Introduce the logic behind a dichotomous key or administer a group performance assessment with a fun and challenging classification lesson. With explicit instructions for the teacher and for collaborative groups, as well as engaging...

Craft some neat refrigerator magnets while studying ocean animals with a lesson about the anatomy of a fish. After kids learn about the different parts and shapes of fish, they use modeling compound to design their own fish.

If driving to school only takes 10 minutes, then how long does it take to drive to a tropical rainforest in Colombia? Explore the focus question in a lesson that uses measurement tools and formulas to figure out the time and...

The first remote sensors were people in hot air balloons taking photographs of Earth to make maps. Expose middle school learners to space exploration with the use of remote sensing. Groups explore and make observations of a new...

Scientists use ice core samples to obtain temperatures of the earth from 400,000 years ago! The third of five lessons instructs pupils to interpret historical climate data to see changes over time. In part I, participants interpret...

Many and many a year ago Edgar Allan Poe crafted the chilling tale of "Annabel Lee." The poem is the perfect vehicle to introduce Poe's concept of unity of effect, the idea that every element in a poem or story should help to develop a...

The legacy of Theodore Roosevelt carries through modern American politics, economics, foreign policy, and society. But his proudest and most profound efforts were in the world of conservation, and in preserving the natural beauty of...

Land on the green with a fun resource. A short performance task asks pupils to consider the volume of containers that hold golf balls. They determine the percentage of empty space of the container for different numbers of golf balls.

Turning white light into colors only takes a little scientific know how! Young scholars create their own spectroscope in a hands-on activity exploring the properties of light. Using a diffraction grating, they discover how white light...

How many different ways do mammals move from place to place? An online resource uses animation to show how different mammals move. Learners use a slider to speed up or slow down a variety of mammals. The versatile lesson works as a...

From picture to words. Scholars analyze a picture of an ant and then list two facts they observed and any questions that may arise. Expert groups from the previous instructional activity then look at a diagram about either an ant or...

Scarcity of resources is a fundamental economics concepts that kids need to understand. You'll use a large bag of popcorn to demonstrate this concept. Have the class come up row-by-row to fill their snack bags with popcorn. By...

Learners investigate the role of temperature and salinity in determining seawater density. They use a Temperature-Salinity Diagram to examine the effects of mixing on density.

After exploring the wonders of ocean life found in tidal pools, explore ocean life through ceramic art. Kids use texturing and the pinch-and-pull technique to create starfish, just like the ones found at the seashore. Suggested...

To set up this activity, your class explores Minnesota's nickname as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and the back of the state quarter that features a Minnesota lake. Young mathematicians compare the number 1 to the number 10,000 with support...

Here is a hard-hitting, cross-curricular lesson on the effects that the deforestation of the Ozark forests in the 19th century had on the people, animals, and ecosystems of the area. The Dr. Seuss book The Lorax is used as a way of...

What kinds of animals live in Spanish-speaking countries? Do they live in the zoo, the garden, or the sea? Discuss animals with your young, experienced Spanish speakers. Then use photos to practice describing where certain animals live....

If you want a light exercise to review 12 famous people, events, and movements in American history, with a focus on African-American history, this crossword puzzle may be useful. It requires familiarity with Rosa Parks, Martin Luther...

Students create PowerPoint presentations about women's suffrage. In this women's rights instructional activity, students use primary documents to study the women's suffrage movement. In pairs, students create a PowerPoint presentation...

Students examine the differences between air temperature and ground temperature.  In this investigative lesson plan students find NASA data on the Internet and use it to create a graph. 

Are your pupils' essays full of long, wordy sentences? Help them to write more concise sentences with this practice worksheet, which provides twenty long sentences for your young editors to proofread. Use the activity as a homework...

Here is a great way to get pupils to express a scientific concept in a fun way. After hearing the story of Walter the Water drop and learning facts about the water cycle, the class will write a creative expository piece describing what...

New York Times covers hot topics and current events, now you may use those articles to help young people become more aware. Kids read an article regarding the Israeli-Palestinian agreement and the prospect of Palestine joining the UN....

Young scholars spin their way to letter sound fluency. While tomes, pairs spin a spinner and make the sound of the letter on which it lands. They add a counter to their cup for each sound they make correctly. At the end of the game,...