Benjamin Franklin was an inventor, and he was fascinated by the mechanics of machinery. Using a fun exploration, pupils examine simple machines from the pre-Industrial era. Then, they must identify and build their own using common objects.

A PowerPoint presents features of polymers and two of its categories (thermoplastics and thermosets). Instructors conduct demonstrations to illustrate the Weissenberg Effect and the Barus & Kaye Effects of polymers in the first...

Are the earth's oceans really just giant batteries, waiting for their energy to be harnessed? Middle school mechanical engineers will be shocked by the amazing amount of energy that forms around them after diving into part four of a...

Make the strongest beam possible using taffy? Groups mold a taffy-water mixture into a beam and a reinforcing material of their choice. To finish the final installment of a two-part series, participants test its strength by adding...

Examples of natural selection over time will make the concept of evolution more clear to your students. This presentation is short but summarizes the mechanisms of isolation and selection clearly.  This presentation would be useful...

As part of a grammar lesson, use these sentences to identify parts of speech. There are no directions, but parts of speech are available. The resource contains ten sentences in all.

Hands-on experience with valves and water flow supports young researchers' understanding of valve operation. Attached resources for learners are text-dense; I'd break up the text into smaller pieces for groups to read and present...

Students explore how the innovations in culture and technology influenced the development of a leisure industry in America at the turn of the twentieth century.

In this United States history worksheet, middle schoolers utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions pertaining to the Industrial Revolution. A short answer question is included as well.

Young scholars define and explore Industry. They access times during the Industrial Revolution in America. Students view how business functions in any economy. They summarize the three sectors of industry by creating and interpreting a...

Small groups use the engineering design process to build and test a vehicle capable of carrying 250 grams a distance of five meters. The design must allow for the storage of potential energy and turn it into motion,...

Tenth graders examine the role of Jewish Americans in the 1900s. They examing the changes in industry and inventions. They also identify how Jewish Americans changed society and religious organization.

Middle schoolers design a solution to a problem based on the Industrial Revolution. For this design lesson plan, students come up with architectural designs and present them to teachers in a simulated factory.

Don't lift another finger, this physical and environmental science unit has everything you need to begin teaching your class about energy. Starting with a look at the greenhouse effect, these lessons and activities take young scientists...

Students identify principal causes of the Great Depression. They analyze causes including a decline in worldwide trade, the stock market crash, and bank failures and explain the legacy of the Depression in American society.

Students differentiate the employer/employee relationship before and after the introduction of new technology through not-taking research using the Industrial Revolution as a point of reference. They explore how industry is made up of in...

Don't throw out this resource ... recycle it! Learners investigate recycling of containers using single stream processes, and then the class discusses the advantages and disadvantages of recycling.

Introduce materials science with a class demonstration. After showing a PowerPoint presentation on materials and their properties, instructors provide a ceramic tile, a Popsicle stick, a paper clip, and a plastic bag as examples of...

Eighth graders complete an Interdisciplinary Unit on the Muckrakers and the Progressive Movement. Students describe life in America and how Progressive Reformers changed it. identify specific problems and propose solutions. Students...

One of the factors that automotive engineers must consider is wind drag. The less wind drag, the more efficient the car will be. They perform many tests in wind tunnels, then refine their designs and test again. Using simple materials,...

Students study the work of Rodgers and Hammerstein in an historical context of the development of American musical theatre as an art form. Students explore "roots" of the genre as it evolves in last half of the 19th and first two decades...

Industrialization and mechanization of products such as cars have deeply affected the US economy. The class discusses the affects of Ford's assembly line production of automobiles. They watch a video, fill out worksheets, and investigate...

Students explore agriculture by researching Wisconsin's economy. In this cherry industry activity, students read assigned text about the amount of cherries Wisconsin produces annually and the revenue it brings in to the state. Students...

Introduce your class to nanotechnology applications with three demonstrations that showcase scientific principles related to ferrofluids, quantum dots, and gold nanoparticles. Groups will work more closely with these applications in the...