Students visit a local grocery store (not a community market) to gather information about where some commonly eaten produce items come from. Once they have collected this information, locate the countries of origin on a map and research...

Fourth graders explore the interdependence of frogs and trees. They discuss the various things they need everyday to survive. Students select an animal from their local bioregion and research things that animal is dependent upon for...

Students research the pros and cons of traffic light cameras that generate tickets and interview local city officials to see if they have considered this for the community. Students then prepare a panel to present the advantages and...

Students read a report about the most dangerous cities in America. Using the internet, they research their own community in regards to how safe it is. They interview local law enforcement and determine the degree of local danger. They...

Students read about local accident sites and conduct research of areas of high incidence. They interview police and insurance agents and explore what can be done if a site has multiple accidents. They write a news feature about the...

Students research how police use MySpace to apprehend criminals. They debate the pros and cons of this method and decide if the local policy needs to be changed. Students create a better policy for using the Internet and present it to...

Learners identify plants growing in the school yard and choose one for further investigation. They investigate the plant's biotic potential and environmental resistance. They predict what would happen should they introduce an exotic...

Research information about your city and state. Pupils investigate details such as the name of the city mayor, local establishments, and entertainment. For the state, they name the capital, governor, state flower, and flag. There are...

Pupils explore the information depicted on topographic maps. They construct a 3-D topographic map of a local area. They go on a field trip to the depicted area and compare the 'real world' with their models.

Elementary schoolers collect and record weather data for their local area using data from newspapers, Web sites, and television reports. The read and record data daily, and groups prepare a presentation on their findings for the entire...

Quite often, learners confuse the main idea in a selection of reading with the supporting details. In this lesson plan, pupils practice the skill of finding the main idea and the supporting details in pieces of writing. Newspaper...

What would your class do if a police officer arrested a student in class? This is exactly the anticipatory set that gets students engaged in a unit on the legal system. The plan is to get the officer to simulate an arrest, and then guest...

Consider to possibility of starting a business as a way to examine the concept of entrepreneurship. Learners develop and analyze feasibility studies, marketing strategies, proposals, and local census data all needed when starting a small...

Fifth through eighth graders think of themselves as newspaper reporters as they listen to a presentation by a guest speaker. As reporters, they take notes during the presentation. Using these notes, they create a rough draft and then a...

Learners take a look at the local newspaper and focus on the weather section. They get into small groups, and each one looks at the same map, but of a different part of the country. They must prepare a presentation that shows how...

Students observe the weather over a period of two weeks. They gather local weather data and calculate the mean and average figures from the data. They prepare a graph with their observations.

Students brainstorm lists of land uses, gather pictures of them, and create a collage. They research land uses in their communities by contacting local agencies. They make charts of the land use planning systems and their impact on...

Learners watch a video prior to developing a family emergency preparedness plan and kit. They decide with their families what local media sources they would use to get information during an emergency situation.

Students collect current events that are important at the local and state level that relate to older adults. They question older persons in regard to issues that are important to them. They listen to a guest speaker discuss current...

Students create a letter requesting information from a local vocational agency using word processing software. They send the finished letter to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Young scholars explore the Arctic food chain. They examine the needs of the polar bear and the threat that global warming poses to them. Students write a letter to a local political representative explaining what they have studied and...

Students create a box, the letter L, a triangle, and a circle in perspective in this lesson introducing the art and career of an Architect. The lesson ephasizes practice in perspective and encourages the use of a local architect as a...

Students research what laws relate to cell phones. They interview local law enforcement personnel to find out if cell phones have caused accidents. Students survey classmates to determine how many talk on their phones when driving. They...

Learners research crimes and corresponding punishments of students. They interview local judges to see if they try to match the punishment with the crime. Learners write an analysis article about crimes and their punishments in your...