Use this economic activity to focus on writing summaries of informational text. First, middle schoolers define common economic terms used to describe news about the economy. They closely read news about the federal budget deficit and...

Students explain the content, purpose, and impact of the Tax Reform Acts of 1969 and 1986.

Provide a real world context in which exponential functions are used to determine a eal world phenomena such as compound interest and exponential growth. This lesson should be taught after students have mastered the laws of exponents and...

Students explore ancient tradition and craft of mask making, examine role or function of masks in African culture, create instruments, and participate in class projects.

Clay itself sinks, but clay boats float. Why? Young engineers build clay boats to learn about buoyancy. They test the weight the boats can hold using washers and then tweak their designs to make improvements, following the engineering...

Oceanographers participate in a memorable hands on experience about buoyancy. They build a model of a submersible using a plastic bottle and a balloon. Afterward, they answer assessment questions. An answer key and some terrific...

True to its titles, this engaging and appealing presentation brings the 1860's into close focus with a number of images and statistics that would delight any Civil War buff. A few graphs allow for pupil input, such as listing the...

Take your class through the period between World War I and World War II. Covering various treaties and pacts between America and its neighbors - namely, Japan, Germany, and the Soviet Union- these slides could inspire some political...

Before seeing this presentation, your class might not have a grasp of the contributions to art, science, and politics made by the Dutch in the 16th and 17th centuries. Comprehensive and engaging, the many images and discussion points in...

This lengthy assignment for English language learners includes a one-page reading on the Argentinian president, Cristina Kirchner, and numerous activities/exercises that address listening and reading comprehension, speaking, vocabulary...

How do you know which college is for you? Upper graders consider multiple factors about the college application process, the college system, and how colleges are ranked. They read a New York Times article on the subject then compose blog...

There are opposites all around you, even at school! Using an antonym word bank with playground-themed words, young learners complete sentences opposite in meaning from the ones provided.

Young scientists discover that air is a mixture of different gases - mainly nitrogen and oxygen. The properties of some of the other gases found in oxygen are listed in a table, then learners must decide which one of those gases is...

Groups of four high schoolers take a look at the Federal Reserve, and study the impacts associated with the tweaks they make to our economic system. Each group is given a true economic scenario from our nation's past, and must compile a...

Where in the world is the equator? Explore a world map with your class, coloring in oceans, continents, and rainforests while locating the three major lines of latitude: the equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn. Discuss how...

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,...

How does the Federal Open Market Committee work to formulate the nation's monetary policy in the United States? As the second segment of a lesson on the role of the Fed in setting monetary policy, class members will learn about open...

Political ads as primary source documents? But of course. Viewers analyze the strategies involved in the Republican Party's 1984 advertisement in support of Ronald Reagan's reelection. 

Break down the often-daunting topic of the stock market with this resource, in which pupils learn basic terminology regarding buying and selling stocks, as well as the factors that influence how much return individuals can receive...

When it comes to all the ways money management and financial responsibility weave into our daily lives as adults, make sure learners are prepared to locate resources for managing their finances, such as a financial advisor. 

Young mathematicians put their skills to the test in the real world during this four-lesson consumer math unit. Whether they are learning how compound interest can make them millionaires, calculating the cost of remodeling...

M.C. Escher's "Hand with Reflecting Globe" and the work of Dick Termes, inspire this activity. Kids check out their reflection in a Christmas ornament or a bubble filter and recreate this distorted image on a vinyl ball.

Show young readers how to use evidence from the text in an activity about making predictions. After reading five short passages, kids note what they think will happen next based on what they have read, and include the evidence that...

Liquids, gases, and solids are the states of matter in which scholars investigate in a lesson plan that offers in-depth information and engaging activities that look into the three states and the changes their properties make when mixed...