Students design an environmentally friendly home.  In this middle school math/science lesson, students watch videos on creating green design.  Students work in collaborative groups to determine what makes a house green and to...

Learners research cafeteria composting. In this composting instructional activity, students design a vessel that would allow the cafeteria staff to collect food scraps for composting. Then learners build a prototype and present it to the...

Twelfth graders examine the characteristics of transcendentalism. For this transcendentalism lesson, 12th graders determine what this type of writing entails before reading a passage from, Ray Bradbury's, Dandelion Wine. They cite three...

Seventh graders examine the setting in pieces of fiction.  In this story analysis lesson, 7th graders investigate the setting in fictional stories and the importance it has.  Students discover new vocabulary terms applying to...

Students explore the relationship between nature and architecture. In this cross curriculum history, culture, and architecture lesson, students observe and discuss structures visible in nature. Students view websites in which Native...

Learners create a children's book version of the Japanese folk story "Momotaro Boy of the Peach" and present the story to elementary students. In this children's book lesson plan, learners design their book to explain Japanese culture to...

Students create a simple machine to help with the design of the traditional can opener. In this simple machines lesson plan, students analyze the can opener, and use the design process to solve problems.

Middle schoolers research burial tombs of ancient Egypt. Acting as pharaohs of Egypt, students create burial plans to decide what items they would include in their own tombs and why. They find another student to analyze their plan.

For this activity students pretend that they have been hired by a candy manufacturer to design a box for a new product they are beginning to market. The manufacturer has pre-determined the volume of the candy box. It is the students' job...

Sixth graders research Canadian geography - the land and the bodies of water. They then plan an imaginary canoe trip through six major water bodies in Canada. They conclude the unit of study with a creative story.

Students investigate the statehood of West Virginia. In this lesson on statehood, students use primary sources to examine the separation of Virginia from Wes Virginia. The lesson incorporates a field trip as a means to put knowledge into...

Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...

Sixth graders listen to "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford and discuss what it means to owe one's soul to a store. In this mathematics lesson plan, 6th graders determine what a miner's income was minus his expenses graphing findings...

Fourth graders see how to define and then recognize a variety of propaganda techniques at work in their everyday world. Choosing one technique, they creatively demonstrate a thorough understanding from real world experiences. A very rich...

Students research the geologic time scales and the appearance of animals and plants during these eras. They complete a chart indicating the era, period and major events.

Students examine the relationship between history, the use of a given space, and its design. They research the relationship between technology and design while exploring a variety of sources. They study what scale models are and how to...

Students listen to books and answer questions using reading skills. In this reading lesson, students develop reading strategies such as decoding, understanding characters, and comprehension. Students relate characters and events in the...

Students explore the concept of topographical maps.  In this topographical map lesson, students discuss how airplanes know where to fly.  Students use topographical maps to simulate a field trip on the computer. 

Students research the history and contributions of Jazz in their local environments. They then design and create a wide variety of presentations to share with the class using as many mediums as possible.

Middle schoolers discuss vocabulary words and compare definitions. They read chapters 6-9 of the novel, Dragonwings, and discuss point of view, and complete a plot diagram. Then they review the four types of conflict and identify the...

Students review new terminology and computer circuits and the value of a resistor. They complete three experiments, "Resistance Activities," Transistor Activities,"Diode Activities" and enter data, results and their findings on Student...

Students create a solution to a social justice problem within their community. In this urban planning activity, students read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines. Students then complete a...

Fourth graders recognize that ethnicity, religion and geography are reflected in the food choices we make. In this food choices lesson, 4th graders discuss different types of food from different places. Students compare a menu to the...

Students investigate the lives of pets by videotaping them.  In this animal life lesson, students videotape a cat and other pets using school cameras in a computer lab.  Students review the footage from the cat and other...