Students explore images, symbols, and the relationship they establish with their own personal heritage. They discuss Aztec, Inca, and Maya civilizations. Students interview their family about their own personal heritage. Additional cross...

Students investigate why natural catastrophes occur around the world and the results of such catastrophes. They investigate how people recover from catastrophes and can they be prevented. Students create their own work of art depicting a...

Students recognize the use of exaggeration and understand how it may enhance the story, painting, conversation or event. Students transfer their understanding of exaggeration as it is used in many places, ie., daily life, paintings,...

Learners explore the rain forest and where they are located. Students examine why the rain forests are important and what is happening to them. They investigate the water cycle and life cycle of a frog. Learners build a rain forest in...

Eighth graders take field trips to prairies, streams and forests in Illinois. During the field trip, they complete a worksheet to observe what they see and discuss it when they get back to school. They share their experiences through...

Students, in groups, use longitude and latitude to locate various places on a map.

Learners define and use "absolute location," latitude, and longitude. They locate on a map or globe the Earth's poles, circles, tropics, and beginning points of measurements for latitude and longitude.

Having good hygiene skills is a very important part of living an independent life. Learners with special needs follow sequencing cards to practice washing their faces. They follow each step in the process and discuss the importance of...

A physical activity log will help your elementary students keep track of their activities. Your class will calculate the average number of physicaly active minutes per day. They compare with other students and then estimate the relative...

This study asks students to keep a log at home of their daily physical activities for at least one or two weeks. They bring their logs back to class. They compare the activities and discuss different levels of intensity.

Entice your learners with this lesson on animal footprints. After reading the story Footprints in the Snow by Cynthia Benjamin, they use photos to identify animals and their footprints. Then they participate in an activity to classify...

Sixth graders participate in an activity in which colored jelly beans represent fish in a lake--10 green jellybeans per "lake" representing tagged fish. They draw from the beans (fish) and record the number of tagged fish they draw...

Students in a special education classroom examine the role of weather and water in their lives. Each day, they add a symbol for the weather outside and identify the proper activities for the weather on that day. In groups, they...

Ninth graders research early mining in California. They study the "placer method" for mining gold, which is surface mining that does not involve tunneling. They examine what it was like for the early miners to pan for gold with...

Third graders create a butterfly drawing that includes the elements of art and principles of design. They create artwork that can be made into ceramic tiles to be installed around the classroom doorways in our new addition.

Students gather information on a kelp forest and identify species in that ecosystem.  In this underwater ecosystem lesson students gather data, give an oral presentation and create a poster.

Students identify the 5 stages in the life cycle of a pumpkin. They create a model showing the correct order of pumpkin life stages. They explain a pumpkin's life cycle to a partner, using their model.

Students study food chains by creating their own slide show using KidPix. They compare information after sharing their slide shows as a whole group. As the children are watching the slide shows of their peers, they tally every time...

Fourth graders create spreadsheets, explore patterns and make predictions based on the information. They select the appropriate graph to display the spreadsheet data. They search and sort prepared data bases to gain knowledge for...

Learners explore how structural forms adapt to evolving world cultures. In groups, students examine posters from the past and write about the picture. Learners make predictions about what the picture will look like in the future....

Students study patterns of population growth in an ecosystem and why populations must remain in balance. They interpret basic population graphs and suggest scenarios about different population growth patterns in an ecosystem.

Students investigate the geological characteristics of the ocean environment and create a labeled drawing of the ocean floor's geography. Students view videos and conduct Internet research about the ocean's floor and then create their...

Students investigate an environmental problem in order to find and propose possible solutions. The problem is real to add to the engagement of the lesson. This is found through conducting research and then brainstorming is done in small...

High schoolers recognize marine organisms and differentiate between plankton and nekton.  In this investigative instructional activity students create a concept map using their list of terms and study marine life forms.