Japanese architecture is rich in symbolism and culture. Critical thinkers engage in three activities intended to expose them to the beauty of Japan. They read through the book, Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki and watch the...

Playing with matches (unlit, of course) becomes an engaging learning experience in this fun instructional unit. Teach pupils how to apply properties of exponential functions to solve problems. They differentiate between quadratic and...

Art and architecture go hand-in-hand. Kids watch clips from the Hayo Miyazaki film Spirited Away to better understand Japanese customs and architecture. The discussion questions included are very good, and will help you lead the class in...

This short probability question may look simple at first, but it is actually quite complex! Learners must understand independent events in context and must take into account several different scenarios. Use as an individual assignment...

Your mathematician's job is to explore the relationship between hours and miles walked during a walk-a-thon. The activity compels your learners to experiment with different means in finding out this proportional relationship. The answer...

Are you enjoying the use of all five senses? Imagine that you have to lose one of them; you can choose which one, but it's gone forever. Work through a lesson based on Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis that asks class...

Combine class members' love of crafts and reading with one innovative lesson. Scholars create a one-of-a-kind woven bookmark using cardstock paper, yarn, and a needle. 

Learn the stories a formula holds. An interesting lesson takes a unique approach to teach how to use formulas. Beginning with a formula, learners predict what the variables stand for and then use the formula to make calculations and tell...

Scale up your lessons with a performance task. Young data analysts work through an assessment task on scaled bar graphs. They answer questions about a given scaled bar graph on favorite colors, analyze a bar graph to see if it matches...

Paste this resource into your lesson plans like you'd paste a tile onto a mural. Given a diagram of a tile mural with rectilinear figures, future artists determine the perimeters and areas of the figures. They must then develop their own...

Upper graders play the voting game to help them understand voting patterns, political movements, and build a content specific vocabulary. Each student creats a chart to determine if his or her political view veers liberal or...

Students practice tumbling skills. In this physical education lesson, students use their flexibility skills in order to follow the provided procedures to play Switcheroo Stunt Hunt.

Students practice their measuring and cooking skills with a box of Rice Krispies. In this culinary activity, students utilize a box of Rice Krispies, butter, marshmallows and utensils to cook a batch of Rice Krispie Treats. Students...

Students explain how technology leads to a cleaner environment. They gain hands-on experience with ethanol as a fuel alternative.

Learners record their daily physical activity in a chart. In this physical fitness lesson plan, students and adults exercise and see how many repetitions they can do in a given amount of time. They record this in a chart over a period of...

Students explore plastics and what plastics students use to pack a lunch. For this plastics lesson plan, students observe each other pack lunches and take note of all the plastics used in packing the lunch. They discuss the impact of...

Students explore the real experience with the sequence and process of caterpillar-to-butterfly metamorphosis. They actually get to watch the process unfold in the classroom. A Flex-Cam records the video of the process to assure that the...

Students, in groups, create hypothetical financial plans for a colonial Maine family living on the frontier.

Young scholars engage in a lesson which explores the wate cycle. They get to see some very entertaining video, do fun hands-on activities and gain a better understanding of evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection.

Fifth graders identify situations in which kinetic and potential energy are exchanged and identify the direction of energy transfer using marbles and flexible foam track. They observe how the marbles move spontaneously when released...

Learners evaluate different kinds of homes and living situations. They focus on a Korean grandfather's home and analyze the effects of culture upon home lives and structures. They draw their own homes as a final project.

Young scholars investigate the concept of building materials and how they are used to create different things. They focus upon the availability, cost, flexibility, and strength of different building materials. This is done by taking part...

Young scholars examine world conflict issues. In this global conflict lesson, students listen to a story that puts them in the shoes of an army soldier ordered to shoot civilians. Young scholars discuss the plight of...

Young scholars define the slope of the line, find the slope between any two points on the line, and allow them to name other areas where the slope is used. They explain why the slope is defined as the rise over the run.