.

Geometers identify and determine angle pair relationships when two parallel lines are intersected by a transversal. They review the concepts of angles by watching streaming video clips online, read definitions of lines and angles from...

Investigate perimeter and area of polygons! In this measurement activity, learners use index cards to create rectangles and trace their hand to estimate its area and perimeter.

Using NASA's Live Access Server, earth scientists compare the temperature, precipitation, and normalized difference vegetation index for four different locations. They use the data to identify the climate zone of each location using...

Life in the Bering Sea, food webs, and the ocean ecosystem are introduced with a map activity. The lesson starts as kids explore maps and images of the Bering Sea, then it kicks into high gear as they start to discuss the types of...

Explain the four categories of financial indicators (commodity prices, stock indexes, interest rates, and yield spreads), and help your class members understand how changes in this data can affect decisions regarding consumer spending,...

Young historians examine the cost of goods and services through the Consumer Price Index (CPI), output measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and unemployment measured by the unemployment rate to gain an understanding of the economic...

What kind of organisms are living in the stream? After an explanation on how to use a dichotomous key, groups of three to four use the keys to identify macroinvertebrates from a local freshwater stream. Using the the concept of...

Do golf courses affect the water organisms in nearby streams and ponds? Small groups collect samples of water upstream and downstream from a golf course and analyze the macroinvertebrates found and the stream index values of...

Fourth graders complete a research project about the state of Michigan. They conduct Internet research, organize the information on index cards, and create a HyperStudio presentation.

The easiest way to learn how to use adjectives is through practice, practice, practice! Print out pictures of people and various objects, and have pairs attempt to describe the items together. This plan suggests providing laminated index...

Students practice grade level math skills. In this math lesson, students solve math facts on index cards and collaboratively arrange them in numerical order on a jump rope. Correct order earns the team a chance to physically move towards...

A well-designed presentation on non-fiction books awaits your young readers. They discover the features of a non-fiction book, and are shown the elements of a non-fiction book such as, the table of contents, the glossary, an index, and...

Using photographs and a coral reef identification key, junior marine biologists compare changes in coral cover for a No-Take Area and the surrounding unprotected area. The data that is collected is then analyzed for richness,...

How do we compare? Get your scholars measuring using this interactive and kinesthetic math activity. First, learners compare something (you announce- could be index finger, palm, feet, etc.) to classmates. Consider having them record...

Scientists monitor seasonal changes in plants to better understand their responses to climate change, in turn allowing them to make predictions regarding the future. The last activity in the series of six has scholars analyze BudBurst...

The U.S. Constitution states that the pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right. The United Nations' Global Happiness Index ranks countries according to the happiness of its citizens. As part of a discussion of the nature of...

What will that cost in the future? The scenario provides pupils with a growth as a Consumer Price Index. Learners create functions for a given item to determine future prices and graph them. Class members then compare their functions to...

Students, after becoming familiar with different names of towns in Arkansas, practice using a map grid and map index.

Learners calculate their BMI and compare it to a healthy weight chart.  In this health lesson, students compare the perception of overweight with healthy weight charts. Learners interpret collected data and evaluate their own weight...