After a review of symbolism, class members use the provided worksheet to first list the objects they observe in Arnold Mesches' painting "Coney Island" and then suggest possible symbolic meanings for each of the objects. A second...

To begin a study of what it means to be American, high schoolers first consider their own identities. They draw a picture of what they think an American looks like and share their images. Next, they examine an image of the "Flag of...

What three readily available things would you grab in case of an emergency? That's the question that launches a unit study of William Golding's The Lord of the Flies. After sharing their choices, class members read Golding's rationale...

Massive storms, shipwrecks, survivors stranded on an island ruled by an aging magician, and strange creatures—Shakespeare's The Tempest appeals to today's middle schoolers. For this unit, seventh graders read selections from an...

On the Caribbean islands, lizards expanded into different niches instead of competing for resources. Scholars discuss and learn from experts in a video how scientists prove the theory. They build phylogenetic trees based on appearances...

Provide a primary source document for the class to read and analyze. They read the 12-paragraph introduction to the book Our Islands and Their People, then answer six critical-analysis questions about Wheeler's statement on the...

Fourth graders examine the islands of Hawaii. Using this information, they organize it and create a map or graph that represents the data. As a class, they discuss how the watersheds on the islands are different and how people react to...

Students investigate, identify and compare the various geographic terms that can be used to describe the landforms occurring in the Hawaiian islands.

  Did you know that 50% of all Americans can trace a relative who traveled through Ellis Island? Relive these journeys with your class and then provide sentence strategy templates for them to use to compose their own informative...

Take a trip to Puerto Rico! Learners engage in a web quest, identify Puerto Rico on the map, and gather information related to physical features and cultural factors. Their efforts culminate when they design a brochure comparing the...

Pretend you are exploring a newly discovered species of fish in the Galapagos. Your budding marine biologists access FishBase Database's list of marine/brackish fishes and choose one to research. The link through this website does not...

Students study low tides and how to calculate for fresh water. In this ocean science instructional activity, students pretend they are stranded on an island and must calculate low tide in order to source the fresh water aquifer. Students...

Play around with collective nouns! For this activity, learners read and study a story about a band of thieves coming to an island. Readers look for the collective noun groups in the story and circle all 40 of them. This exercise includes...

In a series of lessons, examine the impact on humans by microcosms in the biosphere. Among the plans structured for students with different abilities and learning styles, are activities describing the symbiotic relationship, drawing the...

Students living in Hawaii draw a picture of themselves in their neighborhood. They draw their neighborhood in relation to their district and then in relation to the island they are from. They compare their pictures to their classmates'...

What a clever idea! Chemistry learners imagine themselves deserted on an island with a radio, but no batteries. They also have a few odds and ends in their pockets and storage chest. They are challenged to create a battery that will...

Pupils research patterns of immigration throughout American history. The focus is on the process of how immigrants came through Ellis Island. Students reflect upon the topic to develop critical thinking skills.

Students compare a globe and a two-dimensional world map and explore how they both represent the planet Earth. They locate the Hawaiian Islands on the globe or the world map and describe how the geographical position is unique.

Fifth graders work in groups of three to produce a slide show (at least 5 slides, no more than 8) in Kid Pix. They work in groups, and plan a slide show of at least 5 slides for presentation on the different sea life they studied during...

Learners explore scale drawings. They use maps to investigate scale drawings.  Students create a scale drawing of their own island. 

Focusing on the wildlife in their area, learners identify endangered and threatened species and what these animals need to survive. While this lesson involves animals in the Long Island area, it could be adapted for use with any area.

Students visit a number of sites on immigration that were created by other children. They evaluate the sorts of research students carried out to create the site, how it is structured, what sort of information and graphics are included....

Students discuss what it would be like to be new to a town. They are then asked questions related to the immigrants coming to America. Extensions of this lesson are available.

Eleventh graders explore, examine and study immigration in the United States from 1880-1910. They identify different aspects of the American immigration movement. Each student also shares where their ancestors are from and their...